gessi – The Interiors Addict

By Rob Sinclair

When it comes to predicting what’s hot in interiors, it usually pays to look to the northern hemisphere, two seasons ahead of us, for inspiration and what is set to hit Australian shores.

I saw these trends first-hand this season after attending the ISH bathroom fair in Frankfurt, with all the powerhouse brands from around the world under the one roof. Overall when it comes to the bathroom, we’re seeing people wanting to create luxurious spaces for relaxation and escapism. Bathrooms are becoming a spa and wellness retreat in their own right, with people investing in things like rain showers and tapware with beautiful finishes that are not only functional but create a sense of luxe in the bathroom.

A standout at ISH was the sheer amount of tapware in different colours, finishes and textures. And with tapware being an easy way to update your bathroom without necessarily undergoing a complete renovation, I thought I’d share some of the biggest trends to come out of ISH.

Colours

Tapware has come a long way in recent years, with so many options available when it comes to colours. Matte black is popular, and I can’t see that trend going anywhere, as well as copper, brass, rose gold and bronze. I think we are also going to see more of white tapware as it creates a crisp and fresh look.

Finishes

The trend is growing towards natural, matte finishes on fixtures and fittings offering a raw, industrial and old-world look. PVD, or physical vapour deposition, is a method of producing thin films and coatings for your tapware, guaranteed to provide durability and sustainability. Layers of colour are usually deposited onto stainless steel to replicate copper and brass looks. Gessi offered more than 20 different types of these finishes to choose from at ISH, and Hansgrohe had 16, which demonstrates this look will be here to stay.

Texture

We will see tapware – both the base and spouts – treated with a kind of three-dimensional effect or structure on its surface. Think dimples (like a golf ball), ‘pimples’ and other 3D shapes. Brodware is another one of my favourite tapware brands, and their new Yokato series has a knurled surface that adds to the vintage textured look.

Trending colours:
Copper
Bronze
Brass
Matte black
Rose gold
White

Finishes:
Raw
Industrial
Vintage
3D

Brands to look for:
Gessi
Astra Walker
Brodware
Hansgrohe

–Rob Sinclair is joint managing director of e&s

8 showstopping basin mixers for your bathroom

While renovations are a lot of hard manual work, there’s also a fun (and more glamorous!) side… getting to pick the beautiful finishes and fixtures. The eight basin mixers and sets below are some of the best, and will have your bathroom transformed from work site to spa in no time.

When I was watching The Block and saw the Jo-Hannah Long Brass Spout ($310) and Leo Brass and Timber Taps ($550) in Dean & Shay’s winning ensuite, I immediately went on a hunt to find them. Designed by Wood Melbourne and available on The Block Shop, the handmade tapware is pure luxury. Made from reclaimed Blackbutt timber and raw brass, installation is quick and easy with minimal maintenance required.

With its distinguishing clean-cut handle and simple lines, the Mare Extended Basin Mixer by Fantini represents a new era in mixer designs. Featuring long curved lines with a distinguishing handle to balance the soft body shape, it is finished in the finest polished chrome. Designed and made Italy it retails for $695 from Rogerseller.

Also making an appearance on The Block (in Luke & Ebony’s main bathroom), the Milli Glance Wall Basin Mixer Set in Black ($799.99) from Reece is captivating from first look. Offering solid brass construction, it combines a luxuriously sleek design with crisp lines and gentle arcs.

A modern take on a classic style, the Maxum Basin Set, combines function, form and unpretentious fashion. With its solid brass construction, sweeping goose neck outlet, and laser etched hot and cold indicators, Maxum adds a high quality, tailored look to any bathroom. Australian designed and engineered, it is available from Dorf for $260.

I’m loving the Milli Axon Basin Mixer in Rose Gold/Black, which is inspired by the beauty and perfection of a blade. A revolution in design, sheer lines are bought to life through the use of a slimline cartridge and solid brass construction. Available from Reece for $699.99.

The new iSpa Waterfall Basin Mixer by Gessi features a soft, sculptural look, where water cascades from the spout like a waterfall. With the standout stylistic feature of a rectangular shape, rounded at the corners as if smoothed by water itself, the iSpa shows the style and finesse you can expect from Italian designers. Available in chrome from Candana it retails for $924.

The Pinch Basin Set designed by Rogerseller, is truly unique. Representing the latest in contemporary architectural tapware, the elongated handle shape — seen in both the handle and the outlet — is perfectly complemented by a fine plated base. Available in graphite, burnished brass and rose gold, it retails for $695.

With soft, elegant curves, the Dorf Myriad Cross Basin Set adds a minimalist designer touch to any bathroom. Versatility at its very best, choose from a circle or square base and outlet, plus chrome, black or white handles. Available from Bunnings for $424.

We hope you liked this list. Let us know what you’d add!