The country needs new bathrooms
The ‘homing’ trend and investment in material assets / Modernisation aims: comfort, design, function and quality / Freedom of design with complete bathroom range Silk / Ceramics, furniture, bathtubs and shower trays from a single source / Can be seen in local sanitary retailers /
Ratingen. During the economic crisis, Germans rediscovered the sense of security and safety afforded by their own four walls. Experts call this trend ‘homing’, based on the English philosophy of ‘My home is my castle’. Increasing concerns about house-price stability is encouraging owners to consider investing in increasing the value of their house or flat. The bathroom, a room which has often long been neglected, is at the heart of these modernisation plans.
If you want to actually start doing something, you tend to look for guidance concerning furnishings and product selection. Professionals in the sanitary industry generally recommend aiming at a balance of comfort and design, as well as functionality and quality. The complete bathroom range Silk has set benchmarks in this respect – above and beyond the criteria listed above – and also offers plenty of room to play with in terms of design for sophisticated bathrooms in private homes. Furthermore, the range offers the generation aged 50 and older additional practical benefits in the form of original and useful elements.
The design of the sanitary objects is expressed in the contrasting relationship between solid and fine design elements. The core pieces and defining elements of the range are the seven different types of washbasin, which enable a variety of individual design possibilities, as well as a 38-cm hand-rinse basin with tap hole on the right-hand side.
All washbasins are gently rounded and provide spacious shelf space which reaches over the sides and tapers to a narrow edge at the front. The gradation toward the back lends the products a high degree of lightness. This effect is highlighted by a lightly chamfered exterior contour and the flat inner basin which accentuates the bowl-like character of the washbasins.
The WC and bidet versions have been modelled on the look of the washbasins, which lends the whole ceramic range an exceptionally harmonious overall look. The 6-l WCs are available as wall-hung washdown or wash-out versions. A particularly special feature is the seat position, which has been raised by 3 cm to enable easier sitting down and standing up. The WCs also have seats with soft-closing mechanisms. The external surfaces of the WCs are completely smooth and particularly easy to clean. All ceramic products can be finished with the dirt-repellent KeraTect glaze on request.
Silk also comprises a comprehensive range of bathroom furniture. The washbasin countertops are particularly striking and are available in five widths with either high-quality oak or Wenge Pangar real-wood veneer and a chrome wrap-around strip. Matching wall-hung vanity units, sideboards and tall cabinets are also available. For those who wish to use the washbasin while sitting down, there is an upholstered rolling stool with two adjustable heights. In addition to the real-wood veneer listed above, the vanity units are also available in high-gloss white. The sideboards and tall cabinets can be rotated and fitted with shelves. The tall cabinet has a mirror on the inside of the doors, as well as a lighting strip.
An additional highlight is the beauty module which can be connected to the washbasin countertop and is available in the same décor as the countertop and also has the same wrap-around strip. When this is folded upwards, an integrated illuminated mirror is visible. The lower part offers space for smaller make-up utensils as well as cosmetic tissues. An additional intelligent element is the WC module that offers shelf space and storage space for moist toilet tissues and a toilet-roll holder. The accessories range is completed by an illuminated mirror element with chrome frame in four sizes. The 44-cm element has a lighting strip on the side, while all other illuminated mirrors have two lights positioned on the side, an anti-mist function and indirect coloured lighting at the top and bottom.
An exclusive bathtub (200 × 90 cm) with a concealed overflow beneath integrated cushions, panels in real-wood veneer and an integrated drawer completes the range. Matching shower trays and screens in various sizes are available from Koralle Sanitärprodukte GmbH.
