After joining Saniflo in 2016 as a Technical Sales Engineer, John L’Erario has earned a well-deserved promotion to Kinedo area sales manager covering a territory from the North of the Thames, up to the East Midlands and across to East Anglia. During the six years in his previous role at the company, John spent considerable time supporting the sales teams with the Kinedo range of shower cubicles, enclosures and trays, which included shows and events, installation demonstrations and training, maintenance and customer support.
Prior to joining Saniflo John was a commercial vehicle sales representative and is now enjoying honing his sales skills again. He’s certainly hit the ground running signing up new showrooms including Bilton Bathrooms in Rugby, who have only recently taken Kinedo enclosures and trays for display and are reporting back some early customer success stories.
The new role has brought together all John’s skills and he’s relishing the opportunity to bring Kinedo to a wider audience;
“I have got to know the Kinedo product really well over the past few years and I can really see its potential. This practical experience is really beneficial when selling the benefits of the product to a showroom owner and I have several sets of displays currently being installed in a number of showrooms new to the brand. It really is the shower world’s best kept secret.”
Situated in the cave dwellings of the mountains of Matera sits the Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & SPA, which has been designed taking inspiration from its surrounding area. Exclusive partner and leading bathroom and kitchen fittings manufacturer, GROHE, delivered bathroom brassware for the project, aligning with the themes of water, sustainability, and timeless design.
First opened in 2018, the 35-room hotel has been built up in the mountains, and structurally traces the ancient caves tuff stone, providing a unique stay of natural beauty and wellness. With its integrated spa and origins of an area derived from a single drop of water, the project focuses on water and the benefits and importance of the natural resource, which closely aligns with GROHE’s own ethos of “Pure Freude an Wasser” (Pure joy of water).
Throughout the project GROHE’s Essence brassware was selected as the exclusive bathroom fitting range, providing an organic silhouette and premium functionality, further complimenting the interior and exterior of the development.
Specified in GROHE’s StarLight Chrome finish, the fittings provide a timeless design thanks to their minimalistic aesthetic and sustainable credentials, aligning perfectly with the project’s core ethos.
The GROHE Essence range took design inspiration from natural forms, resulting in a naturally curved, slim profile, while GROHE’s integrated technology provides resource-saving characteristics with a reduced water flow.
“Since the post-pandemic reopening of hotels and hospitality establishments, wellness has taken centre stage. Spa breaks, relaxing retreats and getaways in natural environments have been popular, with escapism back on everyone’s agenda. When travellers visit a destination as unique as this they want to be indulged by their surroundings. Our Essence collection was specified as part of this project thanks to its natural timeless aesthetic which works harmoniously within the interior, alongside GROHE’s proud commitment to preserving our natural resource, particularly when it comes to water” says Nick Brown, leader, Hospitality UK, LIXL EMENA.
Discover more about Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & SPA here and explore more of GROHE’s developments on GROHE X.
Duravit’s contribution includes the expertise of development engineer Franziska Wülker and products such as SensoWash® Starck f.
What might life on Mars look like? How would everyday living be managed? Two artists from Bristol, working with an interdisciplinary team, have taken it upon themselves to answer these questions by building the Martian House. Duravit is also in the mix thanks to the expertise of development engineer Franziska Wülker and products like SensoWash® Starck f – the Martian Toilet.
Visionary project Inspired by the Earth-like planet Mars, the artists Ella Good and Nicki Kent brought the project “Building a Martian House” to life in collaboration with Hugh Broughton Architects and Pearce+. The aim of the public art project is to build a real prototype of a Martian house.
Nicki Kent explained: “Mars is a place where you’d have to live carefully and resourcefully.” Ella Good added: “Imagining how a small community would live there offers a sharp lens on our lives here on Earth today and our fraught relationship with consumerism.”
Standard of living and comfort in an environmentthat is hostile to life Franziska Wülker, head of research & development at Duravit AG, came on to the initiators’ radar. In 2020 she took part in the NASA Lunar Loo Challenge, the aim of which was to develop a toilet that would work both in zero-gravity and on the moon. Wülker’s design ranked among the top three.
