Page 42 - Designing Ways 257

BATHROOMS

Bathrooms

by Stienie Greyling

ince the inception of the luxury soak,
standalone tubs have been the centre
Sof attention, showers on the other
hand take centre stage in 2022. A walk-in
shower or a wet room makeover will create
the bathroom feel beyond any shadow of a
doubt high end and fashionable.
In 1767, William Feetham invented the
first mechanised shower. Initially a stove
maker, Feetham’s shower had a lukewarm
reception as it recycled the same water
if heated, meaning the water became
increasingly dirty as one bathed. Over
the following decades the design of the
mechanism was enhanced, but it didn’t
gain popularity until Dr Merry Delabost,
a French physician, designed the first mass
showers for the Rouen prison in 1872. Lined
up as if cattle en route to slaughter, these
rows of shower stalls were similar to prison
cells. As showers slowly left the prison, they
found their way into gymnasiums and army
barracks. (Information: pinup magazine-
shower-history).

What is the current trend in bathrooms?
With clean lines and sleek shapes a
big trend for bathrooms, storage follows
the same lead with built-in vanity units,

42 Issue 257 • dw