31/10/2018

#theEssenceOf Cersaie 2018: an editorial project – second appointment

Second appointment with #theEssenceOf Cersaie 2018. During the fair we were lucky enough to host Simona Nurcato at our stand. She is an expert in interior design and bathroom furniture, and has a passion for reading, photography and travel.

Read Simona Nurcato’s article in Beside Bathrooms below.

Choosing a shower that matches the bathroom décor: five tips

If you are buying a shower enclosure, it’s good to know that it’s now possible to choose it with a style and colour that match the bathroom décor. A bespoke shower is no longer (just) a shower with customised dimensions and height, as customisation options now also include the actual style and design of the shower, which can be adapted to the existing bathroom décor.
What does this mean in practice? Which elements of a shower enclosure are customisable? What kind of creative freedom do the current shower enclosure collections offer, and how many colour and style options do they come in? I’m happy to tell you something about that, after seeing disenia’s products on display at the cersaie 2018 fair.

But, before that, let me make a couple of introductory remarks.

Sometimes I consider how much the shower area has changed over the past years. Just think of when I started working in this market segment. It was back in 2004, and shower enclosures were indeed quite simple. Basic, I would say. Shower trays only came in a few, standard sizes, and were made of ceramic, or in a cheaper acrylic material. They had very high edges, some as high as 15 cm (which would be unthinkable today!). Mostly built around an aluminium frame, shower enclosures were available varnished white or with a chrome or satin finish, and were usually around 1900 mm high. The glass panels were either clear, frosted (with only two options to choose from), or with a textured finish at best.
Indeed, I’ve simplified a little bit, but things were not that much different at that time.

And by the way, that time also indicates when i started out in the bathroom market, quite a long time ago! But let’s just ignore that.

No more than 15 years later: a small revolution is happening.
Shower trays now tend to have lower edges and in many cases are flush with the floor (or even built-in). Both the shower tray and shower walls are available in so many different materials, including tiles (other materials include Corian, large, thin stoneware tiles, engineered marble, resin and even waterproof wallpaper). Today’s shower enclosures have a much more streamlined design, have become taller and usually have very slim profiles and elegant, ultra-flat hinges. The shower frame is much slimmer and can be varnished and anodised to give the surface any type of metal finish that matches the bathroom furniture. The glass panels, thicker than in the past (at least 6 or 8 mm thick as against 3 or 4 mm thick), have become real decorative partitions, available in extra-clear or tinted glass, and can also have a mirror or coloured finish.
From being an element usually chosen almost upon completion of a bathroom design project (and almost independently from the rest of the bathroom décor), the shower enclosure has become a stylish protagonist of the bathroom which is designed at the same time as the entire bathroom décor.
As I was telling you before, I was lucky enough to pay a visit to Disenia’s stand at the Cersaie 2018 fair, where I picked up quite a few interesting ideas. Disenia, an Ideagroup company that produces aluminium shower enclosures, at the Bologna exhibition presented its high-end collection of shower enclosures conceived as integral, co-ordinated elements of a bathroom seen as a room for personal wellbeing.

EXPLORE DISENIA’S COLLECTIONS

To sum up: which elements of a shower enclosure can be chosen and customised?

Height
Dimensions
Shower tray (material, colour, dimensions and even drain position)
Shower walls (may or may not be in the same material as the bathroom floor and walls)
Colour and finishes of profiles
Colour and finishes of glass panels
Structural components (handles, support brackets)

Here are my five tips for integrating your shower enclosure in a bathroom design project, moving beyond the usual chromed frame and updating the shower to the latest trends.

1. MATCH THE SHOWER FRAME WITH THE TAPS AND FITTINGS

This is a style detail that can totally change the way the bathroom is perceived. It is also possible with entry-level collections, like the Omega range that offers a lot of customisation possibilities: on display at the exhibition, the rose gold powder-lacquered profile matched the taps and fittings of the bathroom cabinet (Dolcevita by Aqua) and sanitaryware, creating an incredibly sophisticated total look.

The Omega shower has 6 mm thick glass panels and slim profiles, and a squared handle both inside and out. The shower tray is Linea in Tecnogel: it is available in 6 delicate colours, has a 3.5 cm high edge and can be installed flush with the floor or as a built-in version. Because it can be cut to size it turns out to be particularly flexible when designing the bathroom.

