MODERN BATHROOM PLANNING with Sarah Maier.
She’s an architect, the head of an exclusive interior design company and consultant for all aspects of exclusive living and décor. KALDEWEI asked the stuttgart-based style expert to design two dream bathrooms.
The secrets of modern
bathroom design.
As she speaks, her pen flies over the sketchpad. Sarah Maier will often resort to drawing if she feels that her thoughts are faster than her words. Starting a conversation with the interior design expert from Stuttgart in southern Germany is easy. In a few, well-chosen words, she introduces herself and provides a thumbnail portrait of herself and her career: “Sarah Maier, born in 1977 in Stuttgart, I studied architecture and business administration, in 2006 I took over the family business with 20 employees, and am the fourth generation of the family to run the company. Our speciality: interior design, planning, execution and contractor services.”
Four years ago the company, which was founded in 1910, moved its offices from Markgröningen to Stuttgart-Feuerbach, where it now resides in a large brick hall.
Here, the “Sarah Maier Collection” with its wealth of interior ideas is presented in a gigantic showroom which is also used for events and parties. The adjacent carpenter’s workshop specialises in veneer surfaces, the production of fitted furniture and individual solutions for all areas, including bathrooms. “Extraordinary interiors” is Sarah Maier’s credo – and she more than delivers on this promise: the numerous design awards her company has won illustrate the high standard of the bespoke work it provides.
When discussing a bathroom project, Sarah Maier’s pen is possibly her most valuable assistant. She uses it to sketch ideas, to give an overview of the general shape of her vision – and illustrate why she thinks this is the best solution. No matter how modern or cool it is, a bathroom needs to have a soul, which is why Maier likes to use natural materials in bathrooms: “Natural materials speak to us.” Wood, fabric, enamelled steel and natural stone – for her, this is the perfect combination.
Although Sarah Maier is always buzzing with new ideas, it is striking just how carefully and attentively she listens. She asks smart questions, is mentally a step ahead and always on the ball. She delves into her extensive expertise and combs through the myriad interesting designs for the best solutions. “A bathroom refurbishment is an expensive project”, says Sarah Maier. “A project like this needs to look great, even in ten or fifteen years. It shouldn’t give into the lure of trendy ideas which soon lose their appeal.”
Large tiles, for instance, are not the best choice for all bathrooms: “Too much wastage”, she explains. Squint walls and other imperfections that most buildings, even new ones, usually require a lot of material to achieve satisfactory results.
For example, the floor-level NEXSYS shower tray by KALDEWEI is particularly effective when used with a seamless floor covering. The transition between floor and shower is perfect”, she says. “With NEXSYS, I have a choice of many different formats and colours and can select the flooring to match it – or create a contrast. A deliberate colour change is a great way to emphasise the design of the bathroom objects.”
A beautiful expanse: NEXSYS adds a touch of luxury to every bathroom. Shower trays from KALDEWEI are available in many different colours and formats.
The plans for the two KALDEWEI bathrooms in this magazine were very much driven by inspiration. “My visionary rooms are admittedly a lot bigger than most real-life bathrooms”, she says, “but that also makes sense, as these plans aim to celebrate the design and the combination of materials. I want to showcase the beauty of the grand soloists in a seamless ambience and the ‘Perfect Match’ of KALDEWEI bathroom solutions from a single series.”
As well as the KALDEWEI portfolio, she also went through dozens of material samples in every conceivable colour and texture, and combined them until she had found the perfect solution. “For me it is very important to actually touch the materials, and not just see them in photos. This gives me the best possible feel for what will work together.”
“A DELIBERATE COLOUR CHANGE IS A GREAT
WAY TO EMPHASISE THE DESIGN OF THE
BATHROOM OBJECTS.”
The COORDINATED COLOURS COLLECTION by KALDEWEI comprises a palette of twelve very special colours that can be combined for beautiful results. The colours also harmonise with wood and natural stone.
Sarah Maier’s second bathroom design focuses on a topic that is particularly important when planning small bathrooms: the layout of the objects. “Layout is a key criterion for the shapes”, she says and sketches a curve. The rounded corner of the CENTRO DUO 1 bathtub is the perfect solution, also in terms of looks. “The rounded edges mean that you can see more of the floor, which makes the bathroom look bigger.” The washbasin from the CENTRO series echoes the shape of the bath and brings the ensemble together to form a harmonious whole: “A perfect match!”
She transforms her ideas into images with the help of a computer. “There are several very good design programs for planning rooms. They allow me to experiment with what looks good in a bathroom, and what doesn’t. The BIM and 3D data provided by KALDEWEI are useful for creating visualisations.”
The three-dimensional perspectives of the room provide a good impression of what the bathrooms will eventually look like. With a few clicks, the colours and the materials of the wall and floor coverings can be switched, allowing several design variants to be compared. Sarah Maier uses professional applications like these to flesh out her designs and present them to clients. This is state of the art in the interior design sector. But, as she explains, she always sketches her initial ideas on paper: “I am, quite simply, a lot faster with a pen.”
Simply configure your own dream bathroom.
You want nothing less than the perfect bathroom object. The KALDEWEI Product Configurator will guide you to it. Whether you are looking for a washbasin, shower surface or bathtub – this is where you can see all models and versions at a glance. Once you’ve chosen a product, you will be taken through your customisation options step by step. Configure your object, try out different sizes, colours and rails, and see how the components harmonise together. The Configurator will also show you components – such as surface finishes, music or wellness accessories – that will further enhance and personalise your object. And don’t forget the right accessories for professional installation. Once you are absolutely satisfied, you can print out your results or send them by e-mail – to your nearest installer, for instance.
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