Diane, Author at Bathroom Review

HiB invests in expanding operations at distribution site

September 15, 2021

Leading bathroom supplier HiB has invested in expanding its operations department to support the ongoing growth of the business.

As part of the company’s ongoing development strategy, a new 300m2 loading area has been installed at its Inspire House distribution site in Tamworth, to facilitate the increase in orders and improve productivity. The new extension and loading space will allow HiB to increase stock capacity and support a growing fleet of delivery vehicles, which transport products across the company’s wide network of partners.

Neil Berry, Operations Director at HiB said: “The installation of a new loading area has been key in helping us manage the fantastic growth we have seen over the past few years. The additional space will allow us to continue the development of the operations department, giving us the opportunity to increase our stock and parts capacity as well as more space to manage deliveries. This means that we will be able to increase our capacity on the whole and offer an even more effective service to our customers.”

The new semi-permanent structure is the latest in a series of investments the company has made to enhance operations and customer experience. HiB has also introduced a new customer experience support system and management software to offer advanced communication and administration.

Speaking about HiB’s strategy for growth, Managing Director Robert Ginsberg said: “Offering our customers the very best possible service is incredibly important to us at HiB. By investing in the right infrastructure, we can ensure that we are able to manage increasing orders while still offering a high level of customer experience and efficiency from across our departments. The new extension is the next stage in our development plans and I am sure it will make a significant difference to our operations department in the coming months and years.”

For more information about HiB, visit https://www.hib.co.uk/

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Dulux announces its colour of the year – Bright Skies

September 15, 2021

Dulux Colour of the Year for 2022 has been revealed and the interior world is welcoming “Bright Skies” into the world. This year, Dulux is calling us to “take a breath of fresh air” with our interiors and colour choices as we blow away the cobwebs of 2020/21 and look forward to the fresh, new beginnings of 2022.

Bringing Bright Skies and blues into our homes is an opportunity to bring a renewed sense of calm, serenity into our spaces and interior experts Furniturebox have compiled a review of the top Instagram interior trends for incorporating positive blues into our homes.

Easy interior tips & tricks to welcome blue into your home

An analysis of Instagram interior design pages and trends have revealed the best ways to incorporate colours into your space in a natural and effective way — be this maximalist colour blocking, or by subtly working the Bright Skies blue into our homeware accessories.

Full coverage

Dulux Blue Skies colur of the year — Image: @averyfrankdesigns

Bright Skies and over light wash blues are perfect for promoting a sense of serenity in your home, and those who feel connected to the colour should consider dowsing their bedrooms in this calming shade. The most outlandish trend of all the Instagram blue interior design trends, this ‘more is more’ approach fully embraces the cooling tones for a total breath of fresh air.

Colour blocking

For those who aren’t afraid to embrace the bold, one of the best ways to really make cool tones zing is colour blocking with opposite complementary colours, like orange and peach. Colour blocking works best with sharp, contemporary lines and shapes, which allow the eye to soak up the bold colours at play.

Soft blue – soft furnishings

Often, when working with colour, focusing on key pieces to work with is the best approach. Softer, corn-flower blues are great for drawing on when working with a neutral pallet, to give the room a grounded feeling.

Impactful wallpaper

Dulux Colour of the year — Image: @vintagehome17

For those who are partial to a statement wall, light blue focused patterned wallpaper is a fantastic way to juxtapose this calming tone with an exciting and bold pattern. This design tactic works amazingly in alcoves to accentuate the space, bring in colour and light and help make the room feel larger.

Backdrop tiles

Make your kitchen splashback part of your kitchen look with a bold backdrop tile wall to inject azure tones into your space. Making these tiles a feature, by tiling higher than normal, to accentuate the height of your kitchen.

A subtler approach

For those who favour a more minimalist, Scandi design approach, embracing new colours such as Bright Skies could feel quite alien. However, these soft blues work incredibly well with a muted palette and natural textures so bringing in a cool-toned blue through subtler tactics, such as accessories and soft furnishings, will allow you to embrace the new colour palette without drastically changing your style.

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Nu-Style expands into England with Midlands based distribution

September 13, 2021

High-quality laminate panel manufacturer Nu-Style Products is expanding into England with the opening of its first distribution centre in Birmingham.

Nu-Style, part of the James Donaldson Group, has over 70 years of experience and is well known in the industry, particularly for its shower panel brand, Perform Panel, which the business has been manufacturing for 35 years.

Based in Aberdeen, this is a first venture into England for Nu-Style and the site will trade under the Perform Panel name, in response to increasing demand for the products across the UK and Europe.

The move forms part of a five-year strategy for Nu-Style, which has included a £1 million investment to increase both capacity and quality. New machinery and an upgraded site has substantially increased production capacity for Perform Panel, enabling Nu-Style to grow sales while boosting the product range, moving from 16 decors to over 50.

