GROHE, a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, unveils its strategic roadmap for the upcoming fiscal year. A cornerstone of GROHE’s strategy going forward is its heightened involvement in shaping and co-creating the future of the sanitary industry. Through active participation in key industry events such as ISH, the world’s leading trade fair for HVAC and water, in March 2025 and membership in influential organisations like VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association Germany), GROHE is poised to foster collaboration and drive collective progress within the sector, especially amid ongoing economic challenges.
As Bijoy Mohan, Leader, LIXIL International affirms, “Our roadmap for the upcoming fiscal year reflects our unwavering commitment to our consumers and customers, product leadership, and organisational excellence. A first highlight was our recent presence at Milan Design Week where we showcased the pinnacle of our portfolio with GROHE SPA.
Through product innovations and collaborations with key industry partners, we are confident in our ability to drive sustainable growth, delivering value to our customers and stakeholders alike, empowering them to thrive in a dynamic market environment. In the face of challenging global market conditions, our international business, especially in Europe, experienced a notable slowdown in demand throughout the year. To address these unprecedented challenges head-on, we have implemented strategic measures for the GROHE brand and the European market. We are confident that these proactive initiatives will not only mitigate the impact of adverse market conditions but also enhance our profitability throughout the fiscal year ending March 2025.”
For the last fiscal year 2024 (April 1st 2023 – March 31st, 2024), the LIXIL EMEA region has experienced a sales drop by 17% on a local currency basis. Enabling an even more tailored approach in customer engagement and sales growth for its GROHE brand, LIXIL has introduced a new regional set-up, designed to better cater to diverse market requirements and conditions.
Since April 1st 2024, the EMENA region was split in two: Europe and IMEA, comprising India & Subcontinent, the Middle East, including Turkey, and the entire African continent. This strategic realignment will enable the organisation to deploy more custom-fit strategies and tactics, ensuring enhanced support for customers across Europe, IMEA, and beyond. Additionally, the new set-up will facilitate expansion opportunities in the IMEA region for its portfolio beyond the GROHE brand, signalling LIXIL’s broader ambitions for growth and market penetration.
Emphasising its commitment to innovation, GROHE will launch the GROHE Rapido Shower Frame in July 2024, a testament to its behind-the-wall expertise. Designed to simplify installation of concealed shower systems and enhance productivity for professionals, the solution is a direct answer to the daily challenges faced by installers due to lack of skilled workers and full order books. Preassembled and insulated components such as mixed water pipes and concealed elements as well as a leak test performed before delivery allow installation in just three steps, saving valuable time and training expenditures for new installers.
In front of the wall, GROHE’s shower competence is highlighted by solutions tailored to current market trends. The new GROHE Tempesta hand shower, recognised with the Red Dot and iF Design Award, brings enhanced customisation by offering freedom of choice when it comes to design, from round or square options to chrome or Matte Black. The innovative SmartSwitch function allowing for intuitive switching between spray patterns, enables a further personalised experience. Additionally, variants equipped with EcoJoy technology support sustainable living by reducing water consumption without compromising comfort. Product durability is ensured by the ShockProof silicone ring, which protects against damage from falls. And all of this comes with the hallmark of quality “made in Germany” with the Tempesta originating from Lahr, Germany, the birthplace of all GROHE showers and shower systems.
Every four seconds, a hand shower leaves the new production line, which can manufacture up to 200 different product variants without needing to be reconfigured. This equates to up to 19,000 hand showers per day, all of which undergo rigorous quality checks during the production process and are 100% traceable. Strategic investments in manufacturing facilities like Lahr highlight the GROHE brand’s integral role within LIXIL portfolio of brands.
About GROHE
GROHE is the world’s leading provider of sanitary fittings and a global brand, dedicated to providing innovative water products. GROHE manufactures premium bathroom and kitchen fittings, offering complete bathroom solutions from brassware, ceramics and accessories to some of the most innovative shower and toilet systems, as well as a diverse range of sinks, taps and innovative WaterSystems for the kitchen. GROHE prides itself on being specified in some of the most prestigious and iconic hotel and holiday resorts across the world, renowned for its innovative technology, sustainable credentials and superior quality and design.
