Australian_House_&_Garden_2016_11

HGSHOPPING

ALL HAIL THE HALO

Methven has taken the

traditional showerhead and

delivered it in a heavenly new

form. Thehalo-shaped

showerheads in the company’s

Aurajet Aio range, above,

feature a series of concealed

nozzlesthatpropeljetsofwater

against thepreciselyangled

surfaces. The result? Dense

droplets of water that fan out

to create a full-feeling,

water-efficient shower.

Unsurprisingly, the Methven

Aurajet Aio won aRed Dot

Awardforproductdesign

earlier thisyear. From$368, it’s

available atReece.

WELS NOW

Until August 2016, three stars

was thehighest WELSrating a

showerhead could receive. But

that’snowchanged,withthe

WELS scheme introducing a

4-star rating. This came about

because of technological

advances and decreasing flow

rates in showerheads, says a

spokesperson for the federal

government’s WELS regulator.

“We have developed a series of

tests to ensure that any shower

putforwardfora4-starrating

has adequate force and spray

coverage,” he says. “We’ve

received a handful of

applications for a4-star rating

alreadybutitmightbeafew

months until testing is complete

and these showers can be

sold as 4-star.”

<luxuriousspa-likeexperienceat

home is your priority, a drenching

overheadshowermaybethewaytogo.

“It’s important to think of the space

asawholewhenyou’reselectinga

showerhead,” says John Hoogendoorn,

Phoenix Tapware creative design

manager. “If your bathroom decor is

understated, you could go with a bold

design or striking finish, which allows

your showerhead to shine like a beautiful

pieceofstatementjewellery.Ifyouhave

aboldschemeitwouldbebesttostickto

minimal, refined shapes in chrome.”

There’snoquestionthatchrome

is (and likely always will be) king for

showerheads,buttherangeoffinishes

availableismoreexcitingthanever.

From on-trend metallics such as rose

goldandbrasstosleekmattblacksand

glossywhites,thechoiceisyours.Just

note that if you opt for a custom metallic

finish you can expect the price to be

roughlydoublewhatyou’dpayforthe

chrome version of the same showerhead.

When it comes to showerhead shapes

andstyles,thepossibilitiesarealmost

endless. From Gessi’s 3mm-thick

designstoHansgrohe’s400mm

models,there’sashowerheadtosuitthe

scale and aesthetic of any bathroom.

Forasleek,refinedlook,itwouldbe

hard to go past Reece’s gorgeous Milli

Pure showerhead with its neat, matching

dial mixers. The sinuous shape of

Domayne’s Newform Morpho shower

says ‘statement piece’ or, if you’re

after something more traditional, the

Victorian-inspired Bastow Georgian

showers from Reece might fit the bill.

Andthat’sjustthetipofthestyleiceberg.

Tanya Sharpe, brand manager at

Rogerseller, says twin showers are

sellingstronglyduetotheir“unbeatable

functionality”. Meanwhile, Reece reports

that Australians are embracing the

therapeutic benefits of body-jet

showers.“Aseriesofjetsareplacedat

variousheightstodeliverafocused

massaging spray that will help you

recharge after a workout or a long day

intheoffice,”saysSantilli.

Steamshowersaregrowingin

popularity as the ‘wellness at home’

idea becomes further entrenched.

Keep an eye out for thermostatic

mixers,too,whicharesettochange

thewayyou’llshowerincomingyears.

“They deliver precise temperature

control, meaning you can preset your

ideal water temperature and step into

the shower knowing it will be exactly as

you like it. This innovation is gaining

momentum in Australia,” says Santilli.

Improvedwaterefficiencyisanother

area to watch, says Hoogendoorn. All

showers sold in Australia must have

aWaterEfficiencyLabellingand

Standards(WELS)rating,whichoffers

a simple measure of a showerhead’s

waterefficiency–themorestars,the

lesswatertheproductuses.Theother

half of the water-efficiency equation is

ashowerhead’sflowrate.“Youcould

takeseveralshowerswitha3-starWELS

ratingandfindtheyhavedifferingflow

ratesmeasuredinlitresperminute,”

he says. The lower the flow rate, the

more water-efficient the shower.

“Awater-efficientshowerheadisreally

importantnotjustforyourecofootprint,

but for your back pocket,” says Druce

Davey, bathroom designer for Brisbane

firm Greener Kitchens+Bathrooms.

AccordingtoSydneyWater,installing

a3-starWELSshowerheadcanaddup

to $50-$100 a year in household water

andenergysavings.“Goodforthe

environmentandgoodforyou.I’d

call that a win-win,” says Davey. >

ACCORDING TO SYDNEY WATER, INSTALLING A3-STAR

WELS-RATED SHOWERHEAD CAN ADD UP TO$50-$100 A YEAR

IN HOUSEHOLD WATER AND ENERGY SAVINGS.