The development engineer’s fascination and motivation to be involved in the project arises from the discrepancy between the hostile planetary environment and daily comfort: “Everyday life on Mars is challenging and arduous as a result.
That’s why it’s so important that everyday items in the home are designed to be as simple and comfortable as possible. That applies especially to the things we don’t like talking about, such as using the toilet.”
Different approaches to a Martian toilet Requirements for the Martian Toilet include low water and electricity use, ease of operation and maintenance, prevention of unpleasant odors as well as the ability to use urine and feces as fertilizer.
Franziska Wülker identified various approaches: incinerating toilet, separation & composting toilet, freeze-drying, or a toilet with a water flush. Freeze-drying, for instance, removes any water contained in the matter and enables the dried residue to be disposed of. Mars is subject to cold temperatures and low pressure, both of which are required for freeze-drying. “At the same time, the overall process is complex, and we want to make life comfortable for the astronauts on Mars.”
Water extraction on Mars The total volume of the ice reservoir on Mars is 5,000,000 km³. Franziska Wülker: “On Mars there are ice caps at the north and south poles. Some parts of the planet have subterranean ice layers and glaciers up to 100 meters thick and close to the surface. So it’s best to build the Mars base where there’s lots of ice that’s easy to get at.” Water could be extracted by drilling and melting frozen water.
The Martian toilet: SensoWash ® Starck f Franziska Wülker: “SensoWash® reduces the consumption of toilet paper, which also ensures a high level of comfort and hygiene.” A symbiosis of toilet and bidet, Duravit’s SensoWash® shower toilet offers gentle and comfortable hygiene. Pure water is an ideal way to ensure gentle, highly hygienic cleaning. Significantly gentler and more sustainable than toilet paper, water removes bacteria, boosts circulation, and is gentle on skin.
Expanding on her theoretical ideas, Franziska Wülker said: “Treated grey water from washbasins, showers, etc. can be used for flushing via a circular system. It is also conceivable that an additional urinal could be used to separate urine and turn it into fertilizer.”
Franziska Wülker and the project team ultimately opted for a shower-toilet: “We opted for a toilet with a water flush. We’ve also integrated a shower function, which is comfortable and hygienic – plus there’s a lot more water than toilet paper on Mars.”
Exhibition in Bristol The house at M Shed Square in the English city of Bristol will be open to the public until October It will start off as an empty façade and will come to life thanks to alternating interiors that provide opportunities to collectively explore a new, sustainable culture.
Initiator Nicki Kent: “It is to be a place where people can research, experiment, and discuss: a blank canvas to try things out and imagine new perspectives for today’s lifestyles.”
Ella Good sums up: “Each of us has expertise to offer and a part to play in shaping our shared future.”
Lakes Showering Spaces has announced a new structure to the Board of Directors, reinforcing its commitment to continue to drive the business forward towards future growth.
Bev Brown, who joined Lakes over 10 years ago as finance director and fulfilled the role of managing director for the last five and a half years, has now stepped up to occupy a dual role of finance director and chairman. Meanwhile, existing director Mike Gahir takes on the position of managing director, while Darren Bedford, who joined the business 16 months ago as national sales manager has been promoted to sales director. Completing the board is Chris Thain who joined earlier this year as supply chain director.
This new structure enables Lakes Showering Spaces to continue to drive the brand forward and puts the business in a strong position for both its employees and customers, further cementing its commitment to delivering the highest quality products and service.
Bev Brown, chairman and finance director of Lakes, comments: “I am delighted to announce Mike’s appointment as Lakes’ new managing director. Mike has been instrumental in helping the board face the challenges that lie ahead, and he will continue to have a key role in driving the business forward on its journey.”
Mike Gahir, managing director, said: “The team at Lakes have been a key part of the development of the company over the years, and the board changes are designed to enable us to continue to build on the fantastic results already achieved. Even though recent global events and market dynamics have not been favourable for businesses generally, here at Lakes we are in an excellent position to continue to grow and reinforce the brand’s strong position in the markets where we operate.”
