How Five Designers Problem-Solved Their Bathroom Design Challenges

Bathrooms have to integrate serious functionality and durability into the architectural fabric of the home—while (hopefully) maintaining a sense of luxury and retreat. From a practical space where you can get ready to begin the day, to a relaxing oasis where you can indulge in a long bath or an invigorating shower, our bathrooms serve a multitude of purposes throughout the day, often within limited space.

Geberit’s impressive range of bathroom solutions—from artfully concealed cisterns, to sleek flush plates—is known for elevating both the performance and style of bathrooms. The company itself can trace its history back to 1874 in Switzerland, where it began as a tinsmith business. By 1907, the founder’s sons succeeded in manufacturing the first, lead-lined wooden cistern with lead fittings. And by 1964, it launched the first cistern installed behind the wall, paving the way for a new aesthetic.

We spoke to five design pros across the country to discover how—with technology hidden behind the wall—they were able to completely reimagine the hardest working room in the house.  

For the Minimalist Approach: A Malibu Villa Makeover

Updating a decades-old home to meet the standards of modern-day living is always going to be a challenge, especially when dealing with stringent building regulations and a desire to preserve the essence of the original home. Burdge Architects and Oppenheim Architecture embraced the opportunity to turn a dated 1980s, faux-Mediterranean house in Malibu into a shining example of grand coastal living, using a neutral palette, concealed functional elements, and minimalist detailing.  

The minimalist design of the home is carried through into the six and a half bathrooms. Each bathroom has a sophisticated beach chic style, defined by a neutral palette punctuated by brass details. The elegant Sigma30 flush plates and Geberit’s in-wall tank carrier system are essential in maintaining the minimalist aesthetic.

"Every design decision was made to elevate the lifestyle and experience of Malibu through a recessive architecture that exists quietly to support life and nature to create a seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor living spaces," says architect Chad Oppenheim.

For Elevated Luxury: A Mountain Home in Aspen

This home in West Aspen by Michael Bennett Homes is designed for entertaining large groups—and features eight full bathrooms and three powder rooms. The challenge was to craft spaces at such a large scale that also retained a sense of intimacy. 

The bathroom walls are clad in enormous panels of white marble with exquisite gray veining, and the Geberit Duofix in-wall system with Sigma concealed tank allows the luxurious finishes to be celebrated without visual interruption. Plus, the Duofix carrier is designed to last the lifetime of the home.

For a Structural Solution: A New Build in Brooklyn

Building a new home in Brooklyn, New York, is a careful balancing act of preserving the historic charm of the borough and creating a contemporary home that meets the needs of modern life. For Osher Bier, founder of OB Home Improvements, it’s also essential to give as much consideration to what’s hidden as to what’s on show.

A new, four-story brownstone by Bier is testament to this approach—particularly in the bathrooms, where thoughtful design maximizes space and prioritizes cleanliness. Importantly, the use of cleverly concealed Geberit bathroom solutions meant Bier was able to seamlessly maintain the expanses of marble cladding. 

Specifying Geberit products is nothing new for Bier, as he uses the brand’s in-wall installations in most of his projects. One of the main benefits is the ability of the carrier to accommodate different constructions—including 2x4 and 2x6 steel and wood construction—and structural challenges to ensure a seamless finish. "The beauty of the carrier is that if you have a structural issue and you can’t take the toilet plumbing straight down, you can twist and turn the waste pipes through the studs," he explains.

For Maximizing Space: A Midcentury in Ontario

Family living is often about maximizing space to get the most out of a home. When interior designer and founder of sO Interiors, Susan Ozipko, was brought in to renovate two bathrooms in a midcentury family home in Kanata, Ontario, there was no opportunity to increase the footprint. It was essential that the new bathroom design make the most of the existing footprint—and Geberit concealed systems were essential in increasing the visual footprint.

Ample, easily accessible storage was a major part of the client brief for the main bathroom. Given its compact size, this could have proved challenging. Geberit’s in-wall system for 2x6 pre-walls, however, has a lower height than a conventional system and allowed Ozipko to install a timber storage unit above the toilet.

A WC is located behind the main family bathroom and Ozipko was able to save time, money, and plumbing costs by mounting another Geberit pre-wall system on the shared wall with a "back-to-back" connector. 

"The Geberit system provides unlimited flexibility in design and installations," says Ozipko. "It also saves water and more than meets the water saving guidelines of the local municipality."

For a Historic Renovation: An I.M. Pei-Designed Townhouse in Philadelphia 

Renovating a townhouse designed in 1962 by renowned architect I.M. Pei is a dream project for an architect—but not one without its challenges. Located in the historic neighborhood of Society Hill, Philadelphia, the townhouse in question is the home of architect Kevin Yoder, founder of k YODER design. Yoder wanted to respect and preserve the intention of the original design but also incorporate contemporary technology and luxury amenities.

As part of the renovation, the existing bathrooms were reimagined. As they hadn’t been touched since the 1960s, all the plumbing and fixtures needed to be replaced and relocated. From the outset, Yoder knew that conventional floor-standing toilets would not achieve the elevated, minimalist aesthetic he desired. 

Yoder had previously come across Geberit systems while working on the Shangri-La hotel guest rooms in Hong Kong. The concealed in-wall systems were ideal for the high-rise project where space for plumbing was limited, and he knew they would be equally suited to his historic home renovation. 

"The Geberit in-wall system transforms the powder room into the modern, minimal look we wanted by concealing the toilet tank," says Yoder. "The ability to capture wall space makes Geberit systems very attractive when designing within existing conditions. We recommend Geberit in-wall systems not only for the space saving, but also to accommodate the plumbing in the wall rather than tearing up the flooring—and we won’t recommend a product we don’t use ourselves, as in the case of Geberit in my own home."

Learn more about Geberit’s in-wall carrier systems for your next bathroom project at geberit.com.