There’s been a flotilla of top-class products launched into the bathroom market this year. So sit back and relax as we bring you some of the sparklers that just ooze the X-Factor

Rather than having to delve deep to find 10 top-notch products, it’s been difficult whittling down the long list of aesthetic, functional and technical beauties that have floated our boats this year. Yes, from crystal-encrusted basins to blingy gold taps for the top-end bathroom, the industry is awash with long-lasting, canny products that look the part and perform brilliantly, too. So here it is, our pick of the bunch for 2009 – not just eye-candy for the discerning design-aficionados, but a whole host of lovelies covering every sector of the market

Innovative baths

383 WALK-IN BATH SHOWER

Dual-purpose bathing gets doubly stylish with Teuco’s 383 walk-in bath shower. Not only does it look the business, with its sleek design and bespoke front panel, but it is truly trans-generational. Yes, 383 – even the name reinforces the ‘inclusive’ message of being tailored for every age, from three to 83 – is perfect for all the family, with its full-length, easy access and leakproof door, low step, headrest and side seat

Shapely ceramics

FREEDOM BY ROSS LOVEGROVE

Homegrown designer du jour, Ross Lovegrove, teamed up with Vitra once again for their third creative fusion: Freedom. More like bathroom architecture than plain old ceramics, the asymmetrical silhouette of Freedom echoes Lovegrove’s design mantra of sculptural and organic shapes, transformed into futuristic sanitaryware. The result: pared-down beauty and luxe technology for 21st century ablutions

Wow factor showers

SUPERNOVA

Sculptural shapes and crystal-inspired surfaces – it has to be the über-luxe Supernova collection from Dornbracht. Designed by Michael Sieger of Sieger Design, it is available in chrome, platinum and champagne gold, and includes a full collection of matching brassware

Eco shower controls

ECOJOY

The Ecojoy range cuts water usage by up to 50% – with a flow rate of just 5.8 litres per minute – without compromising the enjoyment of the shower. Other products in the range include taps, showers, bathroom fittings and kitchen mixers for a full complement of eco-friendly, easy-on-the-eye fixtures

Brilliant basins

W+W BASIN

Eco-friendly, space-saving and slick, the groundbreaking, all-in-one W+W washbasin and WC wowed the crowds and notched up a Design Plus Award at this year’s ISH. Designed for Roca by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, waste water from the basin is purifed and filtered into the cistern below to be reused in the toilet

Inspired enclosures

EMBRACE

Never one to rest on its laurels, enclosure manufacturer Roman has created a winning combination by teaming contemporary, frameless styling with the upcoming trend for decorative glass – as seen here on Embrace, its 8mm glass wet-room panel. The Embrace range of panels and enclosures also offers clear glass versions

Tip-top taps

AQUA JEWELS

Super-cool bathroom bling with designer-label credentials? It couldn’t really get any better than the glam Aqua Jewels brassware range designed exclusively by Dutch über-creative Marcel Wanders. The shimmering multifaceted gold finish and hefty diamond-shaped control of the monobloc basin mixer is really where it’s at

Head-turners

MIRA 360

Showering turns full circle with Mira’s ingenious 360 showerheads, offering clever four-in-one Flipstream technology. The showerheads offer four spray modes, selected by rotating the head 90°. Each quarter-turn ‘flip’ changes the spray pattern so users can enjoy ‘rain’, an invigorating ‘burst’, a full drench with ’storm’ or a luxurious ‘cloud’

Sparkling surfaces

STONE WORKTOPS

Full marks to the mid-market Utopia Bathroom Group that has extended its offer to include gorgeous 30mm polished granite and marble worksurfaces – all fabricated in-house. The solid surface newcomers are designed to complement Utopia’s new top-end Timber Collection of furniture. And guess what. Despite being a bespoke item, Utopia is still offering its usual lead time of 8 to 12 working days

Heatwave
FEATHER

As radiators transform into dazzling pieces of modern art, so ‘Feather’ from the Aestus Hotech collection, a new collaboration for 09, doesn’t disappoint. Made from 8mm-thick aluminium, the elegant feather radiator is shown here in a sultry, masculine black. Heating has never been so hot