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Special Report: Bath Trends From Valencia
Spain Design News: Minimal Sinks, Stacked Vanities — and Modern Glam
I just got back from Valencia, Spain, where the Spanish tile, bath and stone industries have gathered for a massive trade show called Cevisama. The mood was somewhere between ebullient and ecstatic, and Cevisama itself was a visual feast, filled with things that have made me reconsider everything I think I know about bath design. It was the third trade show I'd been to outside of my native United States in three weeks, and as has been the case all along, it was fascinating to see how things are done in different parts of the world.
I was brought to Spain to attend Cevisama by ASCER, the Spanish Tile Manufacturer's Association and its North American brand, Tile of Spain. I'm both a designer and a writer and for that reason, Tile of Spain was interested in having me see what they've been up to with my own eyes.
I was brought to Spain to attend Cevisama by ASCER, the Spanish Tile Manufacturer's Association and its North American brand, Tile of Spain. I'm both a designer and a writer and for that reason, Tile of Spain was interested in having me see what they've been up to with my own eyes.
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by Paul Anater
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| Most of the bath designs I'm showing you aren't exported to the United States or Canada yet, but count on seeing these trends come our way in a year or so.
Spanish designers don't shy away from color, and lime green seems to be the default bold color right now. This bath is notable for its run of low cabinets along the far wall. The stylist has books stacked on one side of it, but it's actually intended to be a bench. |
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by Paul Anater
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| Nearly every vanity cabinet I saw was wall-mounted. Counters tended to be minimized, and although there was a lot of minimalism, a lot of what I saw was this sort of glam-modern.
Interestingly, all of what looks like wallpaper in this bath is actually ceramic tile. |
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by Paul Anater
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| Floating counters with sinks with separate, floating vanities underneath them were everywhere too. This "stacked vanity" look was something I'd never seen before, and it appealed to me greatly. Notice, too, that the designer here has actually drawn attention to the grout lines in this tile and made them an integral part of this design.
Do you think something like that could ever work for you? |
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by Paul Anater
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| I saw a lot of integrated sinks, both singles and doubles like this one. By integrated I mean that the sink and the counter are made from the same material and appear to be a single piece. Just as is the case here, this technique is usually accomplished using a solid surface material. |
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by Paul Anater
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| This vanity was one of the most interesting I saw the whole time I was in Spain. It's a single piece of vitreous china, the same material used to make toilets and ceramic sinks. I love the idea of a split counter like this and could see this in a powder bath anywhere.
What do you think of this kind of total integration? |
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by Paul Anater
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| There were occasional appearances of furniture-style vanities. From what I'm told, these vanities are very popular in Russia, and this style doesn't play a big role in Spanish design. Even so, it's absolutely fascinating to learn about different trends around the world. |
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by Paul Anater
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| This vignette shows that same stacked vanity concept I find so appealing. Notice the orientation of the sink and the faucet placement.
Faucet-to-the-side is not something I've ever seen in the U.S., and it's a great way to use a larger sink in a really shallow space. |
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by Paul Anater
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| This is a fully-integrated sink and counter made from vitreous china. I think this suspended black box of a vanity looks rich without being too heavy. It's another example of the glam-modern I mentioned earlier. |
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by Paul Anater
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| Bombé chest-style vanities, a style I equate more with Italy than Spain, were in abundance at Cevisama. This particular bombé vanity was one of the few I saw with a natural stone counter.
Something like this would and does sell in North America though they're still pretty uncommon. Why do you think that is? |
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by Paul Anater
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| This was the closest I saw to a North American-style vanity cabinet at the entire show. Notice that it's a very shallow cabinet with another faucet set off to the side.
I love how the shapes of the door and drawers work together. What do you think of the taller stainless toe kick? |
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by Paul Anater
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| Most of the double vanities I saw were wall-mounted side-by-sides like this. It makes sense to me to separate two vanities, and the fact that the vanities and the linen cabinet are floating give this entire bath design a lighter feel, despite the dark tile on the walls and floor. |
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| This was a great interpretation of the stacked vanity trend. As a bonus, the lower storage cabinets would work well as a bench. |
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by Paul Anater
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| Talk about minimizing a cabinet! A setup like this would make a terrific powder bath. |
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by Paul Anater
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| This bath is yet another testament to the Spanish embrace of color in bath design. The sink's been pared down to an absolute minimum, but the colors and different-sized tiles that surround that sink combine to make a surprisingly rich and inviting design.
Even though most of what I saw in Spain won't make it across the Atlantic for at least a year, count on these trends arriving eventually. The use of lime green is too pervasive in Europe right now for it not to show up here, and the idea of stacked vanities is too interesting for Europe to keep to itself. For better or for worse, what do you think of Spanish bath design? More: The latest tile trends from Spain Kitchen news from Cologne |
Ideabook updated on Feb. 18, 2011.
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They seem so cold and some almost remind me of bathrooms in department stores.
Sorry, just not my style I guess.
But thank you for letting us glimpse at everything there.
Raina and Bldg: I'm with you two. That sink/ shelf combo stopped me in my tracks. That the faucet's mounted in a corner and not centered on the back is the perfect detail.
I especially like the sinks which basically have the water running down to a bottom drain, without the drain in the middle, just an inclined surface. You see those used commercially with a stone sink. They are so pleasant to use.
I could see putting the large rectangular ceramic "panel" tiles in a foyer or small entrance, with a short "lip" tile at the top for placing a small nick nack. It's what I plan to do in a new apt. where the elevator arrives right to the foyer of my apartment.
Good "wooden" tiles are perfect for modern kitchens. Kitchens that get heavy use and have real wood look pretty sad after about a year or two.
not too functional for family
Just moved into a house where the owners before redid the master and guest bath to the cost of a very fancy Mercedes. Breath-takingly exquisite. But wrought with problem after problem of purpose.
It makes no sense to me.
Form without thought to function, expense without thought to sense? Only if your goal is to invite others into your bathroom to show off - because for those living there, the total lack of practicality of the design makes it a daily pain in the arse...