Showroom Tour: Duravit in New York City

If you live near New York City and you haven’t checked your social calendar lately, there have been more than the average amount of design events happening around town. That’s because it’s Archtober —the city’s third annual month-long festival of architecture activities, programs, and exhibitions.

Bathroom products maker Duravit took advantage of events around town to host their own annual Design Week at their Madison Avenue showroom. I recently got the chance to tour the showroom with Duravit USA president Tim Schroeder, who is not only an expert on his company’s products but on key industry topics like water conservation. Below I share four new collections that are currently on display in the showroom.

DuraStyle, designed by Matteo Thun, is suited for both commercial and residential projects. The accessibly-priced program includes a range of washbasins, bidets, toilets, urinals, bathtubs, and mirrors. The washbasins include hand-rinse and full-size versions with a clean rectangular form.

DuraStyle’s range of bidets and toilets includes both wall- mounted and floor-standing options. The toilet has an extra-flat, light seat that can be easily removed for cleaning. “People don’t usually think about seats,” says Schroeder. “That’s a strategic position we take — all of our seats are proprietary. This seat is unique to this bowl.” The toilet’s rimless bowl technology also allows for the further reduction of water use, says Schroeder. Another stand-out in the group is Thun’s acrylic tub, which has a lovely raised lip on the side that makes a good place to stash bottles.

Happy D.2 is the next generation of Duravit’s popular Happy D line originally designed in 1998 by Sieger Design. For the new line, Sieger Design has softened the signature “D” shaped bowl and tub shape and created cabinets with slimmer consoles and new finish options. A new  linen finish offers a natural, textured appearance, and the LED-illuminated mirror cabinets will come with a Bluetooth-compatible integrated sound system.

Like Happy D, the Starck 2 line was first launched in the U.S. in 1998. The line’s organic, water-inspired forms made it one of Duravit’s most popular styles. This year, designer Philippe Starck updated the collection with a thinner profile, an innovative tub, and clean shower trays — all at an accessible price point. An interesting challenge for the Duravit was when Starck wanted the sink to sweep up to meet the faucet. Instead of balking at the challenge,  “the ceramic workers were pushing it,” says Schroeder. And designers should be glad they did—the detail is incredibly elegant.

Finally, the X-Large Series, first introduced in 2000, has also been updated. Designed by Sieger Design, the bathroom furniture includes 112 models in eight different finishes that can be combined with the existing collection. The consoles have been updated with slimmer lines and flat, reduced edges. A variable width of 31 to 78 inches, and depths of both 19 inches and 21 inches, allow for the consoles to be both adaptable and suitable for bathrooms of any size. “Just because you have a small bath doesn’t mean you have to have a modest product,” says Schroeder.