“Bathroom manufacturers are like bakers,” explained the Laufen representative, exhibiting at London Design Festival last week. “We all use the same ingredients and we all have our special secret recipes which we are constantly trying to improve.” And so it is that after much experimentation, the specialist Swiss sanitary ware company has developed SaphirKeramik allowing it to model delicate, thin-walled ceramic shapes not previously possible.

Laufen was in London to launch it’s Kartell by Laufen range in the UK – which uses this new ceramic formula and is the result of an unusual collaboration with the iconic Italian contemporary furniture company. Italian duo Ludovica and Roberto Palomba are the designers.

The bathroom collection is characterised by the combination of two materials that could hardly be more different. Kartell uses plastic, one of the newest materials in human history, to create high-quality furniture and design objects. Laufen on the other hand uses one of the oldest materials used by man, namely clay – albeit a technologically sophisticated version.

Laufen is represented in South Africa and its ranges are available through Bespoke Bathrooms. Look out for our next blog post when we will highlight interesting pieces in the range.