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Issue #06
September 2009

• Hot products
  The New Black
• Eco
  Hot water rebates
  are running hot
• Trends
  Australian bathroom trends
• Instore
  A weekend in spring
• Product Highlight
  Porcher

Trends

Australian bathroom trends

With a staggering number of bathrooms entered into this year’s Reece Your Bathroom. Your Life™ Competition, it was only natural that a number of prominent trends stood out.

So, after going through each and every one of the bathrooms entered in the competition, we are delighted to provide you with an update on the latest bathroom trends, as told by you. After all, what better way to comment on Australian bathroom trends than by stepping inside some real Australian bathrooms?

Bedroom or Bathroom

One of the hottest trends to emerge in 2009 has been the shared bedroom and bathroom. It seems that Australians are looking past an adjoining ensuite and moving the bath into the heart of the bedroom, creating the ultimate relaxation zone. The winner of this year’s competition is a great example of how to create a stylish, multifunctional space. 

Bathrooms with a view

It seems that many Australians are now designing their bathrooms around large open windows which provide a beautiful view, whether it be out to the garden, over a pool or out to the countryside or city skyline. The bathroom is now being used to extend the living areas in the home and this trend looks as though it is here to stay, particularly as we continue to spend more time in the bathroom.

Space savers

Making the most of available space appears to be a key consideration when planning a bathroom. Clever product selection is allowing us to streamline our bathrooms to create a spacious space – even if the bathroom initially seemed like it was the size of a shoebox! There are now some common ‘tricks’ being used to give that lovely roomy feel – concealed cistern toilets and wall hung vanities and basins are the perfect solution to save space and were widely seen in this year’s competition.

Double trouble

Double basins and showers were prominent this year, evidence that the ‘his and her’ bathroom is back in vogue. With consumers increasingly time poor, it is unsurprising that the bathroom is going double. As well as being a time saver, the ‘his and her’ style bathroom is also a great way to create a bathroom retreat in the home.

The bathroom zone

This year’s competition reiterated just how much Australians like to keep up-to-date with the latest bathroom trends, with many of the bathrooms entered encapsulating the hottest trends. This includes wet room showers, use of colour and twin showerheads.  The use of bathroom zoning was also prominent – it seems that while Australians like an open plan bathroom, they also like to create bathroom ‘zones’, perhaps in the form of a separate toilet or shower zone.