The Wow Bathrooms team is back from a short vacation and gearing up for 2008. We would like to wish you a happy New Year as we take a quick look back at 2007!

2007 is behind us and as step into 2008, it’s the perfect time to have a quick look back at what 2007 brought into bathrooms worldwide. We have seen an increasing number bathroom products that utilize the beauty and practicality of LED lighting and we can only expect this trend to, deservedly, gain momentum in 2008. Wood seems to be making a real comback into modern bathroom design and glass seems to be increasingly present outside of it’s usual function in bathroom products. 2008 will take the the synergy of art, design and function in bathrooms even further as we witness more and more companies acknowledging the wishes of the consumers who seek much more than just bare functionality. As technology races forward at an ever increasing pace, bathroom products are evolving with it. 2007 brought us new water resistant TV sets, smart showers and faucets and mp3 bathtubs, and we expect the trend to continue with more hi-tech products seeing the light of the day, integrating high technology with many different products to improve and enhance our bathrooms. We are also likely to see more products that combine different bathroom fixtures into single units both to preserve space and enhance usability and convenience.

Simple yet intriguingly powerful, these beautiful sink columns from Artceram’s La Fontana collection will leave no one indifferent. Combining gentle curves with sharp edges, thin columns with wide round sinks and warm colors with black and white, the La Fontana columns are a truly wonderful piece of modern Italian bathroom design. La Fontana collection includes, along with the sink columns, a variety of different equally striking items in the same style ranging from beautiful white ceramic wall-mount and countertop sinks to two-color toilets and bidets in many different variations. Beautiful in its sophisticated and futuristic minimmalistic design, this collection is a perfect way to give your bathroom that high-end modern look you desire.

For more info, plase visit Artceram

We simply couldn’t skip this one. For all the bikers and bike freaks out there who can’t even wash their teeth without thinking about bikes comes the MFX Faucet, probably the only faucet in the world shaped like a bike (or a part of it). Equipped with a gas-tank-like body and hot an cold water controls placed on the clutch and brake handlebars, this unique faucet would be a perfect gift for your biker friends if you have any. MFX Classic is certianly someting you don’t see every day.

Made out of high quality brass with a chrome and brass finish, the MFX Classic faucet boasts a ten year warranty on parts and five years warranty on the finish. If you want to give your bathroom a completely different feel and impress your biker club pals, shell out $375 and have it delivered for free (regular price seems to be $799). Definitely the most unique faucet we have seen to this day. It ships fully assembled and should be fairly easy to install. “Ratchet up your bathroom’s wow factor!“

This interesting watch / drain plug combination from the 2007 catalog by Murano House is, aside from being perfect for anyone who is chronically late, one of possibly most elegant ways to enhance the looks of your bathroom sink. Built using top quality stainless steel, water and impact resistant glass and precious stones, this modern bathroom accessory is bound to impress your guests as well as make sure you are never again late for that 8am meeting. Classy. More info at Murano House

Julien, a global metal sheet processing giant with over 60 years experience in different sectors as diverse as residential kitchens and bathrooms, financial institutions, medical equipment, high technology, appliances and more has recently released a new residential bathroom product collection, a complete bathroom suite designed by Troy Adams Design. The Troy Adams’ FusionDesign, “an inspirational style incorporating an Asian-based sensitivity to nature, a European-inspired sophistication and an American focus on functionality”, combined with Julien’s vast experience and know-how are bound to guarantee a top of the line product.

The suite includes a steel soaking tub, inspired by traditional japanese Ofuro tubs, somewhat diferent from the traditional western soakers. Deeper than average bathtubs but smaller in size, the Ofuro tubs are constructed to be used a sitting position. The tub is roughly 55×55x42 inches in size and looks fantastic. The vanities are modular in design allowing you to attach the big “Tansu Chest” drawer cabinets to both sides and come in a single and double washbasin versions with 2 and 4 drawers respectively. Possibly the most interesting item is the BenchToilet™, a combination of a toilet and additional storage space that when not in use, serves as a small bench while concealing the toilet. All of the items from this line come in multiple versions designed to accomodate a multitude of different needs and wishes and to be usable despite possible space constraints, as well as in many different finish options such as Teak and coffee bean, Zebra wood and mocha etc.

For more info please visit Julien website.

There are a few things that can add a touch of sometimes much needed life to our living spaces, things that make our sorroundings breathe and bring us closer to nature. On top of that list are plants. Along with water and sunlight, they are essential for life to be possible at all.

If you think about it for a moment, the bathroom certanly seems like the most logical place to have plants in. The water rich, high humidity, oasis-like retreat that is the modern bathroom, inspite of being the ideal place to have plants in, often has none. People rarely even give it any thought, erroneously precluding the possibility of having plants in bathrooms because of wrongly percieved enviromental hostility of the bathroom enviroment: common lack of direct sunlight, high humidity and various other factors that in reallity have no considerable negative impact on many plant species. On the contrary, many plant species thrive in such enviroments and can give the bathroom that fresh touch of life and an irreplacable natural feel.

Having said that, it is time to actually see which plants will find a bathroom enviroment agreeable. Depending on the amount of light your bathroom is receiving your options may be plentiful.

For bathrooms that get a lot of light you can go with orchids, azleas, ferns, beaucarneas and gardenias among others. In medium light conditions, with more diffused non-direct sunlight you can try pothos or philodendrons and where there is a little light you cannot go wrong with snake plants, rex begonias, lucky bamboo or iron plants. Consult your local garden store for more suggestions and give your bathroom the ultimate touch of nature!

Our top pick wold be lucky bamboo, really a beautiful plant.