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Visit 100 St John Street, London, during Clerkenwell Design Week from May 23 to 25 to see the latest bathroom and kitchen launches from RAK Ceramics.
On display at the Design Hub are new ranges of surfaces, brassware and sanitaryware, all designed to create luxurious yet highly practical modern living spaces.
One of the striking bathroom displays at the Hub showcases the RAK Ceramics Designer Collection by Patrick Norguet, RAK-Valet. This is a range composed of functional elements – available in matt and glossy finishes – that serve as veritable valets and hand us the objects of our daily wellbeing via functional surfaces and stylistic solutions of great visual impact: decorative forms with slender profiles for the washbasins, top-notch stylistic research for the bathtubs, elongated lines for the toilet bowls.
For the kitchen there is CookingRAK – a one-of-a-kind hidden induction cooking system, creating a stylish impression and professional results.
Designed to create a multi-functional kitchen space ideal for daily use, the system is integrated into the countertop, opening possibilities for users to prepare, cook and dine in the same space; a seamlessly designed kitchen top made for dining and entertaining. The technology combines the high-performance of RAK Ceramics porcelain slabs, with an innovative induction system that operates through a magnetic field. Porcelain has always been the ideal choice for kitchen countertops as they are made of a durable material resistant to heat, stain, and scratch. They are also resistant to moisture and do not easily stain, making them easier to clean.
CookingRAK is exclusively produced with RAK Ceramics porcelain slabs in 14.5mm thickness and 135.5×305 cm size. The slabs can withstand high temperatures and with a surface hardness that resists scratching and staining. They are also an ideal material for kitchen countertops as they are very hygienic, food-safe, and less likely to harbour moulds and bacteria. To conveniently locate the cooking zones on the countertop, the RAK Ceramics slabs can be customised to add special markings in six modifications that will suit any kitchen style.
Staying with surfaces, visitors to the Design Hub can also view the stunning Metamorfosi collection, a decorative porcelain surface that will make an eye-catching impression for any interior. Metamorfosi is a large-format surface, available in two sizes – 120x260cm and 120x120cm. Inspired by the colours and shapes found in nature and responding to this important interior design trend, Metamorfosi is highly durable and splash resistant, just as porcelain should be, yet visually striking in its appeal, with several design options to choose from
An important destination on the Clerkenwell Design Week tour, the RAK Ceramics Design Hub at 100 St John Street, Clerkenwell is one of the largest in the area, with 7,276 square feet over two floors. The space gives visitors to the area the opportunity to explore the possibilities of choosing RAK Ceramics for their projects.
Designed to be an interactive and immersive environment to inspire creativity, the Design Hub includes a working kitchen display, working tap display, Virtual Worlds 4D Theatre and a Grab and Go sample area. New product launches are given their debut at the Design Hub, the company’s Mega Slab Maximus surfaces are highlighted, along with inspiring bathroom displays. The Design Hub also hosts seminars and events throughout the year and offers meeting spaces for designers and architects.
About RAK Ceramics
RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramics’ brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and grès porcelain wall and floor tiles, tableware, sanitaryware and faucets, the company has the capacity to produce 123 million square metres of tiles, 5 million pieces of sanitaryware, 24 million pieces of porcelain tableware and 1 million pieces of faucets per year at its 22 state-of-the-art plants across the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh.
Patrick Norguet is an essential figure on the international design scene. Drawing inspiration from everything that surrounds him, Norguet does not follow trends but seeks to give shape to products whose relevance and modernity would withstand the test of time.
RAK Ceramics PJSC (Ticker: RAKCEC: Abu Dhabi), one of the leading ceramics brands in the world, announced today a USD 14 million investment in its sanitaryware production line in the UAE, upgrading the facility with the latest cutting-edge technology kilns and elevating sustainably the company’s sanitaryware operating model.
RAK Ceramics aims to begin installation of the new machinery in 2023, with the aim of going online in the first half of 2024. The investment will allow the sanitaryware line to incorporate latest technology into the heat exchanger system of kilns, with the capability for future conversion to hydrogen fuel and waste heat recycling given advanced features. Once operational, the Company will be able to maximize and optimize efficiency during production, enabling the realization of significant savings in both energy consumption and carbon emissions. Additionally, the process allows for an enhanced yield during production, reducing as such waste and increasing capacity utilization.
