A small gem
Solutions for small bathrooms at a trade fair for sanitation? May sound obvious, but equally it seems improbable. After all, the manufacturers on the ground at the ISH are at first sight focused on presenting their novelties in as spacious a setting and ensemble as possible. The model bathrooms are configured accordingly: as large as banquet halls. You could be forgiven for activating your pedometer when walking from the tub to the washbasin.
That said, fascinated by so much sheer space, you invariably then remember your own four walls, that tiled tedium: In the post-War period, the shower, washbasin and toilet tended to get coldly crammed into as small a space as possible in apartments. Statistics suggest German bathrooms are on average only 7.8 square meters in size.
To ensure that your average bathroom at home does not resemble a cupboard under the stairs, storage space is kept to a minimum and therefore all the more precious. So it’s particularly gratifying that you’ll be well rewarded for keeping a look out for small bathrooms at the ISH. In the jungle of essentially boastful double washbasins and aircraft-carrier-sized tubs, you’ll also spot a surprisingly large number of refined models for the home of Joe Average, models that fit perfectly into confined spaces. Take for example the small “Eternity” washbasin by VitrA, “Folio” by Alape or “Val” by Konstantin Grcic for Laufen. With “Idea 2.0” by A&T Italia the bright outcome is even really colorful. Not that this is unique: Customized surfaces for tubs and washstands are available among others from Villeroy & Boch and Sanipa. A stylish setting above the washstand, with the care utensils located on integrated rests, that is something to be found with “Tricolore” by Werner Aisslinger and Tina Bunyaprasit for Kaldewei or with “Sonar” by Patricia Urquiola for Laufen. And instead of having all the other beautiful flacons and cosmetics disappear inside the washstand, Wolfgang Hartauer’s refined rack system “Assist” for Alape makes certain they continue to cut a fine figure. And if you want you can expand this flexible modular system to feature a towel rack.
Even in small bathrooms the rule still applies that floor-level showers eliminate barriers in both visual and practical terms, create more freedom of movement, and extra-slender bathroom radiators such as AEG’s GeBHG 500 W can be mounted in a niche on the wall. With so many ideas to choose from, even the smallest bathroom can be transformed into a feel-good island.