OMEGA | Shower enclosure with rose gold powder-lacquered profile – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

OMEGA | The taps and fittings of the vanity unit and sanitaryware have the same rose gold colour – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

2. MATCH THE SHOWER ENCLOSURE PROFILES WITH THE LACQUERED FINISH OF THE WASHBASIN AND CABINETS

With the Project shower enclosure by Disenia with almost invisible profiles and flat hinges, customisation options are unlimited. A brand new feature presented at Cersaie 2018, in addition to the standard colours (chrome, brushed stainless steel, matt white and black), profiles are now also available with the same lacquered finish as the cabinets or washbasin. The bronze finish chosen for the exhibition was definitely glamorous: the key element on display was the free-standing cylindrical washbasin, which had the same finish as the shower frame and shelving unit (the first photo shows a detail of the shower frame, with a streamlined inside/outside handle).
Project, as the name suggests, is a shower enclosure that can be perfectly designed to your requirements: the model on display was 240 cm high and had 6+8 mm thick panels (which means: a 6 mm thick door and an 8 mm thick fixed side panel, which is also available in a10 mm thick version if you need to make your shower wall even sturdier).

PROJECT | Shower enclosure with flat hinges and slim profiles in customisable colours – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

PROJECT | A detail of the metallic finish matching that of the shower enclosure profile – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

3. MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY SINGLE INCH TO CREATE A SPACIOUS, COMFORTABLE SHOWER

Often, especially in the case of renovation works, we try to carve out as much space as possible for the shower, and use corners and even alcoves with irregular shapes. In this case we need a made-to-measure shower enclosure and tray: products like the Walk-In shower enclosure and the Onda shower tray are just what you need for a truly made-to-measure shower project.
The 8 mm thick glass panel with an extra splash panel are secured to an irregular-shaped, cut-to-size shower tray; with this shower tray you can even choose where to position the drain hole and so deal with structural constraints that often emerge when doing renovation works.

WALK-IN | All-glass shower enclosure + ONDA made-to-measure shower tray with customised drain hole – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

4. CO-ORDINATE THE SHOWER TRAY WITH THE SHOWER WALLS AND THE TOP OF THE VANITY UNIT

Let’s talk now of the decorative aspect of the shower: have you ever thought of matching the decorative motif of the shower tray and walls with that of the bathroom furniture? Below is an example of a fine, elegant micro-pattern decoration that I really liked: the same decorative motif characterises the Corian top of the vanity unit and the shower tray and wall (Street).
Unfortunately my photos don’t do it justice.
In any case, if you want to highlight the decorative pattern of your shower you should opt for a frameless enclosure that would bring out the interior.

Cubik collection| The Corian top matches the walls and Street shower tray – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

Cubik collection| The Corian top matches the walls and shower tray – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

Cubik collection | Top with integrated washbasin in decorated Corian – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

Cubik collection| Decorated Corian adds a customised touch to the top, shower tray and shower walls – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

5. TURN THE SHOWER FRAME INTO A DISTINCTIVE STYLE ELEMENT

The ‘framed vs frameless shower enclosure’ dilemma is a topical issue, given that shower frames have become so unobtrusive and elegant that they are now considered a style element which gives that extra touch to the shower. Whereas older models have really chunky, unsightly frames, modern shower enclosures have such elegant profiles that can be further enhanced by matching them with the bathroom décor.
Showers with a black frame are particularly trendy because they recall the popular industrial/urban style.

240 cm high shower enclosure with black frame and tinted glass panels – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

The free-standing River bathtub fits perfectly in a Nordic/industrial style bathroom – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

Shower enclosure and washbasin with a matching Nordic/industrial style, combined with furnishing elements from the Dogma collection by Aqua – ph. BesideBathrooms @ Cersaie 2018

CUSTOMISING THE SHOWER ENCLOSURE: SHOWER CONFIGURATOR

To help you find the shower enclosure that best suits your requirements, Disenia offers an easy-to use shower configurator on its website: with just a few clicks you can find out which shower model best suits your requirements in terms of style, dimensions and finishes

CONFIGURE YOUR SHOWER

Showers have evolved so much that they have turned into a perfectly integrated furnishing element that adds to the overall bathroom décor. Available with new patterns, finishes, colours and customisation options, shower enclosures have also become less cumbersome and more stylish and essential.
I’ve heard so many times that there is nothing more to invent in the bathroom. In fact, with my blog I hope I can prove the opposite once again.

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