Commenting on the investment, Abdallah Massaad, Group CEO, RAK Ceramics said:
“As a responsible manufacturer and as the fourth largest ceramics player in the world, we have an important role to play on the global stage to make the industry more sustainable. This investment and the launch of this project in our sanitaryware business truly anchors our commitment to sustainability and our drive to long-term value for our stakeholders.”
“For this year, we aim to stimulate sustainability further through our functions and businesses, as we established a clear commitment to prioritize and support sustainable investments, and we are currently working alongside experts in the field to help us in our sustainability journey.”
Over the years, RAK Ceramics’ emphasis on sustainable production has expanded as the demand for distinctive and sustainable ceramic items develops and as the Company continues to reap the benefits of sustainable long-term investments on the environmental front, especially in terms of energy conservation and waste management.
The Company has outlined in its 2023 Priorities that it is working on defining and implementing a sustainability strategy for the short-to-medium term, incorporating further ESG practices and initiatives and adopting it across all its operations.
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VitrA is hosting an evening of drinks, nibbles and conversations on Thursday 26th May to round off the 11th edition of Clerkenwell Design Week.
Chat with new and old friends and experience the award-winning VitrA London space. We look forward to seeing you there!
Register to attend
During Clerkenwell Design Week VitrA will be hosting a Bathroom Sanitaryware CPD at VitrA London. The purpose of this CPD seminar is to help professionals involved in designing and specifying bathrooms on important areas of consideration.
It will help you to understand following topics:
During Clerkenwell Design Week, VitrA will be joined by the team at Virtual Worlds to host virtual reality experience sessions at VitrA London.
The Virtual Worlds software transfers bathroom designs into 4D, allowing you to experience them on a whole new level. During the drop-in sessions you’ll be shown how to use our virtual reality headset to explore a fully immersive virtual bathroom space, including turning on a virtual tap and interacting with our bathroom furniture!
The theme for VitrA London this year is COLOUR, so they’ve set up some bathroom designs on Virtual Worlds which provide inspiration for how to incorporate colour within the bathroom.
VitrA introduces Liquid – a new bathroom range designed in collaboration with Tom Dixon. Liquid is the first ever bathroom range by the acclaimed British designer.
The range is the latest addition to VitrA’s portfolio of designer collaborations, part of a long-standing programme of working with world-renowned designers to create distinctive, modern bathroom collections to complement any washroom space. The Liquid range is founded on round-edges, generous shapes and timeless designs. Described by Tom Dixon as ‘contemporary without being of the moment’, it offers an alternative to the widespread skinny, minimalist designs.
Liquid encompasses all elements of the bathroom – sanitaryware, furniture, taps, tiles, showers and accessories – designed to work together or as stand-alone pieces.
The range includes a variety of washbasin options, including round basins, a butler sink and a double washbasin, as well as a statement monoblock washbasin which is moulded as a single piece of ceramic. The furniture units are available in either a fluted glass or a black metal mesh door finish. Alternatively, for a striking contrast, there is an open-storage unit with impressive blue glass shelving.
Liquid’s taps combine conical handles with exuberant tubular bodies. Ten different styles of taps include wall-mounted, deck-mounted and built-in options, as well as touchless, are all available in gloss black or chrome. The all-in-one shower column includes a hand shower that connects magnetically to the body, while the stainless steel floor-mounted shower can be used inside or outside.
Liquid’s range of toilets, bidets and urinals carry the collection’s monumental curves. The toilets and bidets come in wall-hung or floor-standing designs, and the urinal uses touchless technology.
The range also includes a suite of accessories including a hook, toilet roll holder, toilet brush holder and double soap dispenser. The accessories also incorporate ceramic pieces, including shelves in two lengths and a stool which can act as a practical addition, not just for the bathroom, but in other living spaces too.
The wall tiles in Liquid feature four different styles of embossed dots and waves that reflect ripples in the water, and can be creatively configured in an almost endless possibility of ways. Available in five colours – white, black, ecru, grey and sage green.
