An Oasis at Home: The Past, Present and Future of Bathrooms

The practice of frequenting public baths was common in civilizations such as the Greeks, Persians and Byzantines, but it was the Romans who popularized their use as places of socialization and purification. These bathrooms were communal and people sat side by side in a collective latrine. The modern bathroom, more similar to what we know today, began with Sir John Harington and his invention of the first flush toilet in 1596. Another crucial advance occurred with Alexander Cummings in 1775, which included a siphon within the toilet to retain gases and odors. But it was only when houses were equipped with running water and effective drainage in the second half of the nineteenth century that the modern private bathroom emerged: a bathroom, a sink and a bath place, which can be a shower or a bathtub. The basics have remained almost unchanged since then, with a few cultural variations in different parts of the world.

These days, the bathroom is a space that goes far beyond its function. With numerous options on the market, it can be designed with the most diverse aesthetics in mind, become a space for relaxation or a design statement in an interior design project.

Current trends vary from brutalism to retro design, incorporating nature, colorful surfaces and abundant vegetation. Axor, manufacturer of bathroom and kitchen accessories, offers three product lines among others that can be seamlessly incorporated into any modern bathroom design. These are part of the Axor Distinctive Bathroom Campaign, in which the manufacturer invited renowned names from the design world to develop products with original concepts and inspiring stories of personal expression, in an exclusive exploration of the personalization of these private spaces.

AXOR Edge

This product line is inspired by the French tradition of ‘Arts Decoratifs’ and explores the world of the perfect finish. Designed as sculptures, each fitting is an impressive composition of prisms at hard angles. The products celebrate the interaction of light and materials, from dark stone to wood and glass volumes. According to Jean-Marie Massaud, the creator of the collection, “With AXOR EDGE, we wanted to create an emotion by surprising people. When quality is a must, when competence is a due, then emotion must be first. More than a faucet, each product in the collection is a jewel, a sculpture—a real, functioning piece of art that shares your intimacy for life. That’s my understanding of luxury.”

AXOR Citterio E

Antonio Citterio–architect, furniture designer and industrial designer from Milan–is the namesake of this collection. Known for his timeless and discrete design concepts, the collection offers a variety of elegant bath solutions. It works with a synthesis of modern and archetypal forms: straight angles and sensual curves, technological innovation and time-proven manufacturing techniques. It is this contrast that gives this product line its essence.

AXOR Starck 

The Axor Starck collection is inspired by the simplicity of traditional well pumps, translated into highly sophisticated pieces. By reducing the faucet to its pure essence, the prominent French designer Philippe Starck directs our attention solely to the water, with only two pipes and a joystick control. “Finished here in harmonious Brushed Bronze, the archetypal AXOR Starck faucets and AXOR Starck Nature Shower express the individual need for authenticity. An assortment of AXOR Universal Circular Accessories completes this timeless aesthetic.”

New and exclusive design pieces allow designers to give personality to bathrooms, which are usually relegated to compact spaces within buildings. Through the proper choice of surfaces, products and materials, the bathroom can become a private oasis in one’s home, as a place for rest, comfort or even joy and distraction. In addition to the products themselves, Axor has developed a series of materials, such as a reference project curatorship and a WhitePaper that provides essential information on the evolution of luxury and personalization in the context of the home.

Learn more about the company and the collection in our catalog.