Every detail counts, and accessories are no exception

Accessories are usually the last items to arrive on site, but being last does not make them any less important. Indeed, they can become the finishing touch, rounding off a coherent project thought through down to the smallest detail.

Every project has design lines that give it unity, and the details are what reinforce that harmony and make the experience it conveys more compelling. Every detail counts, and it is precisely in them that one can see both the rigour and the delicacy with which the project has been designed.

In this article we look at five collections from the Italian brand EVER Life Design (Gambol, Dot, Ring, Prop and Style) and two series from the German firm HEWI designed for accessibility, System 900 and the 477/801 series. At the end we summarise what to bear in mind when specifying accessories and grab bars in a bathroom.

Accessories that are part of the project

A well-chosen accessory is not a last-minute addition: it organises, supports and often solves a space problem. The collections in this article share some ideas worth keeping in mind at design stage:

• Modularity: pieces that combine with one another and can be extended or rearranged over time, rather than a closed set.
• The same language for the whole home: collections that work equally well in the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom or a workout corner.
• Support and safety: towel rails and bars that, as well as holding a towel, can serve as a point of support.
• Accessibility with design: bars, seats and assistive aids that blend into the space instead of recalling a hospital setting.

EVER Life Design: modular accessories for the bathroom and the home

Accessory collections such as those offered by EVER Life Design are a clear example of functionality, flexibility and design. Its various collections offer options adaptable to a wide diversity of spaces and scales.

The brand was founded in 2011 in Mantua (Italy) by Rossella Ragazzi and Jacopo Antoniazzi, two entrepreneurs who had spent years making bathroom accessories and assistive aids under the Thermomat brand, and it was officially launched at the 2014 Salone del Mobile. Many of the collections we will look at are by the designer Monica Graffeo.

Gambol: from the gym to the bathroom

Gambol brings two pieces of gym equipment into the bathroom: a ring and a bar in beech wood that hang from the ceiling on adjustable straps. Out of context, they work as towel holders and as points of support, while still recalling their sporting origins.

According to EVER Life Design’s data sheet, the ring is 23.5 cm in diameter and the bar 60 cm long; the straps, in grey polypropylene, adjust between 125 and 250 cm, and the stated maximum load is 150 kg. The ring is offered in natural beech or stained wenge.

Dot: a point and a line

One of them is the Dot collection. Its design allows complete freedom of configuration and adaptability thanks to its interchangeable modular accessories and the connection between them by a thin steel cable that can be linked to different types of element, producing an endless series of compositions for large and small settings.

The cable, in 1.5 mm AISI 316 stainless steel, slides through cylindrical brass bodies fixed to the wall. On that basis, the system incorporates a towel rail, toilet-roll holder, magazine rack, hook, shelf and shelf with tumblers, in a painted, chrome or brushed nickel finish depending on the version. According to the manufacturer, Dot was selected for the ADI Design Index 2018.

Ring: a cord and a wooden cylinder

Another adaptable, flexible collection is Ring, also by EVER Life Design. It consists of a mix of pleasing, functional products: a cord emerges from a wooden cylinder fixed to the wall and suspends various accessories that work as a toilet-roll holder, shelf or mirror, all of them minimal and light yet solid.

The collection grew out of a ring towel holder designed as an accessory for the Bounce washbasin, which eventually became independent and gave rise to a complete family: single and double shelves in painted brass, round mirrors, a magnifying mirror, toilet-roll and kitchen-roll holders, ring and triangular towel holders, and hooks. The toilet-roll holder opens and closes with a central magnet; without the cord, the cylinder works as a hook.

Prop: a vertical bar that organises and supports

Next comes the Prop collection. It is based on a vertical bar that organises and holds the various bathroom accessories. The accessories have a minimal design that makes the bar easy to fit into any type of bathroom. Placed beside the washbasin, the bar becomes an extension of the counter surface, with trays, shelves, dispenser and tumblers. The mirror, which attaches to the bar, can be rotated and moved closer to the user to avoid straining the back.

