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Ideal Standard is making a number of changes for 2021 to support continued growth in the market. The Sottini brand will be absorbed into Ideal Standard in the retail market and Armitage Shanks will remain the lead brand in the non-residential and healthcare settings.

As part of a review of its global brand strategy, this cross-territory brand streamlining will enable a focused investment into the Ideal Standard brand. The new strategy is led by the launch of Atelier Collections, as well as a series of new NPI into the full Ideal Standard range that will be released throughout the year.

Ideal Standard is committing to substantial investment in its support for retailers through its manufacturing capabilities and by ensuring ready availability of its stock. This will provide retailers with the strongest possible portfolio, along with service and marketing support as the sector looks towards recovery following a particularly challenging period.

The withdrawal of Sottini from the UK retail market will be complete by the end of 2021; however, the brand will continue to play a key role across the specification market for new build homes.

Ideal Standard’s experienced sales and customer service teams will work with retailers to make this transition as seamless as possible, and this will ensure that both existing and new retailers will not only have a stronger portfolio going forward, but will have access to a robust support network. Ideal Standard is also investing in its retail team, with new appointments to support the ongoing growth.

This new structure within Ideal Standard means that all residential products will now fall under the namesake brand, with the Palomba Serafini Associati (PS+A) curated Atelier Collections taking centre stage as the premium product ranges. These new striking collections feature pieces that not only strengthen the brand’s long-standing design philosophy, but look back to its heritage while shaping and inspiring bathrooms of the future.

David Barber, Managing Director of Ideal Standard UK, said: “With the confident backing of our investors who believe in our long-term potential, this consolidation of our brands under the Ideal Standard name will give us a renewed focus and strengthen the impact of our investments to support our continued growth in the retail, residential and specification markets.

“We recognise, and are hugely grateful for, the continued support that our retail and specification partners have shown us. This focused approach will allow us to offer more dedicated support and packages than ever before, and will mean that retailers and specifiers will have access to our whole range of innovative new products in one streamlined portfolio. We will work closely with them to tailor their offering in order for them to continue to thrive and succeed.”

For more information about the new comprehensive Ideal Standard offering in the UK and the new packages and support available for retailers, please contact the retail sales team through the Ideal Standard switchboard on 01482 346461.

Clarion Hotel – The Hub, is an environmentally friendly venue located in the heart of Oslo. This new hotel offers exciting food with local roots, excellent business facilities and 810 rooms that go beyond the ordinary.

Clarion Hotel The Hub

The hotel was designed by architects Lund + Slaatto; they worked alongside the interior designer Anders Björkén, and it was he who created the hotel suites in an elegant boutique style. For him, Unidrain was the obvious choice for the bathrooms.

“Unidrain drains are elegant and work extremely well in a hotel environment” he says. Anders is behind the interior design of the historic Grand Hotel in Stockholm and Hotel Vesterbro in Copenhagen. “We use almost exclusively Unidrain’s drains in our projects, in addition to their beautiful and minimalist design, they are easy to install.”

The Hub want their guests to experience something akin to a “love affair” through classical décor, balanced design, and ground-breaking, innovative interiors solutions without losing any feeling of warmth, intimacy and elegance, which Björkén achieved in the design of the hotel rooms.

On the 11th floor, you will find a fantastic suite overlooking the Oslo Fjord; as with all the rooms every detail has been thought through and nothing has been left to chance.

Unidrain are very proud to have supplied HighLine Custom drains to The Hub; in the main bathroom and specifically crafted for this space, the classic Unidrain grating has been replaced by marble tiling creating an exact match to the rest of the bathroom floor, here the line drain blends into the flooring and is almost invisible to the eye.

As consumers continue to focus on adjusting home environments to cater for changing needs, creating a luxurious bathroom sanctuary not only helps when more family members are in the home, it also delivers a private space to relax or rejuvenate as we manage the day-to-day pressures of the ‘new normal’.

Ben Bryden, Sales and Marketing Director for RAK Ceramics UK, agrees: “As the effects and aftermath of the pandemic continue to be felt in the months ahead, home comforts will be important to consumers for the foreseeable and an investment in making areas such as the bathroom will be noticeable. In the bathroom, luxury, sanctuary and escapism are paramount for 2021.”

Small bathroom spaces

RAK Ceramics offers its own solution when it comes to solving the problem of creating luxury results in compact spaces; RAK-Petit is designed specifically with small bathrooms in mind. The collection includes deep-based washbasins that can be installed alone or combined with RAK-Joy vanity units in domestic bathrooms, as well as freestanding washbasins that are statement pieces in their own right.

RAK Petit
RAK-Petit

Freestanding baths

If you have the luxury of designing for larger bathroom spaces, freestanding baths deliver the ultimate in opulence and style.

Roca’s two new baths Ariane & Raina have been created using Roca’s Stonex® material, it not only looks sophisticated, but it is also warm to touch and has an indulgently smooth texture. David Bromell, Head of Marketing for Roca UK comments: “The bathing experience is so personal and remains the focal point in achieving a sanctuary-like space where you can unwind and renew. By expanding our collection of bath options, we are enabling this individual approach, both to wellness and the overall bathroom design.”  

Acquabella has also added freestanding baths and basins to its portfolio with the introduction of Acquawhite. Best-known for its award-winning trays, the Spanish manufacturer’s new Acquawhite collection has been created using its environmentally friendly Dolotek material which is UV resistant, anti-bacterial, silky to touch and easy to clean.

