BC Designs has expanded its freestanding bath collection with the launch of Plazia, a generously proportioned acrylic bath designed to bring a strong focal point to contemporary bathroom schemes.
Measuring 800mm wide by 1780mm long, Plazia is one of the largest baths within the BC Designs portfolio, offering a 266-litre capacity and a wide, deep-edged profile. Its softly rounded form keeps the overall design simple, while its scale gives designers and retailers an option for customers keen to ensure the bath is the more dominant feature in the room.
Plazia is manufactured from Acrymite®, BC Designs’ seamless acrylic material, creating the appearance of a smooth, one-piece bath without the considerable weight associated with some solid-surface alternatives. Despite its size, the bath weighs just 38kg, helping to combine a substantial look with more practical installation and handling considerations.
Colour customisation also forms part of the offer. Plazia is available in Gloss White as standard, while its exterior can be finished through BC Designs’ Painted for You service. Customers can select shades from Little Greene, Farrow & Ball, or Fenwick & Tilbrook, specify a RAL or British Standard colour, or make use of BC Designs’ digital colour-matching service.
The flexibility gives retailers another way to personalise a freestanding bath specification, whether matching Plazia closely with surrounding furniture and finishes or using the bath itself to introduce a contrasting colour into the scheme.
The UK and Ireland’sshower brand, MERLYN, has introduced new bathscreens to extend their popular ARYSTO Sleek collection. The new over bath configuration consists of a frameless two panel 8 mm bath-screen with attractive hinge detailing and are available in 900 x 1500mm.
Offering practical options for installers, retailers and specifiers, these bathscreens are available in a choice of Chrome, Brushed Brass, Brushed Nickel, Brushed Gun Metal and Matt Black finishes.
Featuring a toughened safety glass of 8mm and Mershied Stayclear protected glass this new product delivers a quality finish and high-level specification.
The bathscreens are fitted with an intuitive quick fit system and are reversible, allowing for simple installation, and are supported by MERLYN’s lifetime guarantee.
Features by Diane Larner, founder and editor of Bathroom Review & Kitchens Review. Diane Larner launched both titles over 15 years ago and has been writing about the bathroom and kitchen interior design industries ever since, publishing regular features across both sectors.
Baths and basins lie at the heart of bathroom design, balancing functionality with consumer expectations around aesthetics and comfort. While the wash space is undergoing a period of creative freedom as we embrace double-basin designs, sculptural styles and built-in storage units, the bath is increasingly the subject of debate, with tubs being removed from homes in favour of walk-in showers, and some new builds omitting them altogether.
However, a recent report by Drench, The Great British Soak, revealed that 80% of homeowners with a bath still use it regularly, while 45% of those surveyed said ‘no bath is a dealbreaker’. So despite changing lifestyles, it appears the bath will evolve rather than disappear.
In this feature, manufacturers explore how these changing priorities are reshaping the market for baths and basins, with a focus on products that deliver expressive design, trustworthy durability, and space-saving solutions.
Space-saving baths for smaller bathroom layouts
Frontline Bathrooms
Whilst a freestanding bath remains, without doubt, one of the most desirable style statements in bathroom design, shrinking floorplans, changing lifestyles and a greater emphasis on practical needs make this option challenging for many projects. As a result, rather than focusing wholly on statement pieces, designers and homeowners are looking for design-led solutions that make the best use of available space while complementing overall schemes.
Darren Allison, managing director at Frontline Bathrooms, agrees: “The biggest shift in bathing is that the freestanding bath is no longer automatically treated as the aspirational choice. Homeowners are asking whether a bath earns the space it takes up, which is bringing compact, back-to-wall and corner formats into much stronger contention. Colour is developing too, but increasingly as part of the wider scheme rather than a standalone statement. For retailers, the opportunity is to start with the room and the customer’s habits, not with a single fashionable bath shape.”
Frontline Bathrooms is strengthening its bathing offer with a broader collection designed around the realities of UK bathrooms, rather than simply adding more freestanding shapes to the catalogue. At the centre is AquaKast, a nine-model collection developed with British bath designer Barrie Cutchie. It includes compact ovals, slipper baths, boat baths, back-to-wall and corner designs, giving retailers options for both statement schemes and more restrictive layouts.
Bringing playfulness into bathroom design
As bathroom design becomes more expressive, we see confidence flourishing when it comes to use of colour, finish and material combination. Rather than adhering to a spa-led aesthetic, designers are injecting a sense of curiosity into the bathroom space; the result is a more experimental approach to specification.