The bar is extruded aluminium, made in heights of 80 and 110 cm and in white, anodised or black, and the manufacturer states a load of 120 kg, so it also serves as a grab handle. Round (64 cm in diameter) or rectangular (69.9 × 39.8 cm) mirrors, shelves, hooks and shelves with tumblers are mounted on it. In the kitchen, the same bar can be used as a spice rack.

Accessibility with design

Another very important type of element, and one that is sometimes hard to find with good design, is the bars and seats that assist people with reduced mobility. Accessibility elements can become elements that improve the design of the space.

Style: safety towel rails

EVER Life Design’s Style collection includes a range of towel rails that combine the safety and solidity of a standard wall-mounted support with a sophisticated design. They are available in several sizes and many finishes.

The towel rails are made of brass tube 28 mm in diameter, in lengths of 35 to 75 cm and in a 45° angled version, with a maximum load of 150 kg according to the manufacturer. They are offered in chrome, in a Soft version (with the central section treated for a soft feel and a better grip) and lacquered in matt white or black. The collection is completed by a hinged support rail whose mechanism is concealed beneath a polyurethane cover: by removing a screw, the rail can be replaced by a soap dish. It also includes folding shower seats.

HEWI System 900

We highlight the System 900 collection designed by HEWI. It is a versatile collection that can be used both in professional settings (a hospital or a care home) and in an accessible hotel bathroom or a home that requires it. The design of System 900 combines a high degree of functionality with simple, sophisticated lines suited to contemporary projects.

HEWI, based in Bad Arolsen (Germany) and founded in 1929, developed System 900 with the NOA Product Design studio in Aachen. According to the manufacturer, the pieces are made with the fewest possible components to reduce joints and make hygiene easier, and the hinged support rails have a maintenance-free brake that lets them lower gently. As well as stainless steel and chrome, the system is offered in matt finishes, such as the black in the images. Among other awards, it received the Iconic Award Innovative Architecture 2018 and the German Innovation Award 2019.

HEWI 477/801 series

Another collection from the same brand is the 477/801 series, notable for its pleasant feel. The round tube section fits the hand perfectly and the polyamide surface is pleasantly warm. The products are designed to follow the user’s movements and compensate for their limitations, and they are available in all HEWI colours, allowing many design options.

Colour also has a practical function: HEWI uses it both to blend into the colour scheme of the room and to create a strong contrast that aids orientation. Many pieces have an integrated steel core for added stability, and the polyamide, according to the manufacturer, withstands cleaning and disinfection products. The series includes handrails, angled bars, hinged support rails, shower-curtain rails and supports, mirrors and accessories, and there is a matt edition in whites and greys designed to give hospitals and care homes a more domestic feel.

Key points for specifying accessories and grab bars

Beyond aesthetics, these are the points worth resolving at design stage:

• Fixing and support: a towel rail that may be used as a grab handle needs an anchor suited to the type of wall. Reinforcement of the partition should be planned before tiling.
• Requirements in accessible toilets: the Código Técnico de la Edificación (CTE, Spain’s building code, DB SUA, Annex A) calls for bars of circular section 30 to 40 mm in diameter, 45 to 55 mm from the wall, with fixings capable of withstanding 1 kN in any direction.
• Height and position: according to the same document, horizontal bars are fitted at a height of 70 to 75 cm, are at least 70 cm long and are hinged on the transfer side; at the WC there is one on each side, 65 to 70 cm apart.
• Colour contrast: the CTE requires bars, controls and accessories in accessible toilets to contrast in colour with their surroundings, something coloured series make easier.
• Data sheet for each model: not all safety towel rails meet these dimensions; diameter, distance from the wall and load must be checked in the technical data sheet of each piece.

These are some examples of thoroughly contemporary accessories and accessibility elements that respond decisively to safety, functionality and design, and that will further accentuate the personality of each project’s design.

At Matter we help you choose the accessories and assistive aids that complete a bathroom project, and coordinate them with the ceramics, taps and surfaces. Come to our material library to compare materials and finishes with your technical team.