WORDS Robyn Alexander
We’re all well acquainted with bathtubs taking centre stage. Now, here comes the standalone basin – a sculptural, seriously elegant new take on a bathroom basic.
Sculptural Style
Liquid–product designer extraordinaire Tom Dixon’s first-ever bathroom range – includes this solid, church font-like basin (pictured above). The range was created in collaboration with VitrA, and features what the Tom Dixon brand describes as his “signature round- edged aesthetics and soft forms”. While many bathroom designers are currently obsessed with reduced volumes, Liquid incorporates “fatter, softer lines that are inherently more generous, strong and long-lasting”. | vitra.co.uk
Line of Beauty
Designed by Benedini Associati for Italian bathroom design trendsetters Agape, the Ell washbasin has the sleekest of sleek lines, as the flat surface with its breakwater-grille is also the basin. The Ell a Colonna version is supported by a slender column in white or dark powder-coated steel, with the basin available in a range of finishes, including white Carrara, grey Carnico, black Marquina and green Alpi marble. The grille can be either white or deep caviar Corian. | agapedesign.it
Feel the Flow
“Flow is not a normal sink,” says Andrea Lupi, CEO of Italian manufacturer Antonio Lupi. “It is an experimental object.” Designed by Paolo Ulian, the Flow basin is the result of his observation of
the water jet machines used to cut stone. This process can create irregular, curvilinear waves in relief on the surface of marble that resemble a fabric pleat – and these are usually considered a defect. Flow reverses this perspective, and makes a virtue of this remarkable look. | antoniolupi.it
Marble Marvel
The Albume basin by Carlo Colombo for Antonio Lupi has its design origins in the juxtaposition of different geometric shapes. It’s available either in combinations of different materials for the basin and base, which emphasises their varying forms further, or in a version made entirely of luxurious Calacatta Viola marble. As Antonio Lupi suggests, this is a design that makes the basin “the true protagonist of the bathroom”. | antoniolupi.it
Sleek Organic
Designed by Philippe Starck for bathroom design giants Duravit, the White Tulip range of fixtures is inspired by the silhouette of a blooming tulip. Unfolding upwards in a genuinely unusual and voluptuous way, all the components in the range are eye-catching – but the sleek standalone basin is among the standout pieces, blending solidity and lightness in a way that makes it very contemporary. | duravit.com
Wit and Wonder
The freestanding Undici Inox by Benedini Associati for Agape is a playful blend of simplicity and detail. It’s also an extremely versatile design, available in a large number of finishes that can be specified separately for the painted support column and the basin that always features an exposed metal interior (brushed brass or stainless steel). The irresistibly cool design feels smartly retro, deeply practical and marvellously witty, all at once. | agapedesign.it
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