Keuco Edition 90

Bathroom architecture 2022 – new favourite products and surfaces

05/22
Glassdouche Katharina

The glass panel made of toughened safety glass mounted with two profiles from the Katharina series by shower enclosure specialist Glassdouche has the imposing dimensions of 270 x 240 cm. This shower stands for maximum generosity in the bathroom.

Nowhere are products, infrastructure and interior design so closely interwoven with the architecture as in the bathroom. Whether as a sculptural standalone or subtly integrated – innovative shower trays, freestanding bathtubs, walk-in showers, prewall systems and fittings all enter into a permanent connection with the architecture.

That’s why the makers of bathroom products don’t just cater to consumers’ tastes, they specifically take the needs of architects and bathroom planners into account too by providing them with a fan deck of options for creating modern bathrooms, and occasionally there are even bathroom furniture systems with a built-in character to enable a consistent interior design. Pop up my Bathroom offers a roundup of the current product trends for the bathroom.

Where the bathroom interfaces with its users

TECE verlvet

With its new Velvet actuator plate, Tece wants to make a statement in both directions: ultra-soft to the touch, super-matt in appearance.

In the plans, the taps or flush plates only appear as a supposedly small dash – but in terms of the overall impact of the interior design, they’re as important as the shape of the door handle is for the entire house. Bathroom products are inseparably linked with the overall effect of the architecture. They communicate with their users regularly at both an aesthetic/visual and functional/tactile level and are essential points of contact in the household – all the more reason why bathroom planning calls for products that don’t just meet the specific needs of their users in a functional sense but have a formative influence on the bathroom’s interior design as well. What’s needed are striking fittings with a strong character. Prominent designers have recently come up with no fewer than three major developments for these bathroom interfaces.

Axor One

he Axor One collection is characterised by slender silhouettes, flat surfaces, soft edges and balanced proportions. The fittings in the collection are characterised by a gentle tapering towards their curved spouts.

Consisting of elegant fittings for the washbasin, tub and shower, the Axor One collection is characterised by a holistic design language with a slender silhouette, flat surfaces, soft edges and balanced proportions. The iconic fittings (design: Barber Osgerby) taper gently towards their curved spouts – a subtle detail that underscores the exceptional quality of their design and manufacturing. The extensive product range means it’s possible to create a consistent interior design for the entire bathroom.


The One thermostatic module, for instance, features large, clearly marked “Select” buttons for switching between spray types quickly and directly in the shower or bath, while the large handle permits intuitive, ultra-precise control of the water temperature and volume. The matching overhead and hand showers feature monolithic forms and an innovative arrangement of the Rain and PowderRain spray types, reflected in the distinctive graphic language of the steel spray disc. The showerpipe aims to provide the perfect all-in-one combination of overhead shower, hand shower, wall bar and wall mounting.

Dornbracht CYO

Selected surfaces are intended to emphasise the striking features of Cyo from Dornbracht. A wide selection of handle inserts in various finishes and designs aim to provide a high degree of design freedom.

Cyo is a reinterpretation of the archetypal C-shaped spout from Dornbracht. It owes its flamboyant contours and sculptural quality (design: Sieger Design) to the striking basic shape of a circle, which defines the spout and handles and thus characterises the design right down to the water jet, which follows the shape of the spout. In fact, the entire range of products for the washbasin, bath and shower is defined by this same basic shape. Combined with the matching accessories, they create a harmonious overall look in every area of the bathroom. The design concept features numerous unusual details, such as bi-structural finishes that combine glossy and matt surfaces.


The bathroom is the area of the home where our skin is exposed the most. We walk across the floor barefoot, stand under the shower, lie in the bathtub and touch the fittings. That’s why finishes play a special role for designers, architects and bathroom planners – perhaps because they are responsible for making both a tactile and visual impression. That applies to flush plates too – and with its new Velvet flush plate, sanitaryware systems supplier Tece is aiming to make a statement that is both pleasant to the touch and easy on the eye. Supersoft and ultramatt, it’s also extremely hardwearing thanks to Fenix NTM, a material from Italian manufacturer Arpa Industriale. The elegant, functional design is the work of the prominent designer Konstantin Grcic.

Products with wall and floor adhesion

Bette Air

With BetteAir, the world's first shower tile made of glazed titanium steel according to the manufacturer, Bette wants the shower tray to become part of the bathroom floor.

The level access shower exemplifies a new generation of bathroom fixtures that are both an integral part of the bathroom and an element of the architectural design. Many of the beautiful and outwardly simple products now available to satisfy consumers’ increased requirements of their bathrooms are actually the result of a great deal of development and production expertise. Take shower trays, for instance: well into the 1970s, they could tower up as much as 30 centimetres above the floor. With BetteAir, however, Bette has taken the shower tray’s evolution to a new level, so to speak, and made its glazed titanium steel solution part of the bathroom floor.