About VitrA
With a capacity to develop and manufacture all the products that may be needed in a bathroom, VitrA secures its position in the industry by giving priority to R&D and working with leading international designers. Earning approximately three quarters of its revenues from foreign markets. Born and raised in the cultural motherland of ceramics and baths -a.k.a. the ‘hammams’- VitrA is among only a few companies in the world which is able to design, develop, and manufacture all the products that are used in a bathroom.
Launched globally in January 2022, the Statement showering collection brings a range of unique shapes and an array of sizes to the shower, breathing new life into well-loved standards and marrying the latest in technology with enduring craftsmanship. Innovative sprays elevate the showering experience, and universal compatibility means the system works wherever in the world it is installed. Inspired by iconic furniture and home goods, and defined by soft, approachable designs, the collection carries an underlying familiarity while creating striking aesthetics within the space.
This is showering re-envisioned at the most basic level. An oblong showerhead results in more enveloping water coverage for the whole body, and seven immersive spray experiences offered within the collection include a Deep Massage spray composed of twisting jets that knead sore muscles and a Cloud spray that swathes the body in a warm mist. Other spray options include a Full Coverage Rain, a dense, wide Sweep, and Ribbon Massage that cascades in an angled stream. Additionally, the collection offers an Infinity spray – interlaced water streams create three experience zones in a single spray – the droplets closest to the nozzle rinse, while the middle zone massages, and the farthest stream provides coverage. Many components also make use of the game-changing KOHLER Katalyst technology, which enhances every droplet with air for a warm, luxurious cloak of water.
“Showering is so much more than just getting clean. It is a chance to feel rejuvenated, a moment to focus on self-care,” says Lun Cheak Tan, Kohler VP of Industrial Design. “A shower should provide a rich experience – through design-forward craftsmanship, meaningful functionality and uncompromised focus on the user.”
The global Statement Collection includes a showerhead, four styles of handshowers, four unique rainheads, and two bodysprays, all available in a range of sizes and shapes to best suit the décor and design environment.
The Anthem controls take their design cues from high-end home furnishings and have a minimalist, sophisticated, and warmly tactile vibe. Like so many familiar electronic products, the digital valve control’s touch-sensitive surface is intuitive and easy to use. Every aspect of the new Anthem valves and controls from Kohler have been thoughtfully designed to give users a truly immersive showering experience, tailored to their exact specifications and altered according to their needs. With two valve platforms to choose from – mechanical and digital – and meticulously engineered to fit global plumbing standards, these precision systems elevate the showering routine to a next level sensory event, further expanding Kohler’s industry-leading approach to digital showering.
The valves can control up to six outlets, allowing the user personalization over any combination of shower sprays, rainheads, showerheads, handshowers and body sprays. Each outlet can be independently adjusted to suit the user’s specific temperature and flow desires, such as a soft, warm spray from the overhead rainhead along with strong, hot massage from the hand shower. Users can mix and match to their heart’s content and then program up to 10 favourite presets to revisit anytime.
“A really great shower is based highly on personal preference and should be completely within the control of the user,” says Lun Cheak Tan, Kohler VP of Industrial Design. “We have developed the Anthem valves and controls to empower bathers with the ability to manipulate flow, temperature and sprays to achieve a personalized wellbeing experience.”
Because the digital Anthem controls are integrated with the KOHLER Konnect app, users have power over nearly every facet of their showering experience via their smart phone. They can also set default or max temperatures and monitor shower duration and water usage to maximize water conservation. Users can pair the controls up with voice assistants (pairings vary by region) to allow for voice operation, and there’s even a “warm-up mode” that purges cold water from the pipes and puts a hold on the hot water for up to two minutes until users are ready to get in the shower. Anthem digital control offers independent access to every spray and up to two temperature zones, making it easy to change settings with precision and choose individual levels of warmth for different areas of the body.
The Anthem mechanical controls have their own sophisticated look and feel. Buttons for each outlet pop open when pushed, converting into dials that allow users to set and adjust flow volume. Clear, commonly understood iconography takes any guesswork out of the process, paving the way to a personalized sensory experience that can be universally enjoyed.
