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Inspired by Life: American Standard’s 150-Year Legacy of Human-Centric Design
Few brands can claim a heritage that has endured for a century and a half. As American Standard commemorates its 150th anniversary, it continues to reaffirm the core principle that has sustained it since 1875: purposeful design inspired by life. This philosophy drives its global campaign, “Inspired by Life Since 1875,” and its refreshed brand claim, “LIFE. LOVE. HOME.”
The heartfelt local expression in the Philippines, “150 Years of Everyday Moments,” reflects the brand’s deep connection with the Filipino consumer. Hermie Limbo, leader of LIXIL Philippines, explains: “American Standard has always strived to transform the way people experience everyday living by creating products that are deeply inspired by life. This quality has resonated well with the Philippine market, that is why American Standard continues to be a trusted brand in the country.”
BluPrint spoke with Antoine Besseyre Des Horts, Leader of Global Design, Asia for LIXIL (the parent company of American Standard), to understand how the legacy brand continues to innovate, turning the most intimate spaces in the home into centers for wellness, hygiene, and sustainability.
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Purposeful Design
For a brand with a century-and-a-half-old foundation, the challenge lies in constantly leading the evolution of the modern bathroom. For Besseyre Des Horts, “It’s all about really understanding consumer needs,” he explains. “We spend a lot of time doing what we call presearch, monitoring the global trends, but also the markets’ specific customer needs.”
This deep-dive approach is how American Standard translates its core values of hygiene, care, and comfort into products that solve real-world problems. In Asian markets like the Philippines, this often means addressing crucial issues like inconsistent water pressure or the need for more personalized hygiene solutions.
The local campaign highlights American Standard’s role as a “quiet yet constant presence” in Filipino homes. According to Besseyre Des Horts, the bathroom is unique because it addresses needs that are both practical and emotional.
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“You have that need for cleansing, for grooming, for showering, for bathing,” he notes. “But at the same time, there is really the need for indulging in some personal time.”
This dual purpose—functionality and indulgence—guides the design team. The goal is to balance smart technologies that enhance functionality, like water efficiency and cleansing power, with a sophisticated aesthetic that provides emotional comfort.
Wellness and Hygiene: Innovation for Everyday Life
As home wellness becomes increasingly more important, American Standard leverages its design expertise to transform simple routines into elevated experiences. This is where innovation provides a critical solution.
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The brand offers a suite of products that exemplify this fusion of purpose and technology. The Acacia Supasleek collection, for instance, pairs sleek, modern lines with innovative HygieneClean technologies to ensure maximum safety and convenience. For advanced functionality, the e-Lite smart toilet offers features like an auto seat and cover, a deodorizer, pre-flush technology for a cleaner flush, and a dryer with four temperature settings.
Besseyre Des Horts offered a powerful example in the evolution of the shower, addressing the challenge of low water pressure often found in Filipino homes. The brand’s response is the WizFlo hand shower, featuring PressurePlus™ technology designed with tapered nozzles to boost water flow.
The WizFlo hand shower, featuring PressurePlus™ technology.
“We bring something like WizFlo, which, by the way, is very useful, that is very accessible, and you bring that idea of spray adjustment,” he explains. “Not only do we boost the pressure, but we also provide this flexibility when it comes to dispersion.”
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This product is an example of what Besseyre Des Horts refers to as simplexity: “It looks simple, but it’s actually very complex, right? Because it takes a lot of development, a lot of prototyping, a lot of testing to make sure that we are really delivering the performance.”
In hand spray innovation, the DuoSTiX further blends practicality and hygiene by delivering two distinct optimal sprays: a powerful Jet Spray for tough bathroom cleaning, and a Hygiene Spray with Petal Pressure™ for gentle yet robust personal cleansing.
The Designer’s Balance: Sophistication and Intuition
As a designer, Besseyre Des Horts lives by two complementary maxims: Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” and Frank Chimero’s “People ignore design that ignores people.”
When asked how he reconciles the two, his answer reveals the holistic nature of the brand’s design process. The team is constantly balancing the need for aesthetically “sophisticated” looks with an experience that is “intuitive” and “invisible.”
“We are constantly balancing that designing for people and designing for people means experience, both visually [and functionally],” he states.
This is evident in the brand’s approach to finishes and surfaces, such as the slightly curved surfaces and gentle forms used in collections like Loven. “The reason why we do that is to create that very gentle look,” he shares. “It’s very architectural [and] we want to remind people that it’s for interaction.”
Further extending personalization, color fittings allow customers to customize their spaces with different finishes for collections like Acacia Supasleek—ranging from Polished Cool Sunrise and Brushed Hard Graphite to Matte Black.
The Next 150 Years: Smart, Sustainable, and Personal
Looking ahead, Besseyre Des Horts is focused on reinterpreting the core values of hygiene, care, and comfort through the lens of modern trends: smart technology and sustainability.
The future is focused on personalization. Beyond colors and finishes, the brand is exploring how products can be personalized to perform based on individual preference and local needs—from adjustable spray pressures to different functional flows in a shower. Innovations like the AccuFlo and AccuStream Sensor Faucet, which feature low-flow aerators, are already being deployed in commercial spaces to directly support sustainability goals.
“We finally see some things accelerating, and some of these ideas, some of these technologies, being more and more adopted as we are offering them,” he says, noting the pandemic helped consumers realize the profound benefits of a safe and self-indulgent personal space. While these products represent the current state-of-the-art, he points out that his team is already working to develop even more innovative products that the market hasn’t seen yet.
American Standard’s 150-year legacy is defined by a commitment to democratizing good design. However, the brand is quick to acknowledge that this long-standing success would not be possible without the trust of its customers and partners.
Emily Besavilla, Leader, Retail and Marketing, LIXIL Philippines, affirms, “Our partners and customers have become the pillars of American Standard in the Philippines, so we’re constantly aiming to return their love and loyalty to the brand through promos and deals that are tailored to the Philippine market.”
To mark this milestone, the brand brought together its valued trade partners, industry professionals, and media friends for a special Partner’s Night event dubbed “Inspired by Life.” Additionally, through the Raffle Promotion exclusive to all Wilcon branches nationwide, customers have the chance to win prizes like a BYD Hybrid Electric Sedan, a Honda EM1 Electric Vehicle, and 150 units of American Standard products. The promotion runs until February 28, 2026.
The brand’s mission, as articulated by its Global Design Leader, is clear: to make advanced and sophisticated design accessible, ensuring that every everyday moment in the bathroom is one of comfort, connection, and well-being.
Looking forward, Audrey Yeo, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology, APAC, concludes: “We will strengthen the brand’s legacy by continuing to innovate, design with purpose and collaborate closely with industry partners, including architects and designers, to elevate everyday moments.”
Ready to explore how American Standard continues to blend 150 years of heritage with innovation?
For more information on the brand and its collections, visit the official website at www.americanstandard.ph. You can also stay up-to-date with the latest product news and updates by following American Standard on Facebook (@AmericanStandardPH) and Instagram (@americanstandard_ph). To learn more about the brand’s global parent company, LIXIL, visit www.lixil.com.
Images courtesy of LIXL.
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