The dual-walled sanitary objects are paired with modular, geometric bathroom furniture with an elegant frame. The furniture is made from materials such as wood and textured glass and not only offers plenty of storage space, but is also pleasant to the touch. “I’ve always wanted to develop a bathroom series for Duravit,” said the designer from Offenbach. He can now take his place in the roll-call of renowned designers such as Philippe Starck and Cecilie Manz who have designed collections for the German sanitary manufacturer.

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. It is increasingly becoming a place of retreat and ritual. Zencha therefore aims to appeal to all the senses with balanced shapes, colours and materials. The inspiration for the design are hand-made ceramic teacups that Herkner discovered in Japan. Their gentle, organic shapes are transposed on to the sanitary objects in abstract form. Designed as cambered rectangles, they are bulbous at the bottom and taper upwards with an elegant curve. The materials used are equally sensual, with basins manufactured from DuraCeram. This material enables above-counter basins with an extremely thin rim thickness. Seamlessly manufactured from DuraSolid, the bathtubs impress with their pleasantly warm feel and elegant matt aesthetic.

The straight-lined design of the furniture creates a contrast to the organic sanitary objects and complements the collection’s subtle material and color concept. The outstanding design feature here is an elegant frame just six millimeters thick. It creates a uniform shadow gap that lends the furniture a graceful and effortless feel. “You can only manufacture technically sophisticated solutions like this in a consistent quality if, like Duravit, you have your own manufacturing facilities with the corresponding expertise and high levels of craftsmanship,” said Herkner.

The furniture of the Zencha collection is designed in a modular fashion and can be deployed in a variety of ways, for instance as open shelves or drawers with push-to-open and self-closing technology. Combined with the above-counter basin, they become a beautiful centrepiece in the bathroom. As a storage area for everyday (bathroom) items, they give structure to the room and imbue cosiness into various styles. The carcass and frame of the furniture come with an easy-to-clean surface and anti-fingerprint effect and are available in the subtle colours White Super Matt, Taupe Super Matt, and Graphite Super Matt.

The cabinet fronts are also offered in a range of variants. While the options in Natural Oak and Oak Black produce a warm and tactile effect, white plate glass and black textured glass introduce a degree of sensual elegance into the bathroom. Herkner has further designed a separate mirror that emulates the contour of the round basins. Its organic form is accentuated by an all-round LED strip, and the light is turned

The sanitary objects consist of two differently shaped above-counter basins: a curved square and a rounded rectangle measuring in the colours White, White Satin Matt, Gray Satin Matt, and Anthracite Matt. The square variant of the above-counter basin with its ceramic cover is a particular talking point in the bathroom, and is also covered by Duravit’s lifetime warranty. The shape of the square version of the free-standing bathtub is drawn from the square above-counter basin. Bathers are invited to immerse themselves blissfully into the deep water, an experience reminiscent of a Japanese Onsen bath. Optionally, it is available with an air whirl system integrated into the base of the bathtub.