To add to Statement & Anthem’s overall ease of use and provide peace of mind to designers and specifiers, the components are designed to be universally compatible. The collection is designed – from thread size to flow rate – to work globally, no matter how different the local codes and standards may be.
Finishes for both products include polished chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, and brushed moderne brass (finish options may vary by region); all are aesthetically arresting and created to yield a natural interplay with other accessories and design elements.
The collections represent an evolution in showering, one that engages all the senses and elevates the everyday, transforming the daily routine of showering into a customized corporeal event with the power to instil a sense of well-being. The handsome forms are matched by exceptional function that results in an indulgent, customised showering experience.
About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of nearly 38,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.
In this week’s interview with 2021 SBID Awards winner for the Bathroom & Sanitaryware Product category, RAK Ceramics, the designer Patrick Norguet talks about the industry trends’ influence on the designing process and shares his predictions on the future bathroom design direction.
SBID Awards Category: Bathroom & Sanitaryware
Practice: RAK Ceramics
Entry: RAK Valet
It is always important to measure the reaction to a product or a collection and the industry recognition that the Award demonstrates is an important indicator of the likely success of the product once it is available commercially. For me as a designer, it is always pleasant to receive congratulations for my work and that of my team.
As with any first collaboration I spent a lot of time trying to understand a brand, its origin, its strategy, its culture, and its production capacity. RAK- Valet is the result of this research. Beyond the design, the success of a product is also about timing. RAK-Valet brings together all the elements, thus making the collection a sweet blend of elegance and modernity.
The word trend is contradictory to a designer’s work. My job is to understand the evolution that is needed related to a particular company or industrial sector. RAK Ceramics came to me as they were looking to increase the perceived value of their products, with a unique collection that has an international cultural approach. I think we succeeded in this challenge with our first collaboration.
To answer your question, which is often asked of me, my inspiration comes from my work. As a designer as well as an industrialist, I like to offer products that make sense, because there are too many objects already surrounding us. My inspiration therefore comes from a conscious and unconscious set of things that nourish my creativity according to what is needed.
It is an interesting subject because the bathroom for several years has become much more of a living space and a room in its entirety.
The notion of comfort and well-being is at the heart of the needs of our Western society. Tomorrow may be different. The density of the population has an impact on us and our living spaces, so it is therefore also necessary to think and design spaces that are more compact, but that offer quality. Bathroom design also needs to address societal challenges, like the consumption of energy and water, maintaining comfort while bringing meaning to our actions.
It would be terrible for me to settle for one award alone. To design and offer products correctly, it is important for an industrialist to establish a collaboration that lasts over time. I hope that this first collection designed for RAK Ceramics will lead to a continued relationship and to win another SBID Award in the future. In the meantime, I am focused on many projects ahead of the Milan show in April 2022.
My advice would be that it is a difficult job, which requires a lot of work and skill, but it is also a job that offers a lot of freedom. So never give up and work hard.
Questions answered by Patrick Norguet, RAK-VALET Collection Designer, RAK Ceramics.
RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramics’ brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and gres porcelain wall and floor tiles and sanitaryware we produce 123 million square meters of tilesand5 million pieces of sanitaryware per year at our 22 state-of-the-art plants across the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh.
If you missed last week’s Interview with the category Residential Apartment Over £1M winner IAIA – Idea Art Interior Architects, click here to read it.
This week’s instalment of SBID’s Product of the Week series features a minimal shower tray design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, Acquabella.
Practice: Acquabella
Project: Flow Zero
Flow Zero is the new shower tray by Acquabella. It has been designed to fully merge with the water. The shower tray is silhouetted by soft lines that direct the water towards an almost homogeneous grid that can easily accommodate the significant volume of water that flows over its surface.
A design perfectly in line with the softness of its Zero texture, a microtextured finish that fits perfectly with the Flow Zero model. The shower tray immerses us in a universe of calm and relaxation through the use of minimalism in its purest form, applied to the bathroom.
The SBID International Design Awards programme serves to recognise, reward and celebrate design excellence across a broad range of categories spanning Interior Design, Product Design and Fit-Out. Click here to find out more.
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