Bathroom basics

From ergonomic design to eco-friendly products, Salil Sadanandan from Kohler shares four bathroom trends for the coming year.

Alot has changed from the time when bathrooms used to be hidden away. Today, they add value and an element of luxe to contemporary homes. Modern bathrooms reflect style, charm and whimsy of owners, but that doesn't mean that people don't commit faux pas or make terrible choices when doing up their bathrooms. Don't fret yet, if you want to prim and preen in style, here's a quick list of top four bathroom design trends for the groom room.

Salil Sadanandan, Managing Director Kohler Kitchen & Bath India, Sub-Saharan and Africa.

INNOVATIVE ERGONOMICS Consumers are looking for well-designed products with ease of use. This year we will see a lot of bathroom products with innovations in this category. A good example of this is the introduction of rimless bowl for a modern look and ease of cleaning, ensuring elevated hygiene level. The ergonomically designed French curve seat for added comfort, from Kohler is another example of this trend.

BATH AS A LIVING SPACE There is an effort to make bathrooms look less like bathrooms and more like living rooms. Hence, products used are modern, sleek and stylish, moving from functional to decorative. Designers and homeowners are decorating the bath with the same care and attention as the rest of the house. Black is the new trend for bathrooms. Kohler's new Black Ensemble is a good example. Bathed in beautiful hues of black, the range features a series of products that stand out for their exceptional design, peerless performance and ease of use.

Kohler's black collection.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE LOO The bathrooms of the future will be enabled by advanced electronics, but not just for the sake of technology. It's about creating new experiences and having intuitive control and convenience. In many ways, the technology is already here. Our DTV Prompt Digital Showering System has smart features such as a warm-up mode, timer, and the ability to pause water flow. Products as simple as bath and toilets are employing technology such as chroma-therapy, UV cleaning and touch interface.

ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGN Before research and development in this field, flushing meant many gallons of water down the drain. Now, we are down to 1.2 gallon a flush. Dual flush system also gives consumers a choice about how much water they want to use. Many faucets and showerheads mix air with water to conserve water without marring the bathing experience. Even the manufacturing process has changed keeping in environmental concerns in m