Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM AUGUST 2022 30 A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S T he National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)'s 2022 Design Trends research has shown that hotel experiences, technology, and influences from nature will have a substantial impact on bathroom design over the next three years, with bigger showers, spa features and wet rooms, along with warmer colors, large-format tiles, natural materials, floating vanities and storage solutions. Homeowners are spending more time in the bathroom, seeking respite and renewal. As such, baths are benefiting from increased investment, attention to high design, and sumptuous features and fixtures that propel them to levels of spa-like luxury. NKBA LUXURY BATH SUMMIT Kicking off the 2022 Luxury Bath Summit, held in partnership with Cambria and sponsored by House of Rohl, NKBA head of research Tricia Zach revealed findings from the detailed study on which the summit was based. In the first part of a two-part presentation, she spoke about the changing role of the bath, understanding what luxury means for baths, and what part technology plays in luxury baths. "The purpose of our research was simple," Zach said. "NKBA wanted to explore luxury in the context of baths. We did that by studying a wide variety of primary baths, all considered to be luxury, to understand the essence of the luxury bath, identify what distinguishes a luxury bath from a really nice high-end bathroom, and understand whether luxury baths follow emerging design trends or whether they are driven by timeless design principles." The study was similar to the Luxury Kitchen research conducted last year. Based on discussions with 12 NKBA designers and seven of their clients, it showcased 13 luxury baths, and endeavored to establish a "luxury bath rulebook" that identifies best practices and translate them into tips and strategies for success when designing a luxury bath. THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE BATH As is the case with most parts of the home, the bathroom's role and function in daily life has changed over the past few years. Both during the COVID-19 pandemic and now, post-pandemic, when millions of Americans are working from home and generally spending more time in their houses, our homes are now functioning as offices, schools, gyms, spas, outdoor restaurants, movie theaters and more. "It's not surprising, therefore, that our baths are playing a larger role in our lives than ever before," said Zach. "They provide space for refuge, connection, self-care, preparation and restoration. They have gone from basic functionality to a place to relax and experience something extraordinary. I think we can all agree that bathrooms have evolved. No matter our age, the bathrooms in our childhood homes were nothing like the baths of today." She noted that bathrooms have gone from an afterthought to one of the most important rooms in the house. For instance, they have evolved from a place where we save time to a place where we invest time; from a place of separation, to a place of togetherness; from a place to clean up, to a place to nurture whole health. What was once a pit stop where busy people got ready to go has turned into a place of sanctuary and restoration, from simple functionality to protecting intimacy and preserving romance. "Baths are not just one-dimensional," said Zach. "They are designed to be beautiful today, but also functional and safe for tomorrow, as more and more homeowners choose to remain in their homes longer than ever before." Discussing what separates a really lovely high-end bath from a true luxury bath, Zach said the study revealed that it is the result of "seamless collaboration between designer and client with a steadfast focus on the client's needs and values. Clients personally invest in understanding and exploring their own needs, values and delights, and designers bring their talent, resources, materials and unique expression to create one-of- a-kind masterpieces." Christopher Grubb, one of the designers who participated in the study, put it succinctly: "Luxury is not price point, it's experience and customization." NATURAL ELEMENTS ARE ALWAYS A GREAT CHOICE Clients are loving bringing the outdoors in. Moving away from white and gray as primary colors, designers expect nature-inspired colors to grow in prominence. For fixtures, the trend is toward more matte and brushed finishes in black, stainless, nickel and pewter. Designers are seeing an increase in adding natural light with large high-performance EXCLUSIVE NKBA RESEARCH EXAMINES THE ELEMENTS THAT ELEVATE A BATHROOM INTO THE LUXURY CATEGORY Innovative features, comfort, function, and style

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