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Saunas, showers, steam jets, and the latest technologies can turn any bathroom into an oasis of wellness and relaxation. Which explains why the new wellness and bathroom products on show at this year’s Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone reveal a growing trend towards caring for mind and body in the privacy of your own home. Highlights include saunas for your garden, personal and personalized Finnish saunas, bathroom furnishings, and elegant, sophisticated finishes.
Effe by Effegibi presented two new products in the S. Project Pavilion: the Inside steam generator and the Cabanon range of outdoor saunas, the result of rediscovering antique local traditions and combining them with the most sophisticated modern technologies.
As you might guess from the name, Effe took its inspiration for its first series of outdoor saunas from Le Corbusier’s Cabanon (shed), transforming the square wooden vacation home into a wellness structure that’s completely independent from the house. Collaboration with designers Rodolfo Dordoni and Michele Angelini was a cornerstone of the project. The first step in the design process was to bring together sensations and memories of the past.
“The first thing that came to mind was beach huts,” says Rodolfo Dordoni, “where warmth and nudity created a feeling of freedom that today we’d call wellness. The Cabanon design is intended to be reminiscent not only of the shape of the hut but also of those feelings.”
There are two versions of the Cabanon, with each available in different sizes: Garden, suitable for installation in gardens, and Terrace, for balconies or terraces. With the addition of a series of accessories, the company has created an outdoor structure that’s both separate from the home – in the Finnish tradition – and a comfortable, private space. Different sized decks can be added at the entrance to the sauna, which can be further accessorized with curtains in a technical fabric, available in three different sizes, for added privacy. So that the sauna is customizable and adaptable to its setting, its corrugated aluminum cladding is available in three shades – Moss, Brick, Cement – while the inside is heat-treated wood. To create the right atmosphere inside, warm LED lighting is fitted between the bench and walls, while the softly backlit mirror creates a feeling of warmth and intimacy.
The other new product the company featured at Salone del Mobile was the Inside steam generator, designed for installation inside shower cubicles in both homes and hotels. Minimal dimensions make it very discreet, especially if positioned close to the floor. The button controls on the upper section are made of hard-wearing silicone rubber and feature icons that make it easy and intuitive to use. RGB LED lighting on the lower section enhance the unit, which offers all the features of a commercial Turkish bath in one small space.
Any space can become an oasis of wellness, even the most banal ones. The new wellness products exhibited by Starpool are proof, with the range including three different ideas for creating opportunities for physical and mental relaxation every day. All of these products center on the idea of private wellness, and are intended for the contract and hospitality markets as well as the home.
The products presented in Milan were Shade Collection, Nature Sauna Personal, and Zerobody Personal, including both indoor and outdoor models. Designed by Cristiano Mino, who drew his inspiration from Asian traditions, Shade Collection includes Shade Sauna, Shade Steam Room, and Shade Shower, all for the private market. Conceived as a furnishing element, the range features an inviting design that can be adapted to any room of the house, creating a dialogue with its setting through its alternating glass and wood slat walls. This design means that the interior retains a feeling of great intimacy, while still visually connected to the outside.
“Sauna cubes have taken on a real appeal, with the product now much more than just a shell but a part of its setting,” says the designer. “They go beyond their own interior space to give new value to the external one, defining and distinguishing its setting.”
Designed by the aledolci&co studio, Nature Sauna Personal is a Finnish sauna. One of its most distinctive features is the choice of materials, which have been used with respect for both their own life cycle and the rhythms of nature, so that they change with nature and become a part of it. Available with an electric or wood heater, the cube is self-standing and can be installed directly on site, needing only a flat surface and a power supply. Three different exterior colors are available: Savublack Fir, Blue Fir, and White Fir.
An innovative and patented system to regenerate body and mind, Zerobody Personal brings the benefits of dry float therapy to the home. The product of scientific research into the benefits of floating, Zerobody is an effective and versatile solution, letting you float atop over 400 liters of warm water without getting wet or needing to undress. The “smart” version brings all the stress-eliminating benefits to the home.
Margraf previewed two new product lines in Milan, both based on Jean-Michel Wilmotte’s interpretation of marble for the bathroom. One is named after the French architect. The other, Ipogeo, focuses on bringing out the unique depth of the stone. The firm also featured the Fluctus collection, which previously had a starring role at the last Marmomac exhibition.
The Jean-Michel Wilmotte collection, comprising the two product series Gradina and Herma, is a celebration of Fior di Pesco Carnico® marble. This range of washbasins and shower trays are distinguished by a certain irregularity that enhances the contrast between the natural stone, with its rough appearance, and the precise cut of the metal. It’s a coming together of technology and industrial know-how.
