AXOR Design Competition Nears Cut-off

Posted in Business, News on 22 September, 2025

AXOR Launches Competition for Emerging Designers to Create Their Perfect Bathroom Escape for 2025.

As part of the ‘Escape the ordinary’ campaign from AXOR, celebrated British interior architectural practice Tara Bernerd & Partners, which developed the stunning Azzurro bathroom concept.

Following the success of its inaugural 2024 competition, luxury bathroom design brand AXOR is once again looking for emerging designers to show their expertise – this time to create a cocoon-inspired hotel bathroom.

AXOR is inviting current interior design students plus those who have graduated in the past three years from across the UK and Ireland, to create a vision that embodies the idea of the bathroom representing a place of relaxation and an escape from the rest of the world. With the winner receiving a trip to the home of AXOR in the Black Forest, and a year’s pass to the Festival of Hospitality.

Based on AXOR’s whitepaper titled ‘Escape the ordinary’, the brief challenges the next generation of creative interior design talent to help shape the future of luxury bathrooms by creating a hotel bathroom concept that embodies the theme of an ‘escapist retreat’ using signature products from existing AXOR collections.

Applicants must work within a bathroom space no larger than 15m² x 20m², and entries should be submitted by 6^th October 2025.

The competition was officially launched at Clerkenwell Design Week at a special event for design students hosted by AXOR. More than 50 design students attended the event, where they received valuable career advice and networking coaching, alongside advice for their portfolios from industry leaders, including Tolù Adẹ̀kọ́, Founder and Creative Director of Adẹ̀kọ́ Studio and Bez Amdemichael, Senior Designer at Goddard Littlefair.

Tolù Adẹ̀kọ́ comments: “Modern luxury hotel bathrooms demand innovative design. I’m particularly interested in seeing how these up-and-coming interior design students will approach capturing the feeling of escapism which is definitely a challenge. Bathrooms are retreats from our busy lives, and this trend is something we’re seeing more of every year.”

Bez Amdemichael says: “New talent brings invaluable fresh perspectives to our industry. By partnering with AXOR, we’re empowering emerging designers to push boundaries and develop innovative solutions. This competition provides a real-world challenge, allowing them to refine their design and planning skills while exploring the future of escapism in the bathroom.”

Martin Nealon won the competition last year and says: “Winning the 2024 competition gave me the boost I needed to develop my skillset further and I hope my students took inspiration from this. After recently graduating I now teach interior design, and the AXOR competition was a wonderful opportunity to show my students how the application of good design techniques can be effective even in a small space.”

Interior design students and those that have graduated within the last three years have until 6 October 2025 to enter. The winner submitting the most inspiring creative response to the brief will receive an exclusive and sought after trip to the AXOR Centre for Excellence in Schiltach, in the heart of the Black Forest, Germany, with AXOR, alongside a year’s pass to the Festival of Hospitality.

Alongside experiencing the environment that makes AXOR a leading luxury brand, the trip will allow the winner to learn about the design process behind the products and experience the showers in action. Curated by Always Thinking, the pass to the Festival of Hospitality includes access to all the 2026 events, such as behind the scenes at the latest hotel openings, talks and networking events. The two runners up will also win a Hansgrohe goody bag and a hand shower.

Tolu and Bez will be joining the competition judging panel alongside Anke Sohn, Head of Global Brand Marketing for AXOR, Hamish Kilburn, Journalist and Owner of Kilburn Communications, Alex Holloway, Founder and Creative Director at Holloway Li and Helen Hughes, Associate Lecturer at the University of Arts London and Creative Director at Helen Hughes Design Studio. Alex, Bez and Helen were also in attendance at CDW, where they joined a panel talk to discuss interview techniques, CVs and portfolio advice, providing valuable insight to emerging designers.

Anke Sohn, explains: “We are honoured to witness emerging designers around the world as they share their unique design concepts with AXOR. It is therefore vital that we continue to support the new generation of interior design talent to help them thrive. I look forward to seeing how the students in the design competition work with the brief we have set.”

The competition is open to current interior design students in the UK and Ireland, and those who have graduated within the past three years.

Entries need to include a base description of the design solution, alongside a mood board and 2D plans with measurements. Types of materials, colour scheme, lighting and styling concepts also need to be considered throughout the entry and demonstrated with CAD drawings, sketches, and collages to bring the idea to life.

How to enter

1. Download the design starter pack here.
2. Submit the entry by Monday 6^th October 2025 to marketing@hansgrohe.co.uk
3. The winners will be announced at The Festival of Hospitality event in December 2025

Full Ts and Cs are available at: https://www.axor-design.com/uk/emerging-talent-competition

AXOR conceives and manufactures iconic objects for luxurious bathrooms and kitchens. Developed in collaboration with world-renowned designers—Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Jean-Marie Massaud and Barber Osgerby among them—AXOR products come in a variety of styles. All AXOR faucets, showers and accessories are produced to the highest standards of quality. With an expertise that extends far beyond the products themselves, AXOR inspires and enables architects, interior designers and the design-savvy public. Together with AXOR, they shape water-related spaces that reflect the unique personality of the user. Part of the Hansgrohe Group, AXOR is a forward-thinking brand dedicated to developing distinctive products, manufactured with excellence.

Learn more about AXOR: www.axor-design.com/uk