Bathroom Design Inspiration: Walk-In Shower Wet Rooms

Photo courtesy of Duravit

Looking for the ultimate way to add the luxury of a spa to your bathroom?

Discover the latest European design trend now making a mark in North America: the walk-in shower wet room.

Walk-in shower wet rooms are bathrooms designed to function as full-room showers. With minimal use of materials, the bathing area is not segregated from the rest of the room by walls, enclosed stalls or even lips to step over. Instead, the shower is level with the rest of the floor, making the entire bathroom area easy to access and clean.

Ideal for North America's aging population, this open-concept shower experience can be made even more user-friendly and address accessibility and mobility issues with the installation of benches and handrails. In keeping with its sleek, modern design, toilet screens or separators are usually transparent and the entire bathroom area is intended to operate as a single space.

Trend Watch at the 2011 Interior Design Show

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre recently played host to the 13th annual Interior Design Show (IDS), Canada's largest contemporary design fair. This highly anticipated show is a favourite in the Canadian interior design world as designers watch for new product debuts and emerging trends.

Starck X from Duravit

"This year, it was apparent that there is a major trend starting to surface, and that trend is plumbing," says Amanda Willson-Suppa of Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre. "All of the major brands were in attendance--Aquabrass, Blanco, Brizo, Delta, Duravit, GROHE and Hansgrohe--and they all displayed their newest and most innovative pieces. The look of 'plumbing' is evolving. Architects and designers are now behind these new creations and fresh shapes and design features are starting to from," Amanda explains. 

Arcon from Blanco

"Like the minimalist design of the Starck X toilet from Duravit, for example, or the stunning angular geometry of the Arcon line of sinks from Blanco. Plumbing pieces that rarely changed shape or design now take on an artistic flair and the consumer has so much more to choose from."

To learn more about incorporating these new products into your bathroom redesign, contact Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre at 905-686-2001.