Fancy faucets and S$34,000 mixers: Why sanitary-ware brands are betting big on the smallest room in the house

OVER a span of less than four weeks late last year, three leading manufacturers of bathroom fittings and fixtures launched new showrooms and flaunted pristine sanitary ware, gleaming mixers and dazzling live shower areas.

Kicking off on Nov 3 was Dornbracht, which opened its Singapore showroom at Ann Siang Road. At 1,400 square feet (sq ft), the by-appointment-only Dornbracht Experience Centre is the second showroom outside of Germany that is directly owned and managed by the German brand. Established in 1950, Dornbracht’s luxury bathroom fittings are seen as the “Rolls Royce” of brassware. 

Just six days later, Duravit unveiled its first retail showroom at nearby Tras Street. The 1,200 sq ft premises previously served as its regional training centre, catering to distributors and B2B clientele. Now, it is also the 207-year-old German brand’s first B2C retail concept in the world.