Virtual Roundtable: The color and personality of the bathroom • Hotel design

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Gone are the days when the bathroom mirror suppliers was only used as a practical space. When the trend of colors, patterns and materials spread in the 1970s, the bathroom became an experience zone where designers could tear off the rule book to reflect individuality. With the demand for experience-oriented travel and in recent years health and well-being becoming the top priority of modern travelers—not to mention the rapidly evolving technology—the choices that designers can now use in the bathroom are amazing.
       In order to understand how far we have gone with color and individual performance in the bathroom, we invited leading designers from multiple brands and studios to help us explore how to meaningfully add a little talent in these once forgotten spaces.
       Fiona Thompson: In the luxury hotel sector, the simple answer is that we reflect what we have done before-so this is more of a tribute to the heritage of the project, which is usually hidden in historical buildings. In terms of sanitary ware, great changes have taken place in the 1970s, from using color to using only white. This may be because white represents cleanliness. However, in more fashionable brands, we see color being reinfused into the bathroom, but for more luxury hotels, this is a big improvement.
       The bathroom is the last thing stripped away in the hotel, so everything we do must stand the test of time.
       "When it comes to hotel bathrooms, I have seen a shift in experience-led design"-Diana Darmina, interior design manager of Remington Group.
       Akram Fahmi: What I want to say is that in the past 10 years, the accent color in the bathroom has shifted to black and dark bronze. But I think that with the development of styles and fashion, sanitary ware companies have been expanding their color range. I think black will continue to exist; it is now a staple food, and consumers accept it as a fashionable choice, but colors, bold colors, and pastels are reviving. For the past two years, we have been having no fun, staring at our own bathroom at home and thinking, "I want something to cheer me up in the morning, cheer me up, and constantly surprise me". I think color has the ability to affect your mood. Bold yellow gives you warmth and comfort, red is full of vitality and boldness, and green is calm and fresh. All this comes from the amazing feeling of color, and designers need to be more brave when using it in the dressing room and bathroom. In fact, I think the bathroom is a perfect place for a bit weird or alternative. The bathroom is the most informal space in a house or hotel. It is ultimately a space where you can feel comfortable without wearing clothes-if you can't have fun without wearing clothes, when can you!
       Diana Darmina: Working in the hotel industry, I have seen the design of hotel bathrooms shift to a more experience-oriented design. In room2, we always strive to make our bathroom look and feel full of fun and vitality. We always promote our bathroom to be a favorite place for our guests, but may not have the courage to do so in our own home.
       Nick Hickson: Some brands are very regulated in terms of brand standards, and of course the sanitary ware is white. Therefore, it is difficult to have a conversation about injecting color. You can suggest minor changes, such as a shower tray made of quartz stone or designing the space with a tiled surface.
       At the same time, there are new brands entering, wanting to define new categories. Those lifestyle brands don't want to be white or have a corporate feel. Instead, they are looking for something more experiential—things that are colored or made of other materials, not just white porcelain.
       David Ballmer: In addition, since hygiene is such an important focus, there is still a need and need for a sense of cleanliness. So, what we see is that the ceramic uses color on the outside, rather than the color on the inside to maintain this state.
       "Traditionally, due to cost and quality reasons, we are worried and timid about using colored brass products."-Paul Savage, Design Director of IA Architects.
       HK: Crosswater, from a brand perspective, would you say that those lifestyle brands allow you to inject color into your products?
       DB: No doubt. If you look at the new version of the bowl with colored brass or gold basins on the outside, you will find that due to demand, we can add more personality to our products.
       Paul Savage: According to my previous experience working with a large US carrier, there is no color in the bathroom. Take high-luxury brands as an example. They both pursue elegance and protect the owner's investment. So usually we expect to have a hard refurbishment of the bathroom every 14 years. Traditionally, due to cost and quality, we were afraid to use colored brass utensils. We would say that room cleaning will cause the greatest damage to the room because they use some powerful cleaners. Now that the quality has improved and the cost has been reduced, I think we will see more.
       HK: Due to supply delays to catch up with demand, do you want to inject more color into your project before you can do so?
       PS: I think with the popularity of lifestyle brands, I think this is a good opportunity to make the bathroom truly unique. I do think that the development of lifestyle hotels — and the expansion of the field — has allowed the industry to think more creatively in terms of bathrooms. You can still sensitively add color to these bathroom spaces to more classic hotel bathrooms, but there are fewer opportunities.
       FT: In addition, bathrooms in luxury hotels are traditionally marble, stone or granite. This has changed dramatically-there are now many other materials for designers to choose from, but they still feel like high-end luxury. The traditional way of thinking has changed a lot.
       NH: Today, we design rooms and choose from a wide range of surfaces and materials before specifying bathroom products to make the space feel like other areas of the hotel.
       "You don't have to be as clean as the clinic."-Fiona Thompson, Principal of Richmond International.
       HK: With Covid-19 becoming the elephant in the room, how many colors do you think the new demand will prevent the bathroom from?
       HK: As a designer, it is very important to choose matching colors and shades. Do you find this difficult in the bathroom?
       NH: Sometimes. Therefore, matte black is currently a very popular bathroom finish for faucets and even washbasins. I have been trying to find a matching door hinge in the past, but usually when you use contrast in the bathroom, the results are very impressive.
       "We are not opposed to the idea of moving the wash basin out of the bathroom to open up the space and create more language between the bathroom and the bedroom."-Nick Hickson, THDP co-founder.
