Home and Bathroom Design Ideas: Designer Robin Horton Interview

Written by Hello MrSteam | Thu, Jan 10, 2013

Ready for some more fresh home and bathrooom design ideas? Here's an interview with Robin Plaskoff Horton, who specializes in innovative and eco-friendly designs, trends, and ideas for the stylish urban garden. Visit her blog, Urban Gardens, for more on her favorite projects and products for both indoors and out.

Earlier this winter, Mr. Steam featured the first in a series of interviews with the team of design experts and bloggers who attended the London Design Festival with the Modenus BlogTour.

This interview with Robin Horton is the next in the series.

Mr. Steam: What are the newest, most interesting design directions you saw during London Design Week with BlogTour?

I was looking for designs that were equally at home indoors or out. I found many, but one of my favorites was the COD Chair from Israeli company, Gaga & Design.

Mr. Steam: How might you apply these trends to your own work?

I already do. On Urban Gardens I feature innovative design that blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.

Mr. Steam: What do you think the impact of these trends might be on American residential design? On bathroom design?

There are already outdoor rooms that replicate just about everything we have indoors: kitchens, entertainment rooms, etc.

Outdoor showers and even baths are becoming more popular as people extend their living space into the outdoors. The fusion between interior and exterior can also be expressed in rooms that open up to the outdoors so the two spaces share a room's function--like a beautiful bathroom that opens to a garden with access to and from the garden.

Mr. Steam: Did you notice any differences between design in London vs. the US? Or do you find that residential design is becoming more international?

At design shows one does get the chance to experience the emerging designers and brands, and I particularly enjoy seeing the new work.

I think one can find more smaller new brands in Europe as it is less costly to ship across EU borders than across the ocean to the US. It takes a while for the smaller lines to make it here, as they need to find distributors as shipping one or a few products is too costly.

Here is an example of a new designer, Je-Uk Kim's Credenza O that brings the garden indoors in a multi-functioning piece of furniture:

Mr. Steam: What was the most interesting thing you learned about Mr. Steam and/or about steam showers?

Well, lots! What started as a simple question has developed into a project between Mr. Steam and Urban Gardens which we'll be unveiling in the beginning of 2013.

I found out that one can have a steam shower even in a small space footprint, as well as in a shower that opens to the exterior--complete with mood lighting too.

Mr. Steam: Thanks, Robin! Looking forward to sharing more about our collaboration.

See more of Robin's favorite design ideas by exploring her blog. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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