That also explains why the Delbrück-based manufacturer calls BetteAir a “shower tile” – a name inspired both by its minimalist design and the space-saving installation technology. Bette’s developers have succeeded in reducing the rim height of the titanium steel product to just 10 millimetres - about the same thickness as a large-format tile. The pointed corners with a radius of just 5 millimetres also fit in perfectly with the tile grid. According to the manufacturer, the drainage capacity of 0.6 l/s is sufficient even for opulent rainfall showers. Last but not least, the glazed and enlarged drain cover (diameter: 200 millimetres) is flat, with the result that there is no visible or perceptible difference as compared to the surrounding floor surface.

Kermi Mena

The Mena shower enclosure from Kermi is available in a completely reduced, made-to-measure version with wall fittings or as a standard model with a wall profile for more visual support.

The idea of integration with the existing fabric of the building is the guiding principle behind many modern shower enclosures too. In the case of the Mena shower enclosure from Kermi, for instance, the premium metal fittings of the enclosure are shown off to maximum effect by the totally frame-free design option. But the shower also looks extremely transparent with the understated wall profile as well. All the enclosures come with convenient swing doors that open in both directions and are fitted with a rising hinge mechanism for unobstructed level access.


A freestanding bath is the ultimate status symbol for a modern bathroom. Its sculptural shape symbolises the spaciousness of the architecture and is often the focal point of a zoning concept. And with the trend towards more colour in the bathroom that’s been gaining ground since the ISH 2019, freestanding tubs are available in a growing choice of colours too. In particular, a bicolour tub is a must-have for today’s modern bathroom. Especially in the case of freestanding models, a design featuring two different shades makes a stunning eye-catcher. And with its Classic Duo Oval series, Kaldewei doubles up on this dual approach: the oval basic shape, two identical backrests and the centrally positioned drain ensure an enjoyable and comfortable bathing experience for two. The innovative panelling underscores the quality of the design and permits a freestanding position.

More (storage) space, more individuality

Burgbad Lin20

The new Lin20 collection from burgbad offers washbasins and cabinets in minimalist design with reduced depths that are suitable for everyday use - shown here in the material mix of Merino oak decor and matt basalt grey.

When space is in short supply and every centimetre matters, standard sizes often reveal their limitations. Especially in an urban bathroom, there’s a growing need to make the most of the space – and with individually adaptable furniture systems, even the furthest corner of the room can be used. What’s needed are furniture systems with added value. As a standalone piece, burgbad’s Lin20 vanity unit looks like a monolithic statement: straightforward, self-contained, pragmatically simple. The width and height of the compact furniture make the most of whatever space is available. The reduced-depth cabinet and vanity options from the Lin20 collection, which are available in floor-standing or wall-mounted versions, are particularly suitable for making maximum use of small bathrooms and creating a consistent overall look that will turn even a long, narrow bathroom into a highlight. The goal is a bathroom that doesn’t just create order but looks neat and tidy too.


Developed in collaboration with nexus product design, the collection radiates a classic, modern feel and permits customisable colour combinations. But it’s the groupings of different elements that best demonstrate what’s so special about Lin20: as a modularly structured range, Lin20 reinvents bathroom furnishings by adopting the principle of efficient and ergonomic storage space maximisation familiar from kitchen design. Thanks to a classic grid system, the vanity units and add-on cabinets can be used to create apparently seamless combinations and form long rows of floor-standing units with a character similar to that of a built-in kitchen. This impression is reinforced by the emphatically horizontal lines of the handleless furniture, which match up when the modules are combined and thus create a visual analogy with kitchen design as well.

Sanipa 4balance

The new 4balance system programme from Sanipa aims to bring natural balance into the bathroom. The design of the furniture and the washbasins is reduced to basic geometric shapes consisting of oval, circle and cuboid.

The bathroom is turning into a lifestyle space that can easily be given an update with the increasingly individual colour options and/or decorative furnishings available on today’s market. In the case of the new 4balance system from Sanipa, a sense of calm and balance defines the character of the range: the design of the furniture and vanities is reduced to basic geometric shapes – oval, circle, rectangle – that bring a relaxed, homely feel to the bathroom. The oval vanity, rectangular storage furniture and round shapes featured in the mirrors can be used and played with to create a wide variety of different combinations. The centrepiece of the collection is the vanity unit, consisting of a cabinet and basin whose consistently oval shapes add up to a single harmonious unit: the simple fronts – available with or without handles – underscore the serene, timeless look of the collection. The 80-centimetre-wide cabinet provides plenty of practical storage space for everyday bathroom items in the form of two fully extending pullouts with interiors in a modern anthracite shade. Thanks to their integrated slip-resistant surface, everything stays neatly and safely in place. And if more room is required, the vanity cabinet can be flanked with the add-on cabinets from the same series, which make economic use of the space thanks to their reduced depth.