Take a cue from these 10 stylish bathroom designs, and transform this most private and indulgent of spaces into your own in-house sanctuary.
Read this and more stories in Luxury magazine, out with The National on Thursday, February 2.
pmunyal@thenational.ae
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Opt for an open-plan layout
The main en suite has become a huge focal point, and is being treated as an extension of the master bedroom. While you can choose your own level of exposure, bathrooms without borders, thresholds or even door mechanisms are very popular.
"Floor-level showers flow seamlessly into the rest of the space, inviting one to walk around at leisure. Glass area separation panes may be present, but they are discreet. Basically, the space should flow well and allow for physical movement and the easy incorporation of fixtures and fittings – as well as beautiful design accessories of course," says Markus Singler, managing director of Hansgrohe Middle East.
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Introduce seating elements and other unconventional furniture
Statement chairs, crystal chandeliers and opulent ottomans can share space with full-length mirrors, tall lamps and glossy bookshelvesadd to add a luxury touch to more spacious bathrooms. Even storage solutions can take the form of cabinetry that resembles furniture, such as cabinets with legs, vintage dresses and repurposed hutches.
"An elegant chair can add beauty and practicality to a large bathroom. High-end furniture can be upholstered in waterproof fabrics, which makes them ideal for pampering yourself, as well as slinging a bathrobe over," says James Taylor, group sales and marketing director of Hadley Property Group.
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Design a residential spa
Residential spas are also popular among homeowners in the UAE, which is unsurprising in a hot and sandy region known for its penchant for luxury. If your tastes lean more towards a fully functional thermal spa or an ice chamber, Esadore offers a range of sophisticated solutions. The Dubai-based company has installed bespoke spa features in private residences and royal palaces across the UAE. These include saunas, hammams, heated beds and walls, steam and scrub rooms, vitality pools, ice chutes and experience showers, which can range in price from Dh30,000 to more than Dh1 million. "For people in the UAE, privacy is a luxury worth investing in. The bathroom is at the epicentre of relaxation and well-being. Creating a spa-like bathroom allows you to create your own escape and gives you a level of privacy on a regular basis," says Theodora Kioussis, managing director, Esadore International.
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Technology does the trick
Technology has well and truly moved into the bathroom. Case in point: surround-sound bathtubs, motion-activated toilets, iPhone-inspired shower modules, dry speakers, water-proof televisions and automaton systems.
"One feature you should invest in is a top-of-the-line, self-cleaning rain shower with changing lights and programmable shower settings. It can uplift the whole ambience of your bathroom," says Nizam A Baki, managing partner at Purity Dubai.
Thorsten Bies, Villeroy & Boch's sales manager - Africa, India, NME, South East Europe, adds: "Technology has to be invisible if you want an atmospheric place. Visible cables, too many open sockets or too much and too bright lightning can be stressful and destroy the atmosphere."
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Loos with views
High-rises and isolated villas in the UAE make it possible to experiment with all-glass walls and ceilings for an exhilarating sense of liberation.
"The use of glass in interiors can provide a real sense of liberty. A master bathroom we designed for a duplex penthouse faces a floor-to-ceiling glazed wall. Although it is impossible for anyone to see you on the 40th floor, this 'exposed' space instils a visceral sense of freedom," says Dara Huang, founder of the architecture and design practice Design Haus Liberty.
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Bring the outdoors in
Introducing natural elements, such as green walls and stone counters, is a good way to create a soothing space. Markus Singler, managing director of Hansgrohe Middle East says: "Finding ways to bring the indoors and outdoors together holds strong appeal this year. The sky, foliage, earth, water, and other outdoor elements make us feel refreshed and calm – therefore natural materials, trees, and plants are encroaching ever further into the bathroom space."
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Introduce a pop of art
Art is a great way to personalise your bathroom and make it more inviting. From soothing prints over the bathtub to photographs that hold sentimental value to Plexiglas-framed paintings and eye-catching sculptures, there is no wrong answer.
""Following the development of more modern printing techniques, art can now easily be incorporated into bathrooms. Display something that is not affected by the humid environment – photography reproduced directly on to acrylic is a good solution," says Alex Isaac, head of design at Morpheus London.
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Create a book-matched marble feature
Accent walls lend panache to the bathroom, and book-matched marble feature walls look beautiful and have a soothing effect. The installation is made up of two pieces of marble that are chosen to mirror one another to form a V effect.
"When creating bathrooms for our ultra-high-net-worth clients, we frequently look to the world's finest hotels and spas. Marble is renowned as one of the s most luxurious materials, and provides a timeless and classic effect. We recommend book-matching marble, so that a beautiful symmetry is achieved through the continuous veining. Although it's a meticulous process, the finished effect gives the impression of an open book, with each slab matched to create a mirror image, much like the wings of a butterfly," says Alex Holden, managing director of London-based luxury-interior design firm Oliver Burns.
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Opt for free-standing wash basins and bath tubs
Free-standing elements offer a lot of flexibity in terms of placement. Give your bathroom layout a twist by placing a stand-alone tub on a raised area or in the centre of your space, while basins in vivid colours and materials can lend a pop of colour.
"Bathrooms in luxury homes have now been elevated an extra level to cater to both the needs of men and women. His and hers en suites are increasingly in demand among those who require a space where their morning routines will not coincide. Thoughtful features such as separate or double basin vanity units create distinguished areas that allow a couple to simultaneously prepare for the day ahead," says Alex Holden, managing director of Oliver Burns.
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Up the ante with accessories
Candles, soap dispensers, rugs, magazine stands and even fancy toilet-roll holders – the range is almost limitless when it comes to accessorising your bathroom. For added exclusivity, look to luxury materials, such as this bathroom set crafted from real horn, from the Italian brand Arca Horn available at the Caspaiou showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.
pmunyal@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
