Colour up your bathroom!

What raises your spirits, makes things feel cozy, and is an expression of personality? Color. Colors have been one of the really big trends in interior design for years, and with reason. 

It’s only bathrooms that appear in classic white almost without exception - literally, a white spot on a map of colorful design. But all that is changing: Color was proclaimed the leitmotif at the ISH in Frankfurt 2019.

For Villeroy & Boch, it was no surprise: The ceramic specialist has been advocating for greater courage when it comes to colorful bathrooms for years. The “His & Hers Bathrooms” is a color concept developed by designer Gesa Hansen for the ISH to shed light on gender-specific preferences. Hansen has already been working with Villeroy & Boch for several years in the area of color concepts with success. The German-Dane has created colors for bathroom sinks in the Artis series - inspired by the seasons in Paris, her home of choice - that individually influence the atmosphere of the entire bathroom, which can be classic or modern, depending on taste.

To do this, Hansen adapted the principle of color blocking from the fashion industry: “Colors unfold their effect always in the context of the surrounding colors - a clear invitation to experiment.

The color concepts depend on individuality, above all. It's not the colors themselves that make the difference between “His” and “Hers”, but rather the composition and intensity. In both color worlds, the designer intentionally relies on the generous use of colors and their effect: on walls and furniture as well as for the sanitary elements that were tinted through. In both color worlds, Hansen worked with strong green and dark red tones which are then accented with dark blue, white or materials that have a metal or wood look. The color palette of “Hers” tends towards warmer colors while the “His” has an overall darker tone.In addition to the large surface wall designs, the colored sanitary elements are real eye-catchers: For “Hers”, a free-standing bathtub in an intense Bordeaux red from the Aveo New Generation coordinates with a surface-mounted bathroom sink in dusty rose from the Memento 2.0 collection: While Aveo has a soft, curved shape, Memento features extremely clear lines reflecting self-confident minimalism. The arrangement is completed with a Subway 2.0 toilet in dark emerald green. 

When it comes to function, the “His & Hers” distinctly drift further apart: “His” is open and practically arranged with all the daily bathroom utensils a man uses right at hand. Storage space is not a big thing here. An accordion pull-out mirror at the sink and next to it a full-length mirror meet all functional needs. And because men often prefer to shower rather than take a bath, Hansen equipped “His” with a generous, floor level shower. 

In contrast, “Hers” has the special flair of a boudoir that is cozy and yet also a little mysterious. An opulent bathtub, a comfortable armchair and a special green plant give the room a soft atmosphere for feeling comfortable. Bathroom accessories and utensils are stashed away in furniture. At the sink area, a landscape of mirrors are installed next to the sink in order to separate the areas for body care from those for cosmetics.

With “His & Hers”, Villeroy & Boch demonstrates an ambitious design project that combines color competence with very trendy interior design. The designer Gesa Hansen has used the occasion to work out the feminine and masculine parts of bathroom staging and integrated universally functioning, cross-gender color concepts into the rooms. The results are bathrooms for feeling good - for women and for men.