Nui-Style — Brandon Townsend & Thomas Lloyd-Roberts

Brandon Townsend has been appointed as depot manager and will be supported by Thomas Lloyd-Roberts, who joins Nu-Style as business development manager, from Grant Westfield.

Steve Galbraith, Managing Director at Nu-Style Products, comments: “We have seen continuous growth in demand for Perform Panel over the last few years. More and more people are seeing the benefits of wet wall panels over tile options, particularly for social housing, modular buildings, student accommodation and short-term let solutions.

“Our recent investment has had a huge impact on capacity, allowing us to offer customers improved lead times, efficiencies and stock availability, as well as even better customer service and a much bigger range of products. We’re really looking forward to making this first move into England, and we’re excited to see what comes next.”

Andrew Donaldson, CEO of James Donaldson & Sons Ltd, adds: “This is a great step forward for Perform Panel, Nu-Style and the Donaldson Group as a whole. It’s fantastic to see the investment in this brand coming to fruition, and it is particularly positive to see this expansion in the middle of a global pandemic.”

Perform Panel offers a cost-effective alternative to tiles, offering a number of hygiene and maintenance benefits, as well as versatility and ease of installation.

Nu-Style joined the James Donaldson Group in 2016. The 160-year-old family business comprises ten specialist timber and building product businesses, operating throughout the UK from 43 locations employing over 1,100 people.

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Seven new appointments at Simon Acres Group

September 13, 2021

Leading KBB and merchant service provider Simon Acres Group, (SAGL) has appointed seven new staff in response to growing demand across a number of its specialist services.

Three of the new posts are with KBB Recruitment, the number one job board for the kbb industry, which is experiencing considerable growth since the appointment of Henesh Chotai as director. Louis Martin, Laura Cousins and Amber Taylor join KBB Recruitment, which recently relocated to its own dedicated premises.

Shoned Mirza and Tracy Chan have joined Simon Acres Group to enhance the administrative support services across the group.

Haidee Moule and Cara Tomkins take up positions in the groups headhunt service Simon Acres Recruitment, Haidee in the talent acquisition team and Cara as a resource.

Simon Acres Group MD, Simon Acres says, “All of our specialists services, dedicated to supporting KBB and merchant businesses, are experiencing considerable growth.

“Businesses that benefit from our comprehensive range of services view us as a trusted partner, and more of our customers are choosing to take multiple services from our portfolio.

“With a positive outlook for the KBB sector we are confident that we can continue to build on our success and deliver amazing results for our clients.”

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Aqualisa launches Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower range

September 13, 2021

Bathroom product specialist Aqualisa has introduced the Quartz™ Smart Retrofit Shower – an all-in-one upgrade solution that transforms almost any make of exposed mixer shower into a voice-activated, smart digital shower system, without the need to disturb the current bathroom décor or re-tile the shower enclosure.

Quick and straightforward to fit, the installer will find it effortless to assemble with no major pipework alterations required. Once in place, the home owner will enjoy the full benefits of the Aqualisa Quartz Smart Shower Collection, including:

• An intuitive app enabling the creation of personalised shower profiles for all family members
• Remote activation of shower or bath using voice or app control (Google and Amazon Alexa compatible)
• Environmentally-friendly water usage monitoring and water-saving features
• Safety and peace of mind – water programmed to run at a consistent temperature and flow

The Quartz Smart Shower collection is powered by the intelligent Aqualisa Wi-Fi-enabled Smart Valve™, which can be located up to 10 metres away from the shower itself, providing flexible installation options. Setting the Smart Valve to Eco mode can reduce water consumption for the home owner by up to 33%.

Mike Simpson, product marketing director, commented, “The bathroom is becoming an experiential rather than just a functional space. Smart technology delivers a whole host of enhancements to the showering experience – from the relaxing shower routine itself to the sustainability and cost-saving benefits of reducing water usage, to the convenience and security of being able to step into a shower that is the perfect temperature every time. From the installer’s perspective, the beauty of the Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower is that it offers a straightforward, practical and efficient conversion process. All this, combined with a sleek, contemporary design that provides extra storage functionality within the shower enclosure itself.”

The Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower can upgrade almost any brand of wall-mounted mixer shower (concentric, single lever or bar valve) with 130 to 170mm pipe centres, and comes with a choice of the Aqualisa Quartz Touch™, Quartz Classic™ or Quartz Blue™ smart shower kits. Supplied with an extension rail to adjust the height of the controller, this no-mess solution is easy to install with optional fixing points, while the assembly backplate neatly covers all previous pipework and screw holes.

Patented Storage Shelf

The patented integrated storage shelf, which houses the new smart shower control, comprises two halves featuring a polished chrome finish. It also incorporates two useful hanging hooks for bathroom accessories.

