Inky Inspiration

Italian bathroom design brand Neutra released its new line, Inkstone, this October. Inspired by Chinese calligraphy, this sleek, minimal collection was designed by award-winning architect Steve Leung. According to Neutra owner, Benedetta Arnaboldi, the collaboration with Leung evolved from Arnaboldi’s desire to strengthen Neutra’s presence in Asia (Leung is based out of Hong Kong). When Arnaboldi met Leung, he felt that they “established an effective design connection” from the start.

“We immediately realized he was the right person to design a very special bathroom collection,” says Arnaboldi, “and the fact that Steve chose Neutra for his first bathroom collection makes the collaboration even more special.” Arnaboldi’s favorite piece by Leung is the “bathtub, for “its thin and elegant shape: I would like to put it in my apartment!”

With the Chinese calligraphy inkstone as a jumping off point, Leung made simple, pure shapes out of nine different types of natural stone. Each piece is hand-carved out of a solid block of stone in Italy. The neutral palette and durability of the collection ensure that the pieces will last for decades. Although it is not always easy to accommodate high-end, large-scale pieces in your bathroom, Arnaboldi explains, “Bathrooms are gaining an increasing relevance in terms of space planning. People are spending more and more time for their own care and wellness.” We couldn’t agree more, don’t miss our Bath & Spa issue, on newsstands now!