One collection that captures the shift is the new Ginza from BAGNODESIGN. Inspired by Tokyo’s Ginza district, it encourages designers to move beyond conventional bathroom schemes by offering coordinated product families for characterful interiors across residential and hospitality projects.
Extending the concept further, Ginza Junior introduces playful pink and grey finishes designed for family-friendly and inclusive spaces, reflecting a growing focus on balancing safety, functionality and aesthetics within the bathroom.
The rise of coloured baths
BC Designs Pink Bath
Once considered a bold design choice, coloured baths are becoming a bathroom staple. However, rather than being selected purely as a statement feature, colour is now being integrated more widely into bathroom schemes, which means designers and retailers can assist in creating spaces with more personality while maintaining a sense of longevity.
“Coloured baths are not a passing trend now; they have been part of the market for several years, and customers are becoming more confident about using them,” says Adam Smith, national sales manager at BC Designs. “The change is that colour is becoming easier to live with. It might be a soft peach, pale blue or muted green rather than something that dominates the room. Compact freestanding baths will continue to be important too, because people still want that focal point without giving up half the bathroom. The real test is whether the bath still feels right once the novelty has worn off.”
BC Designs has expanded its ColourKast offer with five new shades: Drifty White, Pale Peach, Rose Bloom, Aqua Blue and Minty Green.
Perfectly formed for elegance and efficiency
Duravit Balcoon Washbasin with Storage
Integral storage solutions play an important role in ensuring the bathroom space is effortlessly practical, as well as beautifully organised. In addition, increased self-expression means designers are exploring how these essential elements can also act as architectural features. The latest designs demonstrate a growing appreciation for standout forms and refined detailing that both create a focal point, whilst delivering a sense of calm and cohesion.
Martin Carroll, MD Duravit UK, adds: “A key trend emerging in bathroom design is washbasins created for efficiency, styled for elegance, and providing an additional sculptural centrepiece within the space. A key look is basins crafted as monolithic ceramic cuboids, seamlessly integrated into clean-lined furniture. A narrow rim traces the outline, creating a gentle transition from the flat vanity surface to the recess below. Generously proportioned surfaces create a calm, architectural presence, a true study in the interaction between different volumes and levels, providing each piece with its own sculptural identity and expressive form.”
Reflecting this trend, Duravit has extended its Balcoon bathroom collection, designed by Patricia Urquiola. The new collection now includes furniture washbasins, offering greater flexibility for residential and specification projects.
Building a more sustainable bathroom
Kaldewei Nuio Duo in Cool Grey
Against a backdrop of rising environmental awareness and increasing pressure on resources, sustainability is an essential consideration in bathroom design. Manufacturers are responding with a lifecycle approach, with products designed for longevity, reuse and recyclability.
One company that has championed this approach for many years is Kaldewei. With sustainability embedded into its manufacturing philosophy, the company views responsible production as an opportunity to grow whilst fulfilling environmental obligations.
“Sustainability is no longer optional in bathroom design; it’s now the standard. We’re seeing a shift towards circular economy thinking, where products are designed to be reused, recycled and reintroduced into production without losing quality,” says Adam Teal, country manager, Kaldewei UK. “Materials like steel enamel, which is 100% recyclable, lead the way, while independent certifications such as Cradle to Cradle set a new benchmark across material health, circularity, clean air, water stewardship and social fairness. Manufacturers adopting low-carbon steel and signing up to science-based targets show that environmental responsibility and commercial value go hand in hand.”
Kaldewei’s Luxstainability® ethos is the belief that luxury and sustainability can and do work in unison. Every product is crafted from steel enamel, is 100% recyclable, and more than 600 are Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver. To demonstrate its philosphy Kaldewei spent the first half of 2026 on something akin to a modern Grand Tour, taking its steel enamel bathtubs across Europe’s leading design events and, setting out a clear position on where bathroom design is heading: toward colour, craft and genuine sustainability in equal measure.
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In recent months Kaldewei has embarked ona Grand Tour with its most recent destination the WOW!house at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. Family-owned Kaldewei featured the KALDEWEI CLASSIC DUO OVAL stone and tile brand, Ca ‘Pietra’s, “Mediterranean Bathroom by De Rosee Sa”.
The concept of using natural stone and tiles to craft a bathroom aligns with Kaldewei’s ethos of recycling and sustainability. All Kaldewei products are manufactured from steel enamel and are 100% recyclable. More than 600 of them are Cradle to Cradle C2C Certified® silver.
The key element of the collaboration was the partnership with De Rosee Sa, the vision they shared with Ca ‘Pietra was to create a room that felt quietly nostalgic, inspired by the receding glamour of Mediterranean seaside hotels. They imagined walking into a bathroom overlooking the sea, where early summer light washes across warm stone floors and the boundaries between inside and outside begin to blur, inviting visitors to linger and take in the details.
