VitrA Freedom Bathroom Suite
26 June 2009
“To See a World”
There is something almost otherworldly about this bathroom suite. No kidding, you almost get the feeling that if you had a bathroom like this and Star Trek’s Mr. Spock came out of it one morning—pointed ears and all—you might not even blink! There is also an almost decadent feeling about items that have such a degree of shape to them without, somehow, having an outrageous shape in any way. Really, it is very much a paradox, a less is more kind of moment that somehow, because you can see it in front of you, takes on a meaning that it has never heretofore had.
VitrA was founded in Turkey where marble dominates, but the versatile—and affordable—ceramic option they offer was an instant hit. They adopted their brand name VitrA in 1966, and over the years they have come to represent a full range of bathroom fixtures and designs. The design we’ve featured here is the VitrA Freedom bathroom suite, and it was designed by Ross Lovegrove (that’s him in the picture). Interestingly enough, Mr. Lovegrove was born in Wales, but he’s found himself at home designing in Istanbul, a city he describes as, “more than a city; it is an idea thousands of years in the making.”
Actually, Mr. Lovegrove’s own ideas merit a fair amount of discussion, as they revolve around the concept of what he calls “organic essentialism.” And looking at what he has done here—the sensuous lines, the soft curves, the minimalism that is, somehow, so much more than the bare space occupied by the items itself—one sees at once what he means by that term.
Really, the purpose here is to celebrate the very flow of water, to make of a bathroom another space altogether, something more intimate, more relaxed and soothing than anywhere else, a place to retreat to for that all-essential rejuvenation of the spirit, all-essential because the world moves so fast these days and so brutally. But here there is refinement, peace, rest, a sort of haven that is still, somehow, both essential and practical.
Looking at this design reminds me of lines from a poem by William Blake:
To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour
It’s a wonderful, free-flowing design, and Freedom seems the perfect word for this bathroom design. Really, it is free of almost everything that has gone before, and it brings a new sense of freedom to bathrooms themselves, by making them both less and more, as though Mr. Lovegrove really can see a world in a grain of sand.
Joseph
One Response to “VitrA Freedom Bathroom Suite”
July 7th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Wow! Joseph, I can understand your attraction to Eurpean design. Thanks for stopping by my blog and, after visiting your site, I am sure you will come up with a wonderful design for your bath and kitchen!!