New bathroom colours create contemplative retreat
The House of Rohl and Wallpaper* have created new bathroom colours for Victoria + Albert baths and sinks. Here, we explore the warm, escapist tones of Dune Retreat

In partnership with The House of Rohl
Wallpaper* editor-in-chief Sarah Douglas developed the Dune Retreat colour palette for The House of Rohl’s Victoria + Albert brand with escape and relaxation in mind. Desert architecture and interior design often place an emphasis on light, space and solitude, and desert houses are conceived to allow for thoughtful isolation and big-window contemplation.
Evoking natural minerals such as feldspar, quartz and ochre, the Dune Retreat colour palette channels the open-air bathrooms often found in contemporary desert homes, from Arizona to Morocco, spaces that welcome the outdoors in, with views of vast arid landscapes and towering, blooming cacti. Here, in these dry and delightfully exposed places, water is both an indulgent luxury and a welcome necessity.
Such contemporary desert dwellings reveal how design and material can work in harmony to make life comfortable and luxurious, even amid the challenging climatic conditions of sand plains or subtropical terrains. Like the cactus and the camel, buildings must adapt and respect their environment in order to survive, and to ensure the wellbeing of their inhabitants.
Inspired by the stillness of desert life, its cooling sunsets, shifting sands and baked earth, Dune Retreat’s warm, contemplative, escapist tone, can be applied in any home to suggest sanctuary and quiet refuge. During the day, it is a sunny match for untreated, sunbleached wood, and dusty, bone whites; come evening, it’s perfectly chilled.
The House of Rohl and bathroom innovation
The House of Rohl ventures to the ends of the Earth to find the most exquisite kitchen and bath fixtures, made with quality craftsmanship and technical prowess. Its five brands, which include Victoria + Albert, create collections of modern innovation, imagination and unique beauty. Established in 1996, Victoria + Albert has showrooms in London and Chicago, and dedicated production facilities in South Africa. Sporting elegant proportions and opulent curves, Victoria + Albert’s products are designed to create the perfect bathing experience, transforming any space into a luxurious sanctuary.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
A major Frida Kahlo exhibition is coming to the Tate Modern next year
Tate’s 2026 programme includes 'Frida: The Making of an Icon', which will trace the professional and personal life of countercultural figurehead Frida Kahlo
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Stay at Nujuma, a forward-facing sanctuary in the Red Sea region
Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, sets the bar high as one of Saudi Arabia’s ultra-luxury destinations
By Lauren Ho Published
-
Pierre Yovanovitch’s set and costumes bring a contemporary edge to Korea National Opera in Seoul
French interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch makes his second operatic design foray, for The Marriage of Figaro in Seoul
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Tristan Auer and Axor redraw the bathroom as living space
‘Trust your taste and show it,’ says interior designer Tristan Auer as he reveals his concept for the ‘Distinctive’ bathroom campaign for Axor
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Earthy new colour palette for VitrA’s Plural bathroom range
Designer Terri Pecora takes a deep dive into the cleansing, convivial effects of sage, terracotta and stone
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Ceramica Cielo’s latest washbasin is inspired by the Bauhaus
Marcel is Ceramica Cielo's latest washbasin design, created by the brand's artistic directors Andrea Parisio and Giuseppe Pezzano
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Tom Dixon’s bathroom designs for VitrA named Best Fluid Forms
Tom Dixon's ‘Liquid’ bathroom collection for Turkish brand VitrA wins Wallpaper* Design Award 2022
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
These extraordinary materials make kitchens and bathrooms blissful
From tactile Volcanic Limestone bathtubs to fine fireclay sinks and exquisite brass taps and fixtures, matchless materials define House of Rohl and its collection of luxury brands
By Simon Mills Last updated
-
Is this the ultimate urban bathroom colour palette?
Light Industrielle is a palette of distinctly contemporary bathroom colours, created by Wallpaper* and The House of Rohl for Victoria + Albert tubs and sinks
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Breathtaking bathroom ideas (will you make a colour splash?)
Our colour-splashed bathrooms include 1970s-inspired palettes, diverse material combinations, sleek but spacious bathtubs, funky sinks and modernist-inspired taps
By Anne Soward Last updated
-
Three new bathroom colour palettes designed for lockdown living
Wallpaper* and Victoria + Albert Baths make a splash with new colour ideas to inspire peace and calm
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated