Bathroom design in Australia is proving how much people prize this space as a sanctuary. David Wheeldon reports.

A bastion of the home renovation market, bathrooms continue to boom in contrast to lacklustre new home building activity. The resilience of the bathroom building business has continued throughout the GFC, and all the while outpacing the also-burgeoning kitchens sector.

With such levels of investment, many designers imagined that futuristic technologies being developed - like in-mirror television - would become widespread, but so far that has not eventuated.

"Five or six years ago everyone thought we'd have TVs in our mirrors, but it has never picked up," says bathroom designer Royston Wilson. "And we think that's all because, with the busy world we live in, the bathroom remains a sanctuary; it's the place people go to wash away all their troubles."

A bathroom design guru in Australia, Wilson's design practice is known for winning national and international awards for bathroom design. He is also employed to look at trends for fixtures and fittings supplier GWA Group.

'Romance and glamour' bathroom by Sam Robinson of Royston Wilson Design. Photography by Andrew Ashton.

A European loft style bathroom. Photographed by Andrew Ashton.

According to Wilson, some overarching trends at the moment include, in the main market, clean and minimalistic lines, while at the trendier end of design there is a move toward softer and warmer, more feminine looks.

Trends in bathrooms, he explains, tend to start in a domestic situation because designers have more flexibility in that area, and tried-and-tested products.

It is an area where things have changed massively over the past five years. Underlying the changes are a few key trends; unsurprisingly, water conservation is at the top of the list.

"Especially with WELS, water efficiency has become paramount and Star Ratings are very important," Wilson says. "Clients are very much aware of these now. It's understood you don't get showers without restrictions or toilets without dual-flush."

The demands of Australia's dry conditions have in fact put our manufacturers in a world leading position, Wilson found earlier this year at ISH, the world's biggest trade fair for bathroom design, held in Germany.

"This year the big new thing was water efficiency. I was surprised to see them promoting this new thing they called 'WELS'," he says. "In actual fact, they're following the trend set by Australia."

Kitchen and Bathroom Designers' Institute (KBDI) executive director Alex Milne agrees that water-efficiency is an area Australia is pushing the envelope.

"Obviously toilets are all dual-flush, but we now have the amount of water flushed down to what must be a bare minimum. Australia, particularly thanks to Caroma, has emerged as world-leader - I doubt they could reduce flush levels any further."

A recent good example of the water efficient product is the Caroma's innovative Flow shower, which features a ground-breaking ultra low (6.5L/min) flow rate. Last month it was named best product in the Housing and Building category in the 2011 Australian International Design Awards.

The Australian Government continues to push the water saving agenda.

Currently, according to www.waterrating.gov.au, WELS water-using products include toilets, urinals, some taps, showers, registered flow controllers (not mandatory), clothes washers and dishwashers. But other products are being examined for possible future inclusion in the scheme, such as instantaneous gas hot water heaters. Consideration is also being given to introducing new minimum water efficiency standards for taps, showers, urinals and other products.

Another significant recent trend is that bathrooms are more likely to vent directly to the outside, rather than into the ceiling. Better ventilation and heating means moisture no longer poses the same problems. And this helps explain why big mirrors are back, and, according to Wilson, mirror cabinets are becoming popular again.

Underfloor heating is also moving into the mainstream, and being specified for its floor-drying qualities.

While heated towel rails have been around for a long time, they are now beginning to be taken up in stronger numbers.

"Vanities in Australia tend to be, wherever possible, very long. Bench space is very attractive to people. In the past an ensuite would have two vanities - his and hers - but we're starting to see the trend move back to one, because people realised that is all they would actually use," Wilson says.

"Draws and cabinets are better-made than ever, and there's a move to draws rather than cupboards, to access space better.

"Another trend is to have somewhere to sit. This is a throwback to the 60s but this time it is the younger ones driving it."

Baths are also back in vogue, across the full spectrum of the market, with free-standing baths proving a popular at the higher end. Meanwhile, in the past year strip drains have made a big impact in showers.

Commercial

The KBDI is primarily focused on residential bathrooms; however Milne, who is both Board Chair and President at the institute, says: "Many things translate across, especially in the area of chinaware and tapware."

"A major difference is that commercial tends to go for more automation. A key example is the infrared technology that allows a tap to come in without touching handle, which is becoming widespread.

Milne says an industry-wide trend is the green revolution, which is benefiting from much research and development into new technologies.

"Waterless urinals are basically becoming the norm, which is quite interesting when you consider they were a novelty only two years ago," he says.

Another game-changing trend is the move to more efficient lighting.

"It has been such a huge change - not only via LEDs but also with fluorescents - and while designers may be just about fed up hearing about this, the reality is that in just a few years, the technology has come from poor quality to cover a wide range of colours, warmth and strengths.

"From a commercial point of view, they have become a reality, whereas you could not even think of them as feasible five years ago."

This makes new lighting safety applications feasible, such as placing LEDs strategically in strips for visibility in steps or marking wet and slippery areas. Downlights are more frequently used to improve visibility under cabinets. Cabinetry hardware in commercial settings is gaining more automation, with popular options including handle-less cabinets that open at the touch of a knee, or draws that open automatically.And taking handles out of the equation is making for smoother lines.

Milne notes that such electronically driven motors and sensors in hardware are available from all the leading hardware manufacturers in Australia, including Hafele, Hettich and Blum.

"They are quite expensive at this stage, so it's really only the top end that can afford it. But like all things, we can expect the prices to fall - roll the clock back, and you see what was Rolls Royce car automation now in even the most basic cars."