Our Favourite New Release Products From 2021

It’s been a big year for bathroom design. With new products, new trends and new technology hitting the market, your bathroom has never looked better. Here are some of our favourite new releases from 2021.

Personalised Showering

Whenever we ask our customers to name the most important product in their bathroom, the shower usually comes in at number one. This year we’ve seen the rise of ‘Smart Showers’ like the GROHE Rainshower SmartActive, loaded with personalised spray patterns and handy fingertip control. You can quickly switch between rain, jet and ActiveMassage (our personal favourite), depending on your mood.

Tapware Trends

Every year manufacturers seem to push tapware further and further. There were several game-changing models this year, but two products stood out from the pack. The first is the new Milli Oria tapware collection, inspired by European metalwork and finished in six cutting-edge PVD plating finishes (making it resistant to scratches, tarnishing and even teenagers).

The second innovation was more about the technology behind the tap. Mizu unveiled their universal inwall body, allowing you greater flexibility when it comes to choosing and updating your tapware finish. The inwall body lets you change your tapware colour from chrome to matte black, to brushed gold — a month or five years down the track.

Colours and Materials

Matte black continued its unstoppable march across bathrooms and kitchens everywhere in 2021, but it wasn’t having everything its own way. This year we saw several brands tweak the formula slightly, with new colour combinations and textured materials.

The AXA Uno Rimless toilet leads the matte black charge, appearing on Channel Nine’s The Block. It’s arguably the sharpest-looking toilet on the market right now. Memo expanded their kitchen range with the new Hugo sinks in black granite — providing increased durability along with a striking finish.

Roca released their popular Inspira above-counter basins in matte black and matte white, showcasing some of the thinnest edges we’ve ever seen in bathroom ceramics. And finally, Alape released their Circa basins in a range of Terra colours, experimenting with colours like Nordic Blue. Offering a refreshingly cool and tactile alternative.

As customers branch out into tonal colours and metallics (especially brushed gold and bronze), it looks like the monochrome trend isn’t going anywhere fast.

Bathroom Furniture

Cabinets and vanities can really make or break the look of your bathroom, not to mention its functionality. Between wall mounted or under sink storage, raw timber or matte colour finishes, and double or single basins, the options really are endless.

The way you blend and contrast materials between vanity, sink, tapware and cabinet is a tricky balance to pull off, and we saw one brand really push the envelope in 2021.

If we had to pick this year’s standout mirror cabinet, the award probably goes to the Kado Lussi, with its elegant curves, oak finish and soft-close hinges. Kado also released their matching Lussi wall-hung vanity, with a similar organic curve and minimalist timber doors. Where the Kado Lussi collection really shines, however, is the considered customisation options — from bench space to basin placement, single and double bowl options, allowing for the perfect bathroom solution for you.
The one-two Lussi combination of mirror cabinet and vanity was our favourite bathroom storage solution for 2021, allowing you the opportunity to perfectly style and accessorise your bathroom.

Hygiene Solutions

Hygiene has always been a big factor in bathroom design – it’s more or less what bathrooms are for. And in the kitchen, it’s a major factor in its functionality. But with the impact of the global pandemic, an even bigger focus on hygiene had lent itself to the rise of touchless technology.

With its infrared motion sensor, the GROHE Euro Eco tap reduced the chance of cross-contamination in commercial bathrooms (while looking ultra-stylish at the same time). Italy’s largest tapware manufacturer, Nobili also released their Flag sink mixer this year, with its trademark Biomaster Antibacterial Coating Technology. This matte black coating inhibits bacteria growth, meaning this tap literally fights germs — making it the ultimate choice for a more hygienic kitchen