The INUS: "Heal in the bathroom with nature's textures and artistic patterns"

The INUS (CEO Hong Seung-ryeol), a specialist bathroom company, has unveiled its 2022 tile trends for styling bathrooms that have been reborn as healing spaces.

Taking into account the lifestyle of enjoying rest and recharging in the bathroom, The INUS presented tile trends for distinctive bathroom styling. The company forecast that this year's bathroom tiles will see two contrasting styles trend at the same time: the 'Natural pattern,' which preserves the textures of nature as they are, and the bold, striking 'Artistic pattern.'

First, reflecting the consumer psychology of wanting to feel nature at home in the pandemic era, The INUS predicted that a preference for tile designs conveying 'Comfort in Natural,' such as rough-surfaced stone and wood grain, will continue this year as well. Representative examples include 'Slate Stone,' which preserves the texture of rugged rock, and 'Travertine,' with its rough grain. Randomly arranging tiles of irregular sizes and textures can create a bathroom space reminiscent of primal nature. In addition, The INUS forecast 'Terrazzo,' distinctive with its large aggregate particles, and 'Wood'-type tiles that express prominent wood grain as noteworthy trends for 2022, as they can create a warm, emotive atmosphere.

Tiles applying a lavish, artistic 'Artistic' style — sharply different from the tendency to reproduce nature as it is — are also expected to draw attention. They are perfect for those who favor strongly individualistic styles amid the 'Home = Self' trend of identifying one's home with oneself. Representative examples include mosaics that apply the 'Mid century modern' style, characterized by minimal design and vintage colors, as well as tiles that apply primary colors to geometric patterns. Alongside these, designs that combine natural textures with distinctive 'Fancy colors' — like aluminum and concrete, or anthracite and chrome — are also expected to captivate consumers with strong personalities. The company further predicted 'Mural, Blossom,' featuring bold patterns ranging from geometric to tropical and botanical moods, as a new trend.

Hong Seung-ryeol, CEO of The INUS, said, "Amid the prolonged pandemic, this year we will see two contrasting trends gain popularity at the same time — the trend of bringing nature's comfort into the home, and the trend of styling the bathroom as an expression of one's individuality or as a home accent point." He added, "In the new year as well, The INUS will continue to create enjoyable bathroom spaces with premium tiles that reflect consumers' lifestyles and the latest trends."

Meanwhile, founded in 1975, The INUS is a leading Korean bathroom brand producing bathroom ceramics, tiles, washbasins, toilets, urinals, faucets, showers and more. Recently, the company has moved beyond producing bathroom products to establish itself as a powerhouse in bathroom remodeling, and it is attempting another round of growth in the B2C sector on the strength of innovative technology and refined design. In September 2020, it was acquired by private equity fund (PEF) manager E&F Private Equity (E&F PE) and became independent as INUS Co., Ltd.