       FT: Bathrooms are becoming the focus of guest room design because they are differentiating factors. Therefore, I think using and exploring patterns and textures is a good way to make these areas stand out. I noticed that people are becoming more and more playful, especially in hotels, where the bathtub is removed from the bathroom to open up the space.
       NH: Even if it is a wash basin, we are not opposed to the idea of taking the wash basin out of the bathroom to open up the space and create more language between the bathroom and the bedroom.
       PS: In the past few years, there has been a large-scale revival of materials such as terrazzo, so this is a good opportunity to introduce color. In addition, we see that wallpaper is becoming a popular choice for bathroom feature walls. So, of course people are getting bolder and bolder. The only thing I tend to avoid is lighting that changes my skin tone, because these areas are spaces for people to modify and prepare. Another easy way to tell a design narrative is through artwork.
       HK: Nick, you joined our HD Live, and we explored the bathroom outside the practical space. What do you think are the key points of that discussion? 
       NH: One of the most important things for me is to be able to sit down with other designers (including seniors and juniors) to discuss key topics. We have a designer from Marcel Wanders Studio and Zaha Hadid Architects-he just knows what other people think of this topic. Since then I have been asked about the importance of the bathroom in another conversation-I think we can be more adventurous now.
       FT: I think it goes beyond look and feel, and now it is really about the guest experience. The world no longer just wants a good thermostatic shower and a good toilet. I think there are more products that can help us create more immersive experiences. With this in mind, the large amount of material is very exciting! Of course, you need to know more about the source of the material.
       NH: There are many new products that are pushing their limits. Internal designers are also pushing us to be more creative in responding to briefings. I also like the use of broken mosaics in the bathroom design, which I think is very interesting.
       PS: In recent years, the biggest difference for me is that you can now use colored brassware-before you can afford it in your budget! In addition, improvements to finishes and coatings. Developers and investors do not like to take risks-they need to know that the product will stand the test of time. So, we are really happy to be able to use these materials. The trend is complete-next you know, chromium will be popular again!
       Tom Lowry: Yes, for brands like Bathrooms Brands Group, it is important to ensure that we focus on lasting trends. Of course I saw an interest in earth colors and textured materials—not just colors.
       HK: I think Burlington's Bespoke Collection is a good example-it is actually this series, followed by the Riviera Collection, which allows me to really see how the bathroom absolutely becomes the "hero lens" of the hotel. What do you think?
       PS: I think the guests are much more complicated-and are exposed to high-end design through social media. I think they hope this design can be applied to the bathroom.
       NH: Now in the hotel scene, tradition is unforgivable-as designers, we have been thinking about how to promote project design narratives.
       HK: For many people, it is easy to see the infusion of color in the bathroom under the aegis of lifestyle brands. How to inject color sensitively in a more luxurious hotel?
       FT: Whether it is color or texture, it's all about giving personality to the space-and injecting a sense of place. Therefore, it has become the use of locally sourced materials. We did a project in Las Vegas where the bathroom is bigger than the room, so we used a lot of back-painted glass to make it an extraordinary space. It's about doing things that suit the local location and culture. The bathroom is now usually half the size of the bedroom, so if you want, it must be an iconic part, but also keep it cohesive with the rest of the room.
       "Layer colors, tones, and accents in the selection of FF&E, accessories and artworks, and make bold choices in the colors of joinery, doors and dressing rooms!"-Akram Fahmi, co-founder of the London Design House.
       AF: I think this is a good question. Colors are sometimes seen as cheap or tacky, but I totally disagree. Many modern luxury hotels have this serious, elegant and refined tone element-we have made such a mistake at some stage of our career, yes, this tone and "appropriate" are the hotel operators and guests The expectations are expected, and often pushed, yes, it may look beautiful, but is it fun? No, is this weird? Not really. So how do you bring interest, surprise and emotion into a luxurious environment, I think the answer is layering. In the selection of FF&E, accessories, and artworks, layer colors, tones, and accents, and make bold choices in the colors of joinery, doors and dressing rooms! Over the years, the color of hospitality has gradually disappeared. If you look back at the history of hotels such as Savoy, the bold green or the Dorchester Ballroom of the 1930s is full of pink, blue, and gold. These spaces have colors in history, and we need to celebrate these spaces again and have fun instead of pretending to be exquisite in black and white or gray. 
       HK: We have discussed guest bathrooms in depth, but what about public bathrooms-can we afford to throw away the rule book in these spaces? 
       FT: I think public baths can be more interesting-I like to see some admiration in these areas!
       PS: I agree, a little humor will not be missed. To a certain extent, you can really judge the design of the restaurant based on the bathroom of the restaurant. If they are not an afterthought, if they have been considered, then this is a good opportunity to do something different.
       HK: Finally, how can designers with tight budgets still add personality to the bathroom?
       PS: Emphasize. The price of colored brass utensils has dropped, so it is easier to include them in the project-and provide design opportunities. Another method is to add color to the outside of the basin and paint on the walls-half-height tile walls and paint are a simple way to make these spaces more distinctive.
       AF: I think white is always the "preferred choice" that makes the space feel larger or more natural. However, there are many techniques that can be used to create this sense of space, whether it is to give a sense of height or to make the space feel brighter. The use of color is a very clever tool. For example, highlighting door frames and skirting with accent colors can give a sense of height because your eyes move up and down.
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