Italian chic brings Fuorisalone design collaboration
This the perfect place for KALDEWEI to continue its Grand Tour, a tour which started in Italy at Salone del Mobile 2026, when during Milan Design week KALDEWEI presented their first design collaboration at Fuorisalone Villa Crespi, with Bubbles of Time. The installation unfolded in the foyers on the ground and basement floors of Palazzo Crespi, Kaldewei presented a selection of product icons and innovations a particular highlight being the classic freestanding bathtub the Meisterstück CLASSIC DUO OVAL in Dusty Pink. Created by Parasite 2.0 and curated by Forgotten Architecture the installation was inspired by the cinematic drama of a Hitchcock thriller, Hollywood panache and Italian grandeur combined. The theatrical setting allowed for floating forms, light and reflections with the products appearing like fleeting moments in time.
Spanish style at Casa Decor
Kaldewei then moved onto Spain for Casa Décor Madrid, where leading interior design studio ilv* Isabel López Vilalta created a space for Kaldewei at Casa Decor as an exercise in balance and sensitivity.
This displayed a gentle strength between contrasts – the industrial and the feminine, the past and the present, the project proposed a new way of understanding the bathroom as a place of calm and connection. A key element of the space was the NUIO DUO Zen Edition bathtub, which introduced a multisensory dimension through heat, sound and light.
German design meets OYO DUO
There was a fleeting visit to Germany for Brand Space & Berlin Design Week Berlin, where the bold OYO DUO bathtub in Golden Sun was integral part of the KALDEWEI x e15 collaboration took centre stage, the tour will return to Berlin in September when the bath will be replaced by the Dusty Pink CLASSIC DUO OVAL.
Historic Clerkenwell is pretty in pink
In May the tour moved onto the UK to participate in Clerkenwell Design Week. Where Kaldewei participated for the first time, taking space in the remarkable Grade 1 listed building at the heart of Clerkenwell, The Charterhouse. Here amongst historic panelling and ancient works of art, they displayed their dusty pink freestanding bathtub CLASSIC DUO OVAL, new washbowls and the innovative CALIMA showertrays, which bring sustainability and stability in the form of recycled glass.
About: De Rosee Sa
Founded by Max de Rosée and Claire Sá, De Rosee Sa is an award-winning London-based architecture and interior design studio known for its quietly confident approach to space and material. (WOW!house Photos Credit: James McDonald Room Materials: Seven Ca’ Pietra materials.)
Kaldewei has added another major design accolade to its portfolio after its NUIO DUO ZEN Edition wellness bath was awarded the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2026.
Recognised by the international Red Dot jury for its exceptional design, integrated wellness technologies and sustainable material credentials, the luxury bath highlights Kaldewei’s continued commitment to innovation in premium bathroom design.
Designed by renowned industrial designer Stefan Diez, the NUIO DUO ZEN Edition combines organic forms with contemporary minimalism. Inspired by the natural contours of water-shaped basins, the bath features flowing ergonomics in the back and neck area, while its extra-deep interior creates a luxurious bathing experience centred on comfort, relaxation and wellbeing
The award-winning bath has been developed to transform the traditional bathing ritual into a holistic wellness experience. Combining infrared heat, ambient lighting and integrated sound technology, the NUIO DUO ZEN Edition creates a calming environment designed to support both physical and mental wellbeing.
Key features include Kaldewei’s Heat Wave technology, immersive sound integration and atmospheric lighting, enabling users to create a personalised spa-like experience within the home.
Alongside its wellness credentials, the NUIO DUO ZEN Edition reflects Kaldewei’s commitment to sustainable bathroom design. Manufactured from durable steel and elegant glass, the bath is 100% recyclable and aligns with the company’s LUXSTAINABILITY® philosophy, which combines luxury, quality and responsible resource use.
Winning the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2026 further strengthens Kaldewei’s reputation for design excellence and innovation, while highlighting growing demand for premium wellness products that combine luxury, technology and sustainability in the modern bathroom.
Victoria + Albert has expanded its best-selling Lussari collection with the introduction of new built-in bath options in 1600mm and 1700mm sizes, offering greater flexibility for contemporary bathroom design projects.
Joining the existing freestanding, back-to-wall and corner bath models, alongside coordinating freestanding and back-to-wall basins, the new drop-in and undermount baths retain the collection’s signature sculptural aesthetic and ergonomic comfort, while catering to a broader range of bathroom layouts.