Online Smart Hub

The Aqualisa Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower range will be launched with a comprehensive marketing campaign to support the trade partner channel including influencer communications, PR, extensive digital content and social media initiatives, as well as a full training programme. Aqualisa has also created a new Smart Hub online education platform, with in-depth information and advice on smart bathroom products and their benefits. A digital product brochure can be viewed here.

The Aqualisa Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower range is backed by the Aqualisa five year guarantee.

For further details on the Aqualisa Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower range, please visit: https://www.aqualisa.co.uk/smart-retrofit-shower

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VitrA launches Liquid in collaboration with Tom Dixon

September 13, 2021

Global bathroom brand VitrA’s Liquid is a new comprehensive range designed in collaboration with Tom Dixon. Liquid is the first-ever bathroom range by the acclaimed British designer.

The range is the latest addition to VitrA’s portfolio of designer collaborations, part of a long-standing programme of working with world-renowned designers to create distinctive, modern bathroom collections.

For Tom, the collaboration with VitrA has allowed him to explore new design opportunities while gaining an appreciation of the complexities of manufacturing products for the bathroom. Creating a fully comprehensive range was key for the designer so Liquid covers all elements of the bathroom – sanitaryware, furniture, taps, tiles, shower systems, and accessories.

For Liquid, part of Tom’s inspiration was Victorian bathrooms.

“I like the feeling of permanence in Victorian bathrooms, with their big chunky taps and fat tubes,” Tom notes. “It’s an aesthetic that’s closely connected to a whole tradition of British engineering and influenced the development of the bathroom.”

The fact that clay is readily available and extremely durable resonated with Tom, particularly from a sustainability perspective. He found it fascinating “the way a bit of grey and greasy earth can transform into something so white, clean and shiny.”

Like much of Tom’s recent work, the new collection is aligned with his increasing use of round-edged aesthetics. The designs have been inspired by elements of pop art, such as Jeff Koons and his Balloon Dog and the work of Claes Oldenburg, as well as the sculptor Barbara Hepworth’s geometry of soft forms and use of rounded marble.

Over months of close collaboration, VitrA and Tom Dixon explored lots of new ideas. “I think design should always increase the potentials,” says VitrA’s design director, Erdem Akan. “If you get the core pieces right, you can create combinations and potentials – creating more with less.” The final result is Liquid, a range that is wholly new and yet somehow familiar.

Levent Giray, managing director of VitrA UK, comments:

“We are delighted to introduce Tom Dixon’s innovative and contemporary collection as part of our ongoing collaboration with world-renowned designers. Our extensive manufacturing, design and innovation capabilities have ensured that there is a unity to the breadth of Liquid, the VitrA x Tom Dixon collection. At a time when there is a greater emphasis placed on the bathroom space, this cohesive collection has a generosity of design that will sit comfortably in both domestic and professional environments.”

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Fast 2000 enclosure for small developer

September 13, 2021

Family-run Fernbrook Builders is redeveloping the site of a former garage and MOT test centre in Finedon, Northamptonshire. The rundown site will be home to a small supermarket, attractive retail shops and five houses to the rear of the site, which seamlessly join up with an existing housing estate.

Each of the three-bedroom homes has a family bathroom with shower bath, but the master bedroom features an en-suite with a walk-in shower in a recess. The company specified the Kinedo Fast 2000 enclosure with sliding door thanks to the simplicity and ease of installation by a single plumber.

The company, based locally in Rushden, prides itself on regenerating sites for both domestic and commercial projects and works throughout the East Midlands on projects including schools, residential new builds and conversions and industrial renovations and builds.

Employing all their own tradespeople to ensure quality throughout each project, Shaun Cherry, Owner of Fernbrook Builders, is committed to improving rundown areas in the locality and undertakes many change-of-use projects, such as brownfield sites to residential.

Delivering exceptional quality for homeowners, he specified the Fast 2000 because it combined modern looks with great quality at the right price. Plumber, Mark Edwards, is responsible for the plumbing in the new build houses and has been installing the shower enclosures;

“The unit is very simple to install once I had worked out where to position the quick release clips. There is an adjustment feature which is useful and the unit goes together very quickly. It is sufficiently light for me to assemble and install on my own and the bottom rollers make for a very smooth sliding action. I think customers will be very pleased with the shower solution.” The 1300mm sliding door and fixed panel is ideal for a recess setting and is one model in a wide range of Fast 2000 enclosure solutions. All doors and panels are 6mm glass and 2m in height with anti-limescale coating as standard. An ideal solution for housebuilders and developers

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Lakes’ supports MKM Building Supplies with co-branded brochure

September 13, 2021

Lakes, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of showering spaces, has produced a co-branded brochure of its range of showering spaces for MKM Builders Supplies as part of its well-received partner scheme.