With 20 years of experience in the industry, Darren Bedford will continue to be a valuable asset to the team following his promotion to sales directorand appointment to the board of directors. He comments: “I am delighted to be joining the Lakes board at such a pivotal time for the company. There are fantastic opportunities on the horizon for us to grow sales even further through existing and new sales channels, and by working closely with our entire customer base, I am confident that we will achieve great things together.”
Chris Thain also brings a breadth of experience to his role as supply chain director having worked in various sectors throughout his career, including food processing, Amazon distribution and home improvement companies.
“I am pleased to have joined Lakes at an exciting time for both the business and brand,” commented Chris. “Having started working with the team, it is clear that they are very passionate about this company. There are some exciting initiatives planned that I am really looking forward to implementing with everyone here at Lakes.”
Lakes is a leading manufacturer and supplier of showering spaces, including walk-ins and bath screens, selling exclusively through builders’ and plumbers’ merchants, and retail bathroom stockists.
British bathroom specialist Aqualisa has hired Glenn Payne as director of sales within its specification division. In this new role, Glenn will report to Aqualisa sales director Tim Creedon, and will spearhead the expansion of its business in the specification, housebuilder and developer channels.
Glenn joins Aqualisa from construction materials company Knauf, where he held the position of head of sales for the UK and Ireland. Previous appointments have included head of projects for Grohe and head of business development at Whiteleaf Furniture.
With a career spanning more than 20 years in the construction product, KBB and furniture industries, Glenn brings extensive experience in sales strategy development, with an established track record in new business generation, building key stakeholder relationships and driving profitable revenue growth.
At Aqualisa, Glenn will accelerate the specification project pipeline and increase conversion ratios, with plans to expand the sales team and lead the Aqualisa, Elisa and Gainsborough brands into new sectors.
Tim Creedon, sales director at Aqualisa, said, “I am extremely pleased to welcome Glenn to the Aqualisa specification team. We will benefit greatly from his significant experience and achievements in the industry, as well as his proven background in negotiation, successful project delivery and commercial growth.”
Glenn Payne added, “It’s a particularly exciting time to be joining Aqualisa. The company’s powerful heritage in bathroom innovation, as well as its solid reputation for reliability and customer service, makes it an exceptional brand. I look forward to being able to advance its presence in the specification channel throughout the value chain, and increase the team’s coverage to a national level. This is an outstanding opportunity to extend Aqualisa’s business in the property development, architectural and specification arena.”
Glenn holds a BA Hons Degree in Interior Design from the Surrey Institute of Art & Design. A father of two girls, Glenn likes to spend time with his family, and his favourite pastimes include golf, cooking and travel.
Answering the demand from bathroom designers, retailers and developers for a generous splash of colour in the cloakroom or en-suite, the Horton basin has been launched by Thomas Crapper. Arguably, cloakrooms are important as they are the destination for most visitors to the home or hotel bar!
Inspired by one of the company’s original fireclay basins from the 1901 catalogue, the basin comes in Forest Green, Indigo Blue and White. The tap portfolios from Thomas Crapper are equally stylish and, for a contemporary setting, the semi-matt finish looks great with the polished brass Spitfire taps, pictured here.
The basins are hand-crafted from fireclay ceramic in Lancashire and are available in two- or three-tap hole options. Dimensions are W420mm x D324mm x H334mm while the integral back accommodates wall-mounted brassware. The Forest Green and Indigo Blue retail at £539 inc. vat while the White costs £479.
Established in 1972, KBB distributor, PJH, turned 50 this year and has been celebrating its Golden Anniversary throughout the year, with the most recent event being a UK-wide summer BBQ for its 550-strong workforce.
From Glasgow to Greater Manchester to Enfield, colleagues across ten PJH offices and distribution centres have been treated to VIP brunches, lunches and dinners as well as 50th themed goody bags (which included £3,000 worth of scratch card winners!), to celebrate this fantastic 50th milestone.
Welcomed by PJH CEO, Richard George – who gave a brief overview of the company’s journey so far, highlighting the importance of this historical company achievement – staff were treated to a spread of food and drink, and even the appearance of an Ice Cream Van at some of the larger sites.
Hosted from 50th themed and decorated marquees and venues throughout the PJH regions, there was also over £10,000 worth of prizes up for grabs too with staff winning vouchers, extra days holidays and bubbly or beer as part of a special 50th Anniversary Raffle.
