Sleek and chic

Steel is the new marble and finds increasing functionality in modern kitchens and bathrooms in the UAE and around the world.

Imagine life without steel. No Golden Gate Bridge, Taipei 101 tower, DeLorean DMC-12 sports car, Constantin Vacheron Chronograph watch, your average lawnmower, forks, spoons and knives... in short, life would be devoid of imagination, creativity, art, beauty and even convenience. Thankfully, steel is here to stay and is making its presence felt all around us including our homes.

Steel has inspired Bauhaus designers including Marcel Breuer, who created the Wassily Chair, and inspired a whole generation of avant-garde designs that have adorned our homes since. However, this flexible and lustrous metal has created a niche for itself in our kitchens and bathrooms, which in the past have been territory for materials such as wood, glass, granite, marble, ceramics
and slate.

Hygeinic and durable

"Stainless steel's properties make it an excellent choice for bathrooms and kitchens. It is corrosion-resistant; it does not wear even at high temperatures or under extreme mechanical loads or abrasive forces, and it is a prime example of hygiene and durability," says Lina Varytimidou, Marketing Communications Specialist, Hansgrohe Middle East, India and Africa.

"These advantages over other materials are what make stainless steel such a high-quality material, which is particularly appreciated in public areas with heavy wear. It's adaptable, slender design is appealing as are its excellent material properties — and no less so in private kitchens and bathrooms."

Perfect for sanitaryware

Hansgrohe, which is one of the world's leading manufacturers of shower, kitchen and bath products, also use steel in their collections.

"We have always appreciated stainless steel as an exceptional and unique material. Properties such as durability, value, and the fact that it is entirely recyclable, meet the requirements for product benefit, which also means that stainless steel is also the perfect material for sanitary ware," says Varytimidou.

Carol Mansour, an architect for Purity LLC — a brand that represents leading designers and their collections — feels steel also lends itself well when you want to create an industrial or minimalist feel to areas such as kitchens.

"In terms of functionality, stainless steel is hygienic and easy to maintain. They also break the monotony of the environment and add a sleek feel to the kitchen. For instance, stainless steel cabinets from Boffi add an industrial look," says Mansour.

Durable and versatile

The metal also blends aesthetics and practicality, says David Kimber, General Manager, Kitchens and Beyond. In kitchens, in particular, steel can also be used in worktops and a backsplash, which incorporates a built-in sink. Plinths can be in stainless steel and so can worktop supports as well as visible sides on units.

Alfred Johnson, an interior designer and Managing Partner, Imagination, Concept Design Studio in Dubai, also agrees that stainless steel's durability and visual flexibility make it a popular choice of material when kitchens and bathrooms are being designed.

He says that with the revival of the art deco design culture, the industry experienced a new finish that allowed it to explore the realms of modernism with grade 304-type steel. "Moreover, the ability of steel to be used in a brushed, mirror and lacquered brushed finish in one single environment also portrayed its aesthetic and functional diversity," says Johnson, who often uses the metal in his designs.

Johnson says that steel's visual flexibility allows it to be paired with a variety of materials such as concrete, glass, wood and marble, to name a few. "For instance, you can design a pure bred 'modern' kitchen comprising lacquered concrete flooring, exposed ceilings, glass storage fronts with steel fixtures and appliances combined with a gorgeous marble top, or create a contemporary bathroom with marble tops, wooden flooring and steel fittings. Here we witness the unison of a variety of material finishes that have one common factor —steel, be it chrome handles, a brushed finished stove or a brushed framework over glass."

Bianka Klages, Retail Sales Advisor, Bagno Design, agrees that steel is versatile. "Designers are experimenting more with a combination of materials to go with steel. Alape and Effegibi are both manufacturers that we supply that combine stainless steel with materials such as wood, leather, glass, and marble," she says.

Klages says that stainless steel can be given different surface finishes such as polished or brushed to vary its appearance. Alape also offers enamelled steel basins, which give the impression of ceramic, but offers the advantage of sharper lines and cleaner edges provided by the steel core underneath," says Klages. Stainless steel (grade 304) — in both polished and brushed finishes — is also used to create taps and accessories for bathrooms, says Mansour.

Johnson says that steel can also be treated to have textures such as concentric circles, embossed ribs and the combination of brushed steel with mirror finish design elements that are custom designed based on the client's need.

Interior design

Considering that steel is endowed with such a high degree of versatility, it's no surprise that the metal is popular with interior designers such as Johnson and his clients. However, people looking to use stainless steel in their kitchen and bathroom interiors also have a host of choices of steel accessories and products.

The designer brand Axor by Hansgrohe offers a stainless steel collection with more than 60 products for the bathroom in its Axor Steel line. "Designed by Phoenix Product Design, the Axor Steel collection is extremely flexible without appearing too cold. The design breaks free from the conventional shapes and ideas of bathroom interiors.

"The expression, in its independent design language, is based on the combination of geometric principles that accommodate the desired functions of tap fittings, showers and accessories," says Varytimidou.

Ideal material

Sanipex also has a number of collections from different brands that offer stainless elements for bathrooms and kitchens. "We have quite a few suppliers that use stainless steel, as it is an ideal material for bathroom use.

"We carry stainless steel basins by Alape, Reginox and Stone Forest, accessories by Bertocci and Windisch, mixers by Vola and Eurobath, and washroom equipment and hand-driers by Wagner and Simex. We also carry a range of stainless steel kitchen sinks by Reginox. Effegibi also offers a stainless steel option for its sauna accessories such as towel rails and control panels," says Klages.

Purity also has some brands that use steel in some form in their bathroom and kitchen collections. These include Ritmonio, which has some items made from stainless steel.

Boffi mainly has taps made from stainless steel with two finishes, accessories, cabinets, sinks, extractor hoods, hubs and tops.

Kitchens and Beyond in Dubai also has a collection called Plus Segmento that incorporates glassy door finishes.

Johnson also recommends some international brands that use steel in their collections. "Berloni, L'atelier De St.Paul, Alno and Valcucine are some of the brands that use the metal in their kitchen collections. For bathrooms, brands such as Boffi, Euro Legno and Ambiance Bain are good choices," he says.