The striking silhouette of the letter “D” is both promise and program. It might represent for instance “Design” with a capital “D”. The letter pops up in every single piece in the bathroom furniture series Happy D, while it likewise stands of course for Duravit. Founded in the early 19th century as stoneware and tableware factory, the company grew to become an internationally known brand. From the mid-1980s onward, its style was lastingly moulded by the Sieger Design studio, which is also the source of the iconography of Happy D. Another product of the same creative minds is the more recent Ciottolo collection. Circular or oval-shaped ceramic basins reminiscent of the natural rounded forms of water-smoothed stones are placed individually on wall-hung or freestanding washstands. Apparently, Duravit is aiming at an aesthetic similar to that represented in the other rooms of the house by brands such as Behr, Brühl, COR or Interlübke, combining highest-quality fabrication with a startlingly simple formal vocabulary. And in fact the specialists from the Black Forest have succeeded at bringing elementary forms back to the bathroom. This is associated in particular with a certain German name, which however belongs to a Frenchman: Philippe Starck. The designer has just come out with another design called Series X, spearheading - like Bulthaup in the kitchen – a paradigm change in the bathroom with his freestanding bathtubs for Duravit. The idea is to get back to basics, but on a high stylistic level. The Caro collection by Phoenix Design and the Giorno program designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini have a minimalist look based on the theme of the circle. In the furniture series In the Mood on the other hand, myriad visual effects are realized through the use of targeted lighting. Change is the first mirror program with light in changing colours that can be adapted to fit the desired mood. The clean lines and original ideas are conceived for the tradition-steeped company by external designers. More recent examples are the multifunctional shower by Jochen Schmiddem or the Sundeck bathtub by the EOOS group, which can be covered in a flash to turn it into a lounge chair.