Three decades of the originals.

A warm-brass spa bathroom

Warm Sunset metal against pale stone turns a daily shower into a slow, hotel-style ritual. The trick is one finish, used everywhere it shows. The GROHE Essence tall basin mixer, the Rainshower 310 cube head shower and the SmartControl thermostat all come in Brushed Warm Sunset, so the tap, the shower and the controls read as one set rather than three purchases. Keep the ceramics quiet and white. A 60 cm Essence vessel basin on a stone or timber counter needs the tall (XL) mixer to clear its rim, and a wall-hung Essence WC leaves the floor clear, which makes a small room look bigger and far easier to clean. Plan the plumbing early: the head shower and the SmartControl thermostat are concealed fittings, so the in-wall bodies go in before the tiling.