I just got back from Valencia, Spain, in which the Spanish tile, tub and stone industries have gathered for a massive trade show called Cevisama. The mood was someplace between ebullient and reveled, and Cevisama itself was a visual feast, full of items which have made me rethink everything I think I know about toilet layout. It had been the third commerce show I’d been to outside of my native United States in three months, and as has been the case all along, it was intriguing to observe how things are done in different parts of the world.
I had been brought to Spain to attend Cevisama from ASCER, the Spanish Tile Manufacturer’s Association and its North American brand, Tile of Spain. I am both a designer and a writer and because of this, Tile of Spain had been interested in getting me see what they have been up to with my own eyes.
Paul Anater
Most of the bath designs I am showing you are not exported into the United States or Canada yet, but count on seeing these trends come our way in a year or so.
Spanish designers do not shy away from colour, and lime green appears to be the default bold colour right now.
This bath is notable for its run of low cabinets across the walls. The stylist has books stacked on one side of it, but it’s really meant to be a bench.
Paul Anater
Nearly every vanity cabinet I found was wall-mounted. Counters tended to be lessened, and although there was lots of minimalism, a great deal of what I saw was this sort of glam-modern.
Interestingly, all what seems like wallpaper in this bath is really ceramic tile.
Paul Anater
Floating counters with sinks with separate, floating closets underneath these were everywhere also. This”stacked vanity” look was something I’d never noticed before, and it appealed to me greatly. Notice, also, the designer has really attracted attention to the grout lines within this tile and left them an integral part of this layout.
Can you think something like this could ever work for you?
Paul Anater
I saw a lot of integrated sinks, both doubles and singles such as this one. By integrated I suggest that the sink and the counter are created from the exact same material and appear to be a single bit. As is the situation, this procedure is generally accomplished using a solid surface material.
Paul Anater
This vanity was one of the most interesting I saw the entire time I had been in Spain. It’s just one bit of vitreous chinathe exact same material used to create bathrooms and ceramic sinks. I adore the notion of a split counter enjoy this and can see this at a powder tub anywhere.
What do you think about this kind of overall integration?
Paul Anater
There were occasional looks of furniture-style vanities. From what I am told, these vanities are remarkably well known in Russia, which style does not play a huge role in Spanish layout. Even so, it’s absolutely fascinating to find out about different trends around the world.
Paul Anater
This vignette reveals that same stacked vanity concept I find so appealing. Notice the orientation of the sink and the tap placement.
Faucet-to-the-side isn’t something I have ever seen in the U.S., and it’s a fantastic way to use a larger sink at a very shallow space.
Paul Anater
This really is a fully-integrated counter and sink made of vitreous china. I think this black box of a vanity looks rich without being too thick. It’s another illustration of the glam-modern I mentioned earlier.
Paul Anater
Bombé chest-style vanities, a design I equate more with Italy compared to Spain, were in abundance at Cevisama. This specific bombé vanity was one of the couple I saw using a natural stone counter top.
Something similar to this would and does promote in North America though they’re still fairly rare. Why do you think is?
Paul Anater
This is the closest I found into some North American-style vanity cabinet in the whole show. Notice that it’s a very shallow cabinet with another faucet set off into the side.
I adore how the contours of the drawers and door work together. What do you consider the stainless toe kick?
Paul Anater
Most of the double vanities I found were wall-mounted side-by-sides similar to this. It is logical to me to separate two vanities, and also the simple fact that the vanities and the linen cabinet are floating offer this whole bath design a lighter feel, despite the dark tile on the walls and floor.
Paul Anater
This was a fantastic interpretation of the stacked vanity trend. As a bonus, the lower storage cabinets will work nicely as a bench.
Paul Anater
Talk about minimizing a cabinet! A set like this would make a terrific powder tub.
Paul Anater
This bath is yet another testament to the Spanish adopt of colour in bath design. The sink’s been pared down to an absolute minimum, however, the colors and different-sized tiles which surround that sink combine to generate a remarkably rich and inviting layout.
Although most of what I saw in Spain won’t make it across the Atlantic to get at least a year, count on these trends arriving eventually. The use of lime green is too pervasive in Europe right now because of it not to appear here, and also the notion of stacked vanities is too intriguing for Europe to keep to itself.
For better or for worse, what do you think about Spanish bath design?
More:
The latest tile trends out of Spain
Kitchen news from Cologne