Designed for compact, family and multigenerational bathrooms, the latest additions respond to growing demand from designers and homeowners for alcove bathtubs manufactured in a premium material. The built-in baths can be clad in marble, natural stone, antique mirrored glass or polished tiles to create a sophisticated, bespoke bathroom scheme.
Named after Mount Lussari in the north-eastern corner of Italy, the Lussari collection has been designed to promote relaxation and rejuvenation, while also delivering a comfortable showering experience. Featuring an elegant oval silhouette, the new built-in models coordinate seamlessly with the Lussari freestanding and back-to-wall basins.
The baths can be paired with traditional brassware, including collections from Perrin & Rowe, or contemporary fittings such as showers from Aqualisa. Designers can also specify a Victoria + Albert bath filler and overflow, removing the need for deck or wall-mounted bath taps.
Available in either a gloss or matt finish, the new baths are designed to diffuse light softly for a refined appearance. Levelling feet are also included to support precise installation.
Victoria + Albert pioneered contemporary freestanding bath design with the development of its proprietary Quarrycast™ material more than 30 years ago. Made using a blend of Volcanic Limestone™ and high-performance resins, the material is engineered for durability, strength and ease of maintenance.
More than twice as hard as acrylic, Quarrycast™ is resistant to scratches, stains, UV damage, hair dyes and bath oils, while preventing creaking or flexing. The naturally insulating material also helps retain water temperature for longer, enhancing bathing comfort while improving energy efficiency. Despite its strength, Quarrycast™ remains lightweight for easier installation on-site.
Drummonds has been specified throughout a considered bathroom renovation at a Queen Anne house on a private stretch of the Thames in West London, the home of fashion designer and Wiggy Kit founder Wiggy Hindmarch.
The principal bathroom, previously charming but impractical, has been comprehensively reimagined. A roll-top bath beneath a large window had given the room its character, but with no shower, limited storage and daily routines spread across floors, the brief called for something more resolved. The result is a space that functions seamlessly without sacrificing ceremony.
At its centre, a marble-clad walk-in shower forms an architectural pivot, open on both sides and positioned to draw the eye across the full width of the room. Beyond it, a freestanding Meon bath from Drummonds sits before the original fireplace, reinstating the sense of occasion the layout once had. Bespoke commodes on either side serve as vanities, reinforcing Hindmarch’s instinct to treat the bathroom as a furnished room rather than a purely functional one. The WC is discreetly repositioned and recedes from view.
Drummonds fittings were chosen for their material integrity and classical language – solid brass construction and traditional casting methods that sit naturally within the house’s period bones. “They are the crème de la crème,” Hindmarch says simply.
The decorative scheme layers hand-painted wallpaper by Martyn Lawrence Bullard against book-matched marble, while walls are papered rather than tiled, rugs soften the floor underfoot, and lighting is kept deliberately domestic. Existing shutters are dressed with ladder-stitched linen, an upholstered chair, antique rug and birdcage lantern completing the effect.
Elsewhere, a compact cabin bathroom makes inventive use of a smaller footprint with a neat tub and cleverly concealed sanitaryware. In the powder room, unlacquered Drummonds brass fittings have been left entirely untreated, allowed to age and patina in place. “I like seeing the age,” Hindmarch explains. “The watermarks, the tarnish – that’s the beauty.”
It is a project that reflects a broader philosophy: bathrooms shaped not by trend, but by instinct, craft, and an understanding of how people inhabit the spaces around them.
YOO Studio London and apaiser have come together to launch TEMBO in a new collaboration announced today. The collection includes two bathtubs and three basins, and is available in a curated palette of 18 organic shades from the House Palette.
Rooted in a shared focus on materiality and form, the collection pairs YOO’s narrative-led design approach with apaiser’s expertise in handcrafted stone, resulting in a series of quietly powerful pieces designed to anchor and elevate the bathroom space.
Since 1999, YOO has grown into the world’s largest residential design brand, bringing together creative directors including Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Jade Jagger, Steve Leung, Kate Moss and Sussanne Khan to deliver more than 85 residential projects across 39 countries. This sculptural bathware collection marks YOO’s first move into product design.
Meaning ‘elephant’ in Swahili, TEMBO is defined by a sense of quiet strength and grounded presence. Each piece is conceived as both object and anchor – balancing sculptural clarity with a softness that supports the rituals of everyday life.
“We approached the collection as an extension of the space,” says Claire Rizzi, design director at YOO Studio London. “Each piece is designed to anchor a room; balancing sculptural presence with a quiet sense of restraint.”
