Ireland's Homes Interiors and Living Podcast.
Jul 21, 2026 · 19 min · 10 segments
Welcome to the first episode of the Ireland's Bathroom Trade Awards Podcast, a new series where we'll be sitting down with some of the people that have shaped and are continuing to shape the bathroom…
Richard SloanGuest
Kira ReyesHost
like what as you were saying like it's all about innovation um and for sonus that has been around you've seen how the market has changed as well with your company or how the company has changed and had to change because of everything if we were to fast forward today how would you describe the current state of the wider bathroom industry across ireland

I feel there's been a premiumization of bathrooms over the last number of years.

And then when COVID happened, because there was restrictions on travel and hospitality, there was a huge focus on investment in people's homes.

And I suppose that journey of premiumization that was already underway was almost accelerated.

And the bathroom now has become a space in the home where I suppose consumers' expectations are so much more, not just from a design perspective, but it's a wellness, it's a sanctuary, it's a lifestyle.

I described it to somebody recently that we're almost in the fashion business because the quantum of choice and so much diversity in colors and finishes and the various solutions and textures.

But it really has transformed, I would say, from when I started in the industry, a bathroom was quite a functional space.

Uh, whereas now the color palettes and the, the, the, the level of finishes that are available across all the different products, uh, it's changed and come on so much.

I think that I, I, from working at the magazine, like I speak to a lot of, I don't hear designers or homeowners and I can say with a lot of confidence that everyone that I talk to always say that they like to have the, they have the most fun designing the bathroom because it's the room that you can have either.

And of course, there's multiple bathrooms now in many homes, particularly homes that are built in more recent times.

So you get the opportunity to have maybe in your master suite, you know, maybe you want a calm experience and a very kind of a, you know, tranquil type of a design palette.

But then in your downstairs bathroom where your, you know, visitors and friends will come and use, it's an opportunity to bring in pops of color, a lot more vibrancy.

And people do often use that as an opportunity to be far more daring in the choices that they make.

like what as you were saying like it's all about innovation um and for sonus that has been around you've seen how the market has changed as well with your company or how the company has changed and had to change because of everything if we were to fast forward today how would you describe the current state of the wider bathroom industry across ireland

I feel there's been a premiumization of bathrooms over the last number of years.

And then when COVID happened, because there was restrictions on travel and hospitality, there was a huge focus on investment in people's homes.

And I suppose that journey of premiumization that was already underway was almost accelerated.

And the bathroom now has become a space in the home where I suppose consumers' expectations are so much more, not just from a design perspective, but it's a wellness, it's a sanctuary, it's a lifestyle.

I described it to somebody recently that we're almost in the fashion business because the quantum of choice and so much diversity in colors and finishes and the various solutions and textures.

But it really has transformed, I would say, from when I started in the industry, a bathroom was quite a functional space.

Uh, whereas now the color palettes and the, the, the, the level of finishes that are available across all the different products, uh, it's changed and come on so much.

I think that I, I, from working at the magazine, like I speak to a lot of, I don't hear designers or homeowners and I can say with a lot of confidence that everyone that I talk to always say that they like to have the, they have the most fun designing the bathroom because it's the room that you can have either.

And of course, there's multiple bathrooms now in many homes, particularly homes that are built in more recent times.

So you get the opportunity to have maybe in your master suite, you know, maybe you want a calm experience and a very kind of a, you know, tranquil type of a design palette.

But then in your downstairs bathroom where your, you know, visitors and friends will come and use, it's an opportunity to bring in pops of color, a lot more vibrancy.

And people do often use that as an opportunity to be far more daring in the choices that they make.
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