Showers a plenty

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Zucchetti Aguablu from Bagno Design.

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Rainfall effect from Hansgrohe.

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Hansgrohe’s Raindance Connect.

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Dornbracht’s RainSky E.

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Grohe’s extra-large Rainshower covers the entire body with water.

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Minima Shower Enclosure from Kohler.

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Rainshower from Grohe.

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Today's showers are created for more than just cleansing. CID takes a look at some of the latest luxury offerings from the top manufacturers.

Customised showering experiences featuring rain showerheads, chromotherapy, sound and scent for a complete sensory overload is now the trend that is influencing shower design.

And as the bathroom moves away from a purely functional role we are seeing the shower gain more prominence at the expense of the traditional bathtub.

"The bathroom as a whole is developing more and more away from a functional room towards a place of retreat, far from the stress of everyday life and to a space in which people can simply relax and enjoy themselves," explains Lina Varytimidou of Hansgrohe.

Showering thus becomes an experience that you can really enjoy with all the senses. An important development, since today's shower bath is no longer concerned exclusively with becoming clean. Instead people see the shower as their own spa where they seek relaxation.

And it is this desire to spend more time in the bathroom that is ultimately guiding the way shower design is progressing. It's all a long way from 1968, the year in which Hansgrohe gave the world the Selecta hand spray - the first showerhead with adjustable jet types.

Today people can choose from a myriad of different showering options. "Homeowners are replacing standard shower heads with oversized rainfall shower heads, body sprays, steam showers and solid surface shower walls," explains Ohannes Tomassian, marketing manager, Ideal Standard.

Today's trend is simplicity combined with the latest technology in showering, like mood systems, which include options such as lights, music and ozone therapy.

Multi-function

One company at the forefront of customised shower design is Kohler and its DTV II system. "With the DTV II, showering is not just about water anymore.

This product takes the shower to an unexpected and uncharted level of performance with an all-encompassing sensory and completely integrated experience," says Michael Wandschneider, senior product manager for Performance Showering at Kohler.

The DTV's pre-set hydrotherapy experiences include: up massage, down massage, wave massage, as well as temperature therapy that can either run from hot to cold or vice versa. It features a flow rate of up to 80 litres of water per minute and feeds up to eight showerheads, handshowers or bodysprays.

Versatile in installation, the digital interface panel can be installed inside or outside the showering space, with the latter enabling the user to activate the programme before actually entering the space. The DTV II also delivers and controls sound, chromotherapy and a fully personalised steam component for a holistic sensory experience.

And with the DTV II there is no need to wait for the water to warm up as Wandschneider explains: "Whatever temperature you choose, all outlets are quickly purged of cold water during start up, so changes from outlet to another are part of the shower experience, not shock therapy.

Sound is incorporated into the shower through Kohler's SoundTile speakers, which are also available individually. Completely waterproof, the tiles are set in a four-by-four inch escutcheon and come in a variety of finishes.

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