The Ipogeo collection grew out of a desire to give new life to marble, rediscovering the material’s origins and nature. This finish is a celebration of the union between natural stone and a new processing technique developed by Margraf Innovation Lab that brings out the natural appearance of the treated material, as if it had just been extracted from the quarry. Like clay, marble stimulates the senses with its unique veining and colors.
RAK Ceramics made its debut at both Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone 2022 with a range of bathroom and surface products. The firm set up an immersive sensorial installation to help visitors fully experience its different ceramics and finishes. The range, dubbed Black Ink, recalls the veins of porcelain stoneware.
The new products featured by the Italian firm include a collection of surface finishes inspired by nature in the form of floral and vegetable motifs. Named Metamorfosi, the concept of becoming and change behind the range brings to mind the great classics of Ovid and Kafka, but also that process of material transformation that underpins design. Besides being a tribute to nature, Metamorfosi symbolizes the union of quality performance and materials. Large-format brushed-resin porcelain stoneware slabs, the range features brilliant colors and bold decorations. Available in nine colors and eleven designs (and in various sizes), this collection offers a multitude of applications and combinations for interior designers. Metamorfosi is part of RAK Ceramics’ Signature Collection.
The firm also showcased four bathroom ranges, created through collaborations with leading international designers: ELIE SAAB Bathroom & Surface Collection by the Lebanese designer of the same name, RAK-Valet designed by Patrick Norguet, RAK-Cloud designed by Giuseppe Maurizio Scutellà, and RAK-Variant by Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri.
From showroom to art gallery – for Fuorisalone 2022, an intense color scheme created by Marco Carini transformed the RBM More showroom into an exhibition space. Like an artist’s paintings, the company’s wellness products became the main attractions of an emotionally engaging exhibition that offered visitors a chance to get hands-on experience with different systems and how to get the right balance between temperature, humidity, and air quality. On the first floor of the showroom, two video installations demonstrated the operation of the systems, revealing aspects that are normally hidden from view.
Among RBM More’s new products for 2022 are More Pad Invisible Kit, Calidarium, Smell Free, and thermostatic valves designed by Piero Lissoni with ergonomic, elegant lines. The valves, displayed in black and white but available in other colors, are stripped back to the bare essentials so as to enhance the purity of the cylinder.
The main focus of the exhibit, however, was the Calidarium system, with its crystal gray walls that create a dialogue with the surrounding spaces. Calidarium is for creating transparent shower enclosures in the bathroom composed of the various RBM More products – sometimes visible, sometimes hidden in the walls. The More Pad Invisible Kit, a pre-assembled kit for providing additional heating to sections of walls, is the latest iteration of the More Pad. There are two versions: the first, intended for new homes and major renovations, comes fully wired and ready to be fixed inside the wall after insulation has been fitted; in the second, specifically for replacement, integration, and small renovations, the components are supplied with insulation and the raw finish already applied so it can be fixed into the wall and connected to the mains quickly and easily. The final element of the Calidarium system is Smell Free, an innovative system to ensure effective air exchange and maximum speed in eliminating odors.
Scarabeo Ceramiche presented two elegant new bathroom collections, both distinguished by subtle moods and generous dimensions. The Diva furniture collection has been designed to combine with Moon washbasins. With its tubular metal structure, the range creates a contrast between the width of the basin and the lightness of the edges. Already available with the metal parts in matt black, gray, and dove, Diva now also comes in a brushed gold finish, a color that conveys a feeling of contemporary elegance.
With its almost sartorial structure, the Solid collection is designed for Teorema washbasins. Over the years, the evolution of Teorema – the iconic Scarabeo collection designed by Giovanni Calisti – has produced an incredible range of differently shaped washbasins. Always distinguished by rigor, elegance, and simplicity, Teorema underwent its first evolution with the 2.0 version, which involved a lightening of the edges. Teorema 2.0 is also available in the Plus version, with more generous dimensions but reduced height.
Duravit was at Milano Design Week with Soleil, Tulum, and Zencha, all major new products for 2022. These iconic, sophisticated designs, inspired by exotic traditions and the sea, previously featured at Duravit Design Days in March. With Tulum, the firm has renewed its collaboration with Philippe Starck to create a range of timeless tapware.
>>> Discover all the collections presented at Duravit Design Days 2022.
Please refer to the individual images in the gallery to look through the photo credits
