Milan Design Week 2023: Expressive Bathroom Launches

Published 17 May 2023

Author
Ella McDougall
2 min read

While Milan Design Week 2023’s Salone del Mobile furniture fair skipped its biennial bathroom showcase, many brands continued to use the occasion to present new collections and innovations. We explore the highlights.

  • Artistic Delights: Artist collaborations reconsider toilets, washbasins and baths as canvases to inject colour and personality into the home. The new collection from Swiss brand Laufen features vivid painterly collages by Swiss artist Monique Baumann.

    Meanwhile, American manufacturer Kohler’s limited-edition series adorns sanitaryware with specially designed artwork by female creatives Elle (US), Pushpa Kumari (India), Ananda Nahú (Brazil) and Ziling Wang (China/UK). All designs are baked into the ceramic for durability.

  • Industrial Cool: Metal designs bring a burgeoning industrial aesthetic into the bathroom. The collaboration between Laufen and Milan studio NM3 comprises a vanity unit, freestanding cabinet, shelf and mirror made of polished stainless steel. All pieces are recyclable and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

    Elsewhere, Germany’s Grohe is developing tapware and a showerhead from 3D-printed stainless steel. The innovation reduces production waste and allows for small-batch bespoke designs.

  • Sculptural Attractions: Bold silhouettes and intriguing materials come to the fore to elevate the visual impact of the bathroom space. Italian brand Ex.t’s Origami range references the clean folded shapes of the Japanese paper craft. Sculptural freestanding washbasins are also increasingly popular and cater for dynamic interior configurations.

    Meanwhile, tactile natural materials dominate for their soothing and elemental qualities. Italian brand Agape’s Cenote a Colonna column washbasin is made of ceramic that has been hand-formed at the potter’s wheel, and its Bloque storage unit is created from slabs of timber and textural lava stone.

Laufen x Monique Baumann

Laufen x Monique Baumann

Laufen x Monique Baumann

Laufen x Monique Baumann

Kohler

Laufen x NM3

Laufen x NM3

Grohe

Laufen x NM3

Laufen x NM3

Grohe

Ex.t

Ex.t

Ex.t

Ex.t

Agape

Agape

Agape

Agape

Agape

Agape

Agape

Agape

Agape

Agape