For the interior design and home goods community, recognizing these finer points is the central mission behind the annual Domino Good Design Awards. The selection of winners for the bed and bath categories serves as a timely reminder that even the most mundane, utilitarian items in a household can be re-imagined through a lens of high design, sustainability, and ergonomic innovation. Rather than accepting the status quo of mass-market utility, contemporary designers and manufacturers are looking closely at how daily routines can be subtly transformed through better engineering and aesthetic thoughtfulness.
The latest cohort of award winners highlights a diverse array of products, ranging from luxury smart fixtures designed in collaboration with household-name studios to entirely novel concepts in everyday bath linens and personal care accessories. Each honoree represents a distinct approach to modern living, balancing visual appeal with practical functionality in spaces that are increasingly viewed as private sanctuaries within the home.
Best Bath Towel: Typical Stretch Towel by Typical
For decades, the standard cotton bath towel has remained largely immune to fundamental product reinvention. While manufacturers have experimented with organic fibers, specialized weaves, and varying weights, the basic formula has stayed anchored in traditional 100 percent cotton construction. That is, until the introduction of a new brand looking to shake up the linen closet.
The Typical Stretch Towel, conceived by Typical—a brand founded by Herschel Supply Company co-founder Lyndon Cormack—introduces a subtle yet impactful innovation to the classic bath sheet: elasticity. By blending 98 percent cotton with two percent spandex, the design team has created a textile that provides just enough give to ensure a snug, secure wrap every time it is worn out of the shower or bath.
Priced at $58, the towel addresses a common, minor frustration of daily life: the unsecured bath wrap that slips or loosens with movement. By integrating a minimal amount of stretch into a traditional cotton framework, the product offers a fresh take on tactile comfort and functionality, earning recognition from judges for its clever disruption of an everyday staple.
Best Toilet: Claude by Studio McGee One-Piece Elongated Smart Toilet by Kohler
Toilets have historically occupied a peculiar place in interior architecture. As essential as they are to domestic life, they are rarely viewed as glamorous or sophisticated centerpieces of room design. However, the intersection of advanced technology and high-end interior styling has steadily transformed how manufacturers approach bathroom fixtures.
The Claude smart toilet, developed through a collaboration between Kohler and the prominent design firm Studio McGee, bridges the gap between high-tech functionality and traditional aesthetic sensibilities. Kohler tapped the Studio McGee team to apply their signature design lens to a fixture that is traditionally devoid of decorative nuance.
The resulting one-piece elongated smart toilet features subtle design cues, including a softly flared bottom and molding-like details that evoke classic architectural elements. Priced at $4,000, the fixture brings a refined, furniture-like presence to a space dominated by porcelain and chrome, demonstrating how high-end design can soften the appearance of heavy mechanical and plumbing hardware.
Best Sink Accessory: Restore Gel Refillable Toothpaste by Suri
Personal care routines have long generated significant environmental waste through disposable packaging, most notably in the form of squeezed plastic toothpaste tubes that inevitably end up in landfills. Despite growing consumer demand for sustainable alternatives, finding products that perform well while maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic on a bathroom vanity has remained a challenge.
Suri’s Restore Gel Refillable Toothpaste addresses this long-standing design oversight by reimagining both the container and the delivery system. The product is housed in an upright, slim container featuring a palette of pleasing pastels designed to sit neatly on a modern sink counter.
More importantly, the interior of the dispenser is completely refillable, utilizing a plastic-free and compostable design that significantly reduces single-use waste. Retailing starting at $30, the accessory combines environmental consciousness with minimalist bathroom decor, offering an elevated solution to an ordinary sink-side fixture.
Best Pillowcases: Swirl Pillowcases by Bed Threads
Linens play a vital role in setting the sensory tone of a bedroom, yet the market is often saturated with solid colors and predictable neutral patterns that, while versatile, can begin to blur together stylistically. While the quality of materials like French flax linen is well established, finding unique visual character without sacrificing softness requires creative detailing.
The Swirl Pillowcases from Bed Threads introduce a distinct burst of personality to the bed through carefully executed craftsmanship. Available as a set for $110, the pillowcases feature distinctive loop-de-loop embroidery and thoughtfully curated contrasting color combinations.
By applying playful, swirling design motifs to high-quality flax linen, the product offers a way for homeowners to introduce graphic interest and tactile depth into their bedding arrangements without overwhelming a room’s existing color palette.
Best Soap Dish: Crescent Soap Dish by Building Block Etc.
Soap dishes are among the smallest and most frequently overlooked accessories in a bathroom or kitchen, often serving as little more than a flat surface to catch melting bar soap. Consequently, issues such as poor drainage, water accumulation, and difficult cleaning routines are common grievances for users.
The Crescent Soap Dish by Building Block Etc., priced at $105, approaches this simple accessory as an exercise in architectural sculpture and high-performance engineering. Crafted from stonewashed stainless steel, the dish boasts a striking geometric form that elevates it from a utility item to a sculptural tabletop object.
Beyond its visual appeal, the design prioritizes practicality through a dual drainage system. Depending on whether the dish is placed near a sink or inside a shower, users can easily remove the crescent-shaped insert from its base to manage water runoff. Furthermore, the durable stainless steel construction allows the entire piece to be placed directly in the dishwasher for effortless maintenance and cleaning, ensuring it remains pristine over years of daily use.