The brochure showcases the high quality range of showering spaces available from Lakes through MKM’s 80+ branch network throughout the UK. MKM became a Lakes Partner in 2020, signing up to the scheme that supports merchants and retail establishments with additional support and an online embedded showroom if requested.

The online showroom concept is a pioneering selling tool for Lakes’ merchant and retail stockists and their installer and homeowner customers. It allows its showering space products to be viewed and favourited so merchant sales and showroom staff can turn them into orders. Accessed through each stockist’s own website, visitors to Lakes showroom can download co-branded brochures and ask questions directly to the stockist’s staff via chat and email.

MKM Building Supplies has launched its online showroom (scroll down on the homepage here) and wanted the co-branded brochure to cement the relationship between homeowner, merchant and Lakes, making the whole sales process from online research to instore browsing and final purchase as smooth as possible. Speaking of the brochure, Jonathan Phillips, Lightside Product Manager of MKM Building Supplies said: “In a growing sector where we are seeing increasing interest, especially in premium products, there’s a real benefit in having a connected experience from online to physical showrooms. The co-branded brochure is the final connection, so if customers want to take some more time, Lakes and MKM remain front of mind, even when they are at home.”

Bev Brown, Lakes Managing Director adds: “Our Lakes Partner programme is one of many ways we go the extra mile to support our merchants. We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to support our customers and help them grow their businesses. When MKM came to us to enquire about the co-branded brochure, we were happy to help.”

To find out more and become a Lakes Partner, call Lakes on 01684 853 870.

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Stylish black and white bathroom ideas from Dulux

September 13, 2021

A bold monochromatic design scheme delivers a timeless bathroom that is both minimalist and contemporary. Dulux has a range of ideas from simple black and white décor to subtle hints of black on a white canvass.

As Marianne Shillingford, creative director Akzonobel Dulux UK explains “When it comes to creating instant impact in the bathroom you can’t beat a slug of gutsy colour. Fortune favours the brave in small spaces where we should be able to enjoy a full immersion sensory experience in everything from invigorating water on our skin to texture and colour.”

Unique black and white bathroom tiles add character

Black and white tiles come in a range of sizes and shapes. Designers can select from tiny checkerboard tiles to statement patterned tiles. Tiling the floor or extending to the walls in a smaller bathroom helps create the illusion of depth. The look can be softened with white tiled or painted walls, whilst wooden fixtures and fittings, or houseplants deliver a natural splash of colour.

Subtle hints of black for a minimalist aesthetic

Subtle hints of black in your woodwork and accessories deliver a minimalist take on the monochromatic scheme. Painting walls in a soft white like Moon Shimmer softens the look and pairs beautifully with Rich Black for skirting boards, doors, and window frames. A painted wooden bathroom ladder and a black wicker wash basket to complete the look.

Silver accents and dark oak creates a rustic style

Black and white tones are also ideal for creating a rustic-inspired bathroom with retro accents. White bathroom walls are the starting point for this look, Absolute White delivers a crisp finish, and dark oak doors and cabinetry pair beautifully with Victorian-style silver taps and pipework.

Visit the Duux website for more information.

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A brush with brass from Bathrooms to Love

September 10, 2021

The Bathrooms to Love Collection from PJH Group has enhanced its showering category with the addition of a number of premium Mixer Showers, including two new models with a beautiful Brushed Brass finish.

Satisfying the growing trend for metallic-effect brassware and showers, both shower kits boast a high specification balancing quality with design. The flawless brushed finish allows for greater personalisation in bathroom schemes, especially when teamed with other brushed brass basin and bath taps, such as the ‘Pesca Brushed Brass’ range also from Bathrooms to Love.

Pictured here, this new thermostatic bar mixer shower includes two outlets – a generous 250mm, round, ultra slim shower head with brass arm and separate handset with riser kit. Featuring ‘Cool Touch’ technology to prevent scalding and an integrated ceramic diverter valve, this model guarantees excellent flow rates and great all round performance.

With a handy height adjustable main shower head and a 1.5m hose, this sleek, contemporary thermostatic mixer shower is the perfect choice for discerning customers looking for a premium showering solution.

Richard Eaton, Brassware Product Manager, PJH said: “Metallic-effect showers and taps, such as brushed brass, rose gold and copper, provide beautiful warm metal tones and will add a richness of texture against ‘cooler’ materials such as white sanitaryware, marble and concrete. Collectively, this all allows bathroom designers to achieve more of a bespoke look with the opportunity for greater creativity and a premium finish.”

Complete with a 10-year guarantee (body & finish), the new brushed brass mixer showers are now available from PJH’s Bathrooms to Love Collection and can be ordered via the PJH Partners Portal for next day delivery.

For further information, contact PJH on: T: 0800 8 77 88 99; or visit www.partners.pjh.uk (for ordering & account management); and www.bathroomstolove.uk

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