Swiss watches. Swiss chocolates. Swiss cheese. Swiss bathrooms?  Founded in 1892, Swiss firm Laufen knows a thing or two about what works regarding function, product and design in bathroom fixtures and accessories.  And as the Swiss are known for precision in all they do, expect nothing less than perfection, quality and reliability with Laufen products.  I was recently at Design Junction in London with MODENUS Blogtour and saw some of the exciting things they are doing with the bathroom sink, tub and fittings.

Laufen has teamed up with Italian designers Kartell to channel new inspiration into design that is both creative and colorful.  The results make for fresh and original bathrooms – a bathroom that really has come into the 21st century.  Color can be used to change the mood of the space and transparent shelves and benches provide function without weighing down the visual space.

Using a proprietary new material called SaphirKeramik, Laufen is able to design paper-thin sinks that seem to float with a lightness that traditional porcelain sinks could never hope to achieve.  Square basins have almost 90-degree corners forming near boxes.  Your old sink just doesn’t have the ability to move and bend like this kid.   It really is extraordinary.

Always one for a great functional new toy, I was taken with the trays and soap dishes Laufen and Kartell have ingeniously integrated into the bathroom faucet.  Water pours from beneath these clever little shelves that can hold your makeup, soap or act as a place to rest your toothbrush when you can’t let that email go unanswered.   And while we’re talking new and fab, several of the sinks have “hidden” drains … so gone is the central hole in the bottom of the sink now replaced by an indiscrete crevasse where the sink water magically disappears. Genious!  And for those who love their ambient lighting, Laufen has installed an LED ambient lighting system placed into shallow grooves around the perimeter of the tub.

And you have to love a company that is thinking about the environment in all their planning and design.  We know that ceramic is already eco-friendly in that it consists of only naturally occurring raw materials.  It is also recyclable and can be used again in other applications.  Laufen’s products use water sparingly, noting that water is a precious resource in many parts of the world and will become scarce as populations grow and compete for natural sources.  In fact, from inception to manufacture to marketing, every aspect in the Laufen process has the environment in mind and makes for a model of sustainable business.

So next time you’re looking to renovate a bathroom or designing a new one from scratch, consider Laufen. The Swiss have won us over with their watches, cheese and chocolates.  They’re now wining us over with their bathroom fixtures!

richard rabel
principal
richard rabel: interiors + art
interior design and art advising
new york city

image credits: Laufen , Switzerland with international dealers and access worldwide

Laufen is a sponsor of MODENUS BlogTour London.  The opinions in the feature are my own and were published freely after physical inspection.