Bathrooms are the most private areas of every home. It is where we can indulge in our own wellbeing and excuse ourselves from the rest of the outside world. This month, iProperty.com takes a step into the exclusive world of luxurious bathrooms…

Bathrooms today have evolved from being just a functional room to a place where one can truly pamper the senses and enjoy. After all, where else could be a better place to kick start the day that lies ahead or sign off from a busy day?

If you are at work or outside while reading this article, just imagine a rejuvenating warm bubbly bath waiting for you at home and you will get the idea.

Home owners might find it a daunting task to outfit their bathrooms especially with the myriad of bathroom products available in the market. After all, how could one really tell the difference of a shower apart from another other than its aesthetic sense and of course its price?

iProperty.com speaks to two of the country’s largest and longest bathroom suppliers and finds out why it makes a difference to spend a little more. Read on for the buyer’s guide.  

A special thanks to Mabel Kok, deputy executive director and Kok Yi Ling, sales and marketing of Bina Warehouse as well as Andrew Sia, managing director and Adrian Sia, chief operating officer of GC Building for providing their insight to a world of relaxation.

Planning bathrooms

“Bathrooms today have evolved into a place where people enjoy and spend more time in instead of just being a place for physical cleaning,” says Andrew Sia, explaining the evolution of bathrooms.

He adds, “They are now prime rooms in the house as owners are paying more attention to details like spaciousness, ventilation, lighting, and perhaps even looking out to breathtaking views.”

Andrew could not have summed it any better as modern bathrooms today have a lot more to offer than conventional wares of yesteryears thanks to technology and better understanding of people’s emotional needs.

Most house owners might not realise the spiritual impact that bathrooms wield, that it is a place to prepare for the day ahead, or to relax in after a long day. While all bathrooms should serve their functional sense that is our daily rituals of washing and cleaning, they should also be molded into a personal haven.

According to Andrew, openness plays a key role in bathrooms and owners have a tendency to cram it up with things they do not need. He gave an example of some bathrooms having two washbasins which takes up two times as much space.

“How often do we need to rush and consequently share the bathroom? Furthermore, most houses today have more than one bathroom,” Andrew quips before adding that proper planning of bathrooms helps saves money and space.

Andrew was quick to share another quirk he noticed in some bathrooms – that they have enclosed toilets. “Our culture usually do not allow two to use the bathroom at the same time, so enclosed toilets do not really do anything but take up precious space,” he says.

“Some other items can be removed like shower doors as they are expensive and encloses space. Good showers do not really splash much and moreover, splashes are mostly caused if you have a violent bath rather than a sensual one,” Andrew jibes.

He further advises, “Try not to be too avant garde on colours of bathroom wares as trends change. White is best as it is timeless and brings out an ambience of purity. To personalise the bathroom space, one can try using wallpapers as our tropical climate allows it. When planned carefully, wood can also be featured sparingly in bathrooms and they give out a cosy feeling.”

When it comes to bathrooms, Andrew says that his ideal one would be spacious, has proper airflow, plenty of natural lighting and has no hidden corners. “We live in a tropical country, there is no need to keep cold out or heat in, so open concept works well here,” says Andrew, adding that outdoor showers is a luxury and fits perfectly here as the air is warm.

Andrew recommends that if space allows for it, having a steam room in a bathroom is a great idea as one can set it to own personal liking, even to the point of selecting the preferred aromatherapy fragrance, and not be at the mercy of commercial spas. 

If there was ever one tip that house owners need to be conscious of before they start spending money on bathrooms is that they should first determine their lifestyle and ask this question, “Do I use it?”

For example whirlpools can be nice additions to bathrooms and provide ultimate relaxation in the form of a water massage or even light therapy for the more technologically advanced ones. But here is the caveat, the whirlpool in question has to be used in the first place. Andrew said that as whirlpools are also electrical and mechanical products, they may fail to work if not used frequently enough. 