Richard George, CEO, PJH, said: “We are all really proud of turning 50 this year. It’s a fantastic achievement for our business and we wanted to thank all our colleagues for their ongoing support, hard work and loyalty to PJH, by jointly celebrating across our sites. It’s been a great opportunity for staff to enjoy meeting colleagues from other departments to celebrate this fantastic achievement.”
This recent 50th ‘getogether’ forms part of a regular schedule of PJH regional ‘events’ where the company encourages colleagues to mix with other departments and have a relaxed ‘catch-up’ over lunch. This is an integral part of PJH’s enhanced ‘Wellbeing’ employee programme focussing on the social wellbeing of every member of staff.
Richard concluded: “The business has changed considerably over the years, growing tremendously to become one of the UK’s largest distributors and we continue to have ambitious and exciting growth plans for the years ahead – so here’s to the next 50 successful years!”
Riobel is expanding its brassware collection in the UK by introducing its latest bathroom tap collection, the GS. An attractive addition to any bathroom, the beauty of the GS lies in the simplicity of its form.
Already launched in Riobel’s native Canada, the GS is part of a product portfolio that spans contemporary kitchen and bathroom taps with a range of matching accessories. The GS is one of four stylish new taps in the Riobel bathroom collection, with additional taps due to launch throughout the latter half of 2022.
The GS collection is an example of Riobel’s mastery of geometric forms. Its elegant simplicity makes it suitable for a wide range of bathroom design styles. Available in a Black or Chrome finish, it is an asset to any bathroom.
The GS collection boasts geometry with sleek lines to create a modern aesthetic for bathrooms with a contemporary feel. The GS series is meant for both minimalist décor and transitional styles, as its organic shape complements both beautifully.
Virtual Worlds trainer Maarika White has been promoted to training manager for the design solutions provider.
Joining the company last autumn after several years as a kitchen sales and graphic designer, Maarika has helped kbb retailers get the most out of the innovation-led software, including Virtual Worlds 4D Theatre. In her new role, Maarika will oversee the training team to ensure Virtual Worlds continue to maximise on the potential of the software.
Prior to joining Virtual Worlds, Maarika worked for Schmidt, where she gained experience of selling kitchens with the use of virtual reality and saw first-hand the effect the 4D technology has on the showroom floor.
She comments: “With Virtual Worlds we can eliminate a number of customer concerns, particularly around being able to imagine the space and how will it look, making the sales process shorter and simpler.”
Virtual Worlds managing director, Nathan Maclean, comments: “Maarika has impressed us with her drive and enthusiasm since she joined the company and we’re really excited to see her ideas come to life as we develop our training offering.”
Virtual Worlds is the UK market leader in innovation-led CAD technology for the KBB market. Since launching in 1998, it has broken boundaries in virtual technology innovation – being the first company to develop 3D design software for KBB retailers and, most recently, launching its new 4D Showroom Technology. Virtual Worlds is a division of Logicom Computer Services (UK) Ltd
The natural beauty and superior durability of Meteora Gris from CRL Stone has been recognised with a top design award, as the surface wins the prize for Best Bathroom Surface at the Livingetc Style Awards 2022.
Picked up by the judges out of the hundreds of entries received, Meteora Gris is recognised as being among the best in modern design. Awards judge and Livingetc Editorial Director Sarah Spiteri comments: “It’s a great material, with a beautiful textured finish and it’s also cost-effective over large surfaces.”
Meteora Gris is an MDI surface, exclusively produced for CRL Stone by Inalco. For seamless, minimal styling with no grout lines in the bathroom at just 6mm thick, it is the perfect wall cladding solution, creating a spa-like shower area.
The textured finish of the material enhances its natural beauty, adding to the feeling of wellness in the bathroom, while the distinctive stone-effect patterning in on-trend grey, combines harmoniously with a myriad of colours and materials, acting as a blank canvas in the modern home.
Meteora Gris has practical appeal too, with the non-porous, scratch and stain resistant material supplied in a slab format to make installation straightforward, even over large areas. For more information call CRL Stone on 01706 863600 or visit www.crlstone.co.uk
