FRIEZE NEW YORK 2013
INTERNATIONAL HOME + HOUSEWARES SHOW 2013
TOKYO DESIGN WEEK 2012
BEIJING DESIGN WEEK 2012As an industrial designer traveling to a foreign land, you're less likely to be interested in the big differences, like what side of the road they drive on, and more likely to be fascinated by the little things; you'll unconsciously blurt things like "Hey, check out this light switch!" "Did you see those hinges?" and "Weird--there's no parting line on this handle!" et. al., much to the annoyance of your non-ID traveling companions.
Which explains why I'm taking pictures of the bathroom in my suite at the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.
First thing I notice is the dual-flush toilet buttons, common in Japan Scandinavia and other places but unheard of in the sadly water-guzzling U.S.:
Second thing is the sink trap--rather than that gooseneck-looking pipe, it's sleek and cylindrical (and standard throughout Sweden, far as I can tell):
Third thing I notice, the basin-style bathtub's got this smooth, sculptural lip rising out of the back, so you can rest your head without using a rolled-up towel:
(By the by, I tested it out and it's surprisingly comfortable.)
Last thing I noticed is that everything in the bathroom is elevated up off of the ground. The wastebasket, tampon basket, toilet brush and the toilet itself all have a few inches of clearance off the floor tiles, which makes it very easy to mop up and keep clean.
As someone who hates having to maneuver and scrub around the toilet in my own bathroom at home, I love this! I practically wanted to clean this bathroom myself just to try it.
Comments
This is all normal in Europe I think :). Maybe a good thing to introduce the toilet duo-button in the US, so that US-people also can help the climate..
hehe, funny thing about the toilets.. before big-flush/small-flush we used to put bricks in the toilet's water-tank to replace water and save a few liters with every flush :)
Jens, Denmark
Next check out the window technology! The windows have hinges to close air-tight and are at least double-paned. When they are closed you hear A LOT less coming in from the outside and feel no drafts.
These are some very slick designs. I really wish that I did not live in a tract home with small bathrooms that are destined thus to remain. But I keep surfing the Internet, still looking, hoping... sounds like an old doo-wop song, huh? What I like very much about this kind of design, though, is its innovation. It gives me a lot to think about. And who knows? Maybe one fine day I will have a bathroom of my own to splash all over the Internet. But thank you for sharing these ideas.