Latest designs are flush with innovation
Traditionally, and for obvious reasons, bathrooms have lingered behind closed doors, as a particularly private place, too impolite to openly discuss. Even the phrase 'toilet talk' was coined to define unsavoury and unseemly conversation; and the less said about the way toilet inventor Thomas Crapper is remembered to this day, the better.
It is not that we find a subject intimate to all of our daily lives abhorrent. Indeed, as far back as about 40 years ago, the American television chat show host Phil Donahue made toilet history, so to speak, by dedicating an entire show to the topic. Interestingly, TV's first frank toilet talk-in generated more than 2,000 telephone calls from fascinated viewers.
For that social breakthrough, the chat show teamed up with a specialist bathroom firm called American Standard, which had the distinction of being the inventor of enamelled cast-iron baths, the first with smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces.
The brand continues to lead the industry by setting one benchmark after another in the development of bathroom technology and design.
Over the past three years especially, technological innovations have been flowing thick and fast.
With water conservation a huge concern these days, consumers visiting a Hong Kong flagship showroom of the brand at MegaBox in Kowloon Bay and two outlets in Lockhart Road, Wan Chai may be surprised to learn that they can enjoy an invigorating shower while reducing water usage with newly developed showerheads.
Even more water can be saved each year using the firm's latest water-conserving toilets.
Some systems even allow consumers to customise how much water they flush, depending on what needs to go down the loo. With the Dual-Flush Family House High-Efficiency model, you can flush either a standard 1.6 gallons or just half that.
Innovative lifestyle solutions offer healthier, safer and cleaner bathrooms with 'no germs, no foreign materials'.
The recently launched Family Health line for ceramics, tubs and toilet seats incorporates breakthrough technologies with an antibacterial glaze that effectively kills E.coli and other harmful bacteria, which can cause diarrhoea, infection, bad odour and even skin disease. Resistant to scrubbing and frequent use, the antibacterial technology stays effective throughout the entire life cycle of each product. The technology is growing in popularity not only in homes, but also business and commercial premises, from offices to hotels and airports.
The catalogue of innovations is endless. You may wonder where it will all end. Toilets that flush when you tell them to? Showers that respond when you say, 'Just a bit hotter, please', or 'Turn yourself off now, shower'?
Beyond revolutionising technology, American Standard is also bringing style to the last place in any habitation that attracts the attention of either visitors or interior designers.
European designer style is complementing state-of-the-art technology as the company works with award-winning designers including Ronen Joseph, Marc Newson, David Chipperfield, Tomas Fiegl and Achim Pohl.
Just like the fashion industry, they are designing constantly evolving 'bathroom collections' to create a 'total look' of complementary wash basins, bathtubs, toilet bowls, accessories and furniture. You can choose from such 'looks' such as Imagine, Moments, Tonic, Acacia and the most recent collection, Active.
Since American Standard is expanding in Asia, with a new presence in Shanghai joining established operations in Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea, the latest collection was designed after extensive Asian market research - which revealed that the main priorities of consumers are family health and hygiene, high performance, water conservation and stylish design.
The Active collection is specifically designed for young, active homeowners, and enables unique combinations of styles. Options of subtle curves, soft squares and ovals or edgier designs merged with leading technologies mean you can personalise your private space to suit your individual style.
Mix-and-match options range from minimalist to fancy, smart to elegant, classic to progressive, casual to charming. Also unveiled this year is a new Imagine luxury bathroom collection combining avant-garde design inspired by the pyramids of Egypt, and leading technology, incorporating a host of innovative features, including Idealflow technology which is able to overcome the traditional overflow problems.
The collection's ergonomic bathtub with a backrest massage features an LED touch panel for safe feature control, while an ozone and disinfection system provides an additional level of hygiene. A special slow closing toilet bowl lid provides extra convenience for children and the elderly.
New E-bidets feature a flexible hose connected direct to the water supply, separate douche heads for general and feminine use, plus convenient water pressure control.
Innovative refinements include toilet seat temperature adjustment, a special total clean one-button, auto wash system and an air-dry feature to ensure complete personal hygiene and user comfort.
The bathtub's integrated Ozone Spa can 'refine your skin, enhance your immune system and improve your health condition', while the disinfection system protects health.
'I see my design as an evolution of contemporary trends towards minimalism. I tried to create a stronger concept. Not just a pure form but something more,' said designer Joseph.
'I played with various forms and tried to find a common aesthetic that looks good in different proportions. I've always been interested in the past and fascinated by the pyramids. The shapes generated are very exciting and create a perfect balance between quiescence and motion.'
Dominique Facon, vice-president of marketing, American Standard Bath & Kitchen Asia-Pacific, said the collection 'not only features outstanding style and comfort, but also provides exceptional performance through special technologies applied in the various products'.
The mainstream design world is paying attention. Prestigious international awards including the Red Dot Design Award and the iF Product Design Award attest to the brand's design excellence. But the company might most remarkably be acclaimed for turning bathrooms and loos into technological and design icons. It may be about time, but you can bet only Thomas Crapper saw that coming.
