Scandinavian feel-good in the bathroom
Interview with Cecilie Manz
Since the introduction of the Luv series, Scandinavian style has become a fixture in the bathroom. Danish designer Cecilie Manz’s minimalist design language evokes the Scandinavian concept of living for a brand new sense of well-being. Carefully crafted materials emphasize soft shapes and clean geometry. Perfectly matched color combinations round out the overall look.
What emotion do you associate with the Luv bathroom line you designed for Duravit?
For me, Luv is about pure coziness for the perfect feel-good factor – natural, uncomplicated and unobtrusive.
What is most important to you in a bathroom?
The bathroom is one of the most intimate spaces and what is important to me are qualities such as “clean, “functional” and “comfortable.” Everything should be hygienic and low maintenance, it should work well and at the same time I want the materials, colors and overall ambiance to exude a sense of well-being. In the bathroom, I enjoy my “every day spa moment.”
The colors and surfaces you have chosen for the Luv bathroom series exude natural warmth while being contemporary. Where do you get your inspiration?
In the bathroom, you often find cool and bright colors. Because Luv has a very pure design, it was important to me to use subtle, natural tones to create a cozy and welcoming component. I often find inspiration for colors in nature – I always have a few pebbles in my bag.
What were the biggest challenges for you in designing furniture for the bathroom?
I don’t know if it makes such a big difference whether you design a piece of furniture for the bathroom, the living room or the kitchen. The design process is the same way and we go through the same mechanisms. At the same time, to some extent, you have a greater responsibility: for me, it feels like every individual object I design in the bathroom is custom-made for the specific person who buys it. That may be because every object in this space is so important. For example, you have several chairs in your home and can choose which one to use at any given time. You arrange your home the way you want it and are constantly moving things around. That’s not so easy in the bathroom. This is also why I think people are much more conscious when choosing bathroom furniture.
Do you think people’s desires for bathroom furniture are changing?
It seems that bathrooms are getting bigger and bigger. On the other hand, there is also a need for small, highly efficient bathrooms. In any case, we expect the comfort level of the rest of the house to be present in the bathroom as well: more warm colors, natural materials, coziness in addition to inventive solutions to keep it clean and use less water.