Adrian further adds another tip for buyers, “To create a roomier feeling for bathrooms, it is best to remove clutter. Bathroom cabinets can be used to store items so that the bathroom counters can be free of them. Dividing the bathroom into wet and dry areas helps too and it allows the addition of bathroom furniture should space allow for it.”

On personalising their own bathroom space, Adrian opines, “Owners should spend more time to do more research and take more inspiration from places like hotels and such. Try not to just listen to others. Owners who enrich themselves with the finer details can add value to their home by renovating not just their bathroom but any part of the house.”

Trends and technology

According to Ms Kok Yi Ling of Bina Warehouse, current bathroom trends lean towards round and more organic shapes for bathroom wares. Consumers are also a lot savvier and care for more environmentally friendly products that have water saving features.

“The decision making process today definitely includes more ecological awareness placed into the equation. Consumers are starting to choose not only environmentally friendly products but also the companies behind them,” says Kok Yi Ling.

She adds, “As an example, Hansgrohe, one of the brands that Bina Warehouse carries, not only produces products with water saving features but also has green practices. Hansgrohe AG, the company behind the namesake brand through environmental management and optimising business processes in accordance with ecological criteria to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

“In their (Hansgrohe) products spends a lot on research and development to produce innovative products that helps promotes sustainability. Two of the most notable technological innovations by the company include EcoSmart and AirPower technology that reduces the consumption of water without compromising the experience.”

EcoSmart technology is a special combination of flow regulator and adapted spray jets that allows up to 50 percent water savings compared to conventional showers. How it works is that a precision O-ring reacts to water pressure: decreasing the aperture if it is high and increasing it if it is low, keeping water consumption constant. According to Hansgrohe, this technology not only saves water, but energy as well as less water has to be heated.

Meanwhile, AirPower technology mixes water with air, about three parts of air to one part of water, resulting in drops becoming more voluminous, lighter and softer. This not only leads to lower water consumption, but according to Hansgrohe, heightens the shower experience making it fun.

“AirPower technology simulates raindrops and caresses the body for a truly relaxing experience,” says Kok Yi Ling.

Paying for a peace of mind

A quick look around the market will show that cost of bathroom wares can range far apart. Spending the extra for well-known brands are not without merits as they usually use better quality materials and have longer warranty periods.

According to Adrian, some of the brands GC Building Technology carry have warranty periods of five and 10 years while industry standards only offer about two years.   

“Apart from warranty, consumers should also look out for the local representatives of the product they buy. It is always good to check on how efficient their after sales service and technical support is or if the distributor has a number you can call should any problem arise,” says Mabel.

About Bina Warehouse
Located at No. 22 Jalan Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur, Bina Warehouse has been around for 37 years and mostly distributes products from Europe. Having a long history of distributing quality bathroom and kitchen products, the company has carried brands like Hansgrohe, Duravit, Kohler, Jacuzzi, Alno, and more for over 10 years.  

Apart from retail customers, Bina Warehouse also supplies to property developers, including some of the most luxurious projects in the country. Their repertoire includes projects like One Menerung Bangsar, Clearwater Residences, The Troika, Binjai Residency, Ampersand, Iringan Hijau, Sunway Palazzio, Menara Goldhill and many more.

About GC Building Technologies
GC Building Technologies is a distributor of luxury bathroom and kitchen products representing some of the world’s finest brands like Dornbracht, Villeroy & Boch, Hoesch and many more. While some of us may not be familiar with those luxury brands, Dornbracht is specified in many luxury hotels worldwide including Burj Dubai, Ritz Carlton, Grand Hyatt, Intercontinental, etc.

In Malaysia, GC Building Technologies has supplied some of the brands to the country’s high-end luxury properties like 10 Month Kiara, 11 Mont Kiara, Tijani 2 North, Ken Bangsar and others. The company’s newest showroom is located at 7 Jalan Perintis U1/52, Kawasan Industrial Temasya, Seksyen U1, Glenmarie, Shah Alam.