“Partnering with YOO Studio London on the TEMBO collection, has been a powerful creative exchange, uniting apaiser’s sculptural DNA with YOO’s bold, global design vision. The result is a collection grounded in spatial sculpture and projecting calm authority,” says Belinda Try, founder and president of apaiser.
Handcrafted in apaiserMarble®, apaiser’s proprietary material made from reclaimed marble, the collection balances sustainability with tactile refinement.
TEMBO introduces a refined, architectural softness through elongated silhouettes, continuous curves and a tactile, material palette.
At Casa Decor 2026 in Madrid, Kaldewei unveils a refined bathroom installation designed by interior architect Isabel López Vilalta, presenting a calm, sensory interpretation of the bathroom as an architectural space for wellbeing, reflection and material clarity.
The project is conceived not as a literal narrative, but as an atmospheric spatial experience. Sculptural volumes, softened edges and a restrained material palette create a gradual unfolding of space, guiding visitors through a carefully controlled sequence that prioritises perception over immediate readability.
Bathroom elements are fully integrated into the architectural composition, with the NUIO DUO Zen Edition bath introducing a subtle multi-sensory dimension through heat, sound and light. Rather than functioning as standalone objects, the fixtures operate as part of the spatial and sensory system.
“The proposal does not unfold as an explicit narrative scene, but rather as an enveloping atmosphere. The sculptural volumetry reorganises the space from a contemporary perspective, creating a subtle contrast between architectural precision and the warmth of the materials. The result is a serene environment that invites visitors to pause and reflect,” says Isabel López Vilalta.
Movement through the installation is deliberately slow and intuitive. Layered planes reveal themselves progressively, encouraging a more mindful engagement with light, proportion and surface. A suspended mirror becomes a key spatial device, shifting viewpoints and subtly expanding the perception of the interior.
Light plays a central role in shaping atmosphere, working in dialogue with materials to define and soften architectural edges. Translucent textiles and a muted tonal range introduce warmth and intimacy, balancing precision with tactility. The result is a composed environment that feels both structured and emotionally open.
“The intention was not to impose an image, rather to craft an emotion,” adds ILV*, continuing: “We wanted visitors to be guided by the space, to move through it without haste, and to understand it through perception, not only through sight.”
The installation also reflects an ongoing collaboration with Kaldewei, developed through a wider project in San Sebastián where the studio, alongside architect Ignacio Quemada, is converting a former theatre into a hotel. That process informed bespoke terracotta tones and material references that appear within the Casa Decor installation.
The project reflects Kaldewei’s focus on steel enamel as a durable, circular and precise material language, reinforcing ideas of longevity and responsible design. Importantly, the installation has been conceived for reuse and will be relocated to Kaldewei’s showroom in Germany after Casa Decor, extending its lifecycle and supporting a more sustainable approach to exhibition design.
A shift is taking place in bathroom design, where the sharper geometry that has defined recent years is giving way to fuller silhouettes and more sculptural forms that feel grounded, generous and enduring. Freestanding baths remain central to this evolution, though the focus is increasingly on proportion, usability and how a piece sits within a scheme from both a visual and practical perspective.
Responding to this direction, BC Designs introduces Highcroft, a new freestanding bath that brings a softer, more sculpted profile into the Cian® solid surface range, offering specifiers and retailers a design that balances presence with versatility across both traditional and contemporary projects.
Measuring 1745mm in length, Highcroft has been designed with generous internal dimensions to support a more immersive bathing experience, while maintaining a compact-enough footprint to suit a wide range of bathroom layouts. The bath’s gently contoured form creates a strong visual anchor without dominating the space, making it well suited to both residential and hospitality settings.
Highcroft is manufactured from BC Designs’ Cian® solid surface material, a proprietary composition that continues to play a central role in the brand’s product development. Combining durability with a refined finish, Cian offers high levels of heat retention, helping to maintain water temperature for longer periods, while its non-porous surface ensures ease of maintenance in day-to-day use. The material is also fully repairable, supporting long-term performance and making it particularly suitable for specification in high-use environments.
For retailers one of the key advantages of Cian lies in its integral colour capability. Available in both gloss white and BC Designs’ ColourKast finishes, Highcroft benefits from colour that runs throughout the material rather than sitting on the surface. This ensures consistency of tone across all edges and surfaces, while also allowing for light refinishing without compromising the finish.
As part of BC Designs’ wider portfolio, Highcroft sits within a collection that continues to prioritise material innovation, craftsmanship and design clarity. With freestanding baths remaining a key focus for the brand, the introduction of Highcroft offers an additional option for projects seeking a softer aesthetic, without compromising on performance or longevity.
Highcroft is available to bricks-and-mortar showrooms only, as part of BC Designs commitment to retailers.