Baths and basins
Acquabella Vars Bath

Material matters

Selecting the right material is also a key factor when individualising bathrooms and washrooms, acrylic is warm to touch and retains heat, whereas composite materials such as Marbond by Laufen are hygienic, easy to clean, antibacterial and slip-resistant.

Laufen has added six brand new bath design lines to its existing wellness collection, offering a luxurious bathing experience across fifty two individually designed bathtubs. The company offers three different materials for its baths, each of which has distinctive characteristics that define its shape, design, function and finish. Click the link to find out more.

Designing in colour

Adding colour to your bathroom design is also simply executed if you have a freestanding bath. Kaldewei’s Classic Duo Oval (pictured top) is now available in individually designed optics. The strong enamel colours are ideal for harmonising with the rest of the bathroom, or for implementing a contrast.

Adam Teal, Head of Sales for Kaldewei UK explains: “Freestanding bathtubs are increasing in popularity and are on track to be a key trend for 2021.  Alongside their ecological stance, Kaldewei offers creative, on-trend designs; such as the new bio-colour designed free-standing bathtubs available in three of their freestanding bathtub models: Centro Duo Oval, Conoduo and Ellipso Duo Oval, available in alpine white, alpine white matt, black gloss and lava black matt – these offer a wide range of eye-catching combinations for the modern bathroom.”

For a coordinated design, Kaldewei’s popular Cayono product family completes the series with the introduction of high-quality washbasins – whether as a trendsetting washbowl, countertop or under-counter solution.

Baths and basins
Kaldewei Washbasins

Feature by Diane Larner

Acquabella is best-known for its award-winning trays, however, the leading Spanish manufacturer has launched Acquawhite, a stunning new collection of free-standing baths and basins.

All of the baths and basins in the Acquawhite range are made from the company’s unique material, Dolotek. Dolotek’s chemical and physical properties enable Acquabella to manufacture technically high-quality products, which can be moulded into complex shapes to combine style and functionality. Dolotek is also efficient, environmentally friendly, UV resistant, anti-bacterial, silky to touch, easy to clean and its thermal shock allows water to stay warmer for longer. All of Acquabella’s Acquawhite range is constructed from Dolotek to the highest design credentials.

Acquabella Acquawhite
Acquabella Vars Bath

Within the range are four freestanding baths; the Levi (168.9 cm), Vars (165 cm), Venet (155 cm) and Lech (170.4 cm) as well as a selection of three highly specified basins models; the Levi, Vars and Venet which are available in round, square and rectangular in sizes from 38 cm – 60 cms.

Acquawhite’s versatility allows the consumer to place different styles in the same space without the combination becoming cluttered or chaotic. Acquawhite products beautifully create a bathroom that exudes calm and stylish simplicity. The collection includes baths, totems, washbasins and worktops which can be used together or stand-alone. The basins can be used in a counter-top configuration.

Acquabella’s Totems deliver another option when creating a contemporary bathroom space. Also constructed from Dolotek, they enjoy the same benefits as the baths and basins, they are available in a standard 85 cm height. Within this range is the uber-contemporary Zermatt, a design-led counter with integral sinks. The Zermatt is available in single or double sink capacity from sizes 80 – 160 cm width.

Acquabella `Acquawhite totems
Acquawhite Totems

Acquabella’s UK country manager, Robert Heredia is available to speak to potential bathroom retailers and specifiers via acquabell.com/en

ELEMENTA from Ritmonio is the new series of accessories that allows you to create unique and customised bathroom solutions.

Delivering design flexibility, ELEMENTA accessories offer a “made-to-measure” approach to creating bespoke bathroom and washroom spaces.

Ritmonio Elementa

Available in 19 finishes and a variety of materials, including stainless steel and acrylic stone, the clean design means individual elements can be combined with each other to create unique compositions and countless types of accessories. For example, the hangers for the bathrobe can be combined with the rods to create practical towel holders. These elements can be combined with the shelves in acrylic stone (full or perforated) and are available in different sizes.

From the classic shelf for objects to specific elements such as soap dispensers and toothbrush holders, any bathroom ‘personality can be catered for.

All elements can be combined with Ritmonio’s series of taps, both for finish and design, ELEMENTA gives life to countless possible scenarios and configurations.

Thanks to the innovative and functional elements of ELEMENTA, the “Made in Ritmonio” bathroom is based on a clean and original design.

A revolutionary concept that allows you to completely re-interpret the place of well-being par excellence: taps and accessories are no longer just details, but become the real protagonists of the projects, providing the user with a user experience where the emotional component is essential.

www.ritmonio.it

Bette will present its new products and innovations for 2021 on April 20 and 21 in its new digital show: Bette Future Days. The company will also premier its shower tile.

Retailers, interior designers, architects and installers are invited to have the new products shown and explained on these two days. A half-hour news show in English will take place several times a day, the show will include the launch of the BetteAir shower tile.

Registration to attend Bette Future Days is via the website www.bettefuturedays.com.

“This year’s focus is on exciting innovations for high-quality bathrooms, that can be installed easily,” announced Sven Rensinghoff, head of marketing at Bette. “With the BetteAir shower tile, we are also celebrating a real-world premiere for flush-to-floor showering on glazed titanium steel – perhaps the biggest innovation since the launch of the BetteFloor.”

In the Bette Future Days, the product presentations will be followed by question and answer sessions, in which individual questions can be answered live by experts from Bette. There is also the opportunity to register for one of the accompanying online seminars, these will deal with the details of the new products in about 20 minutes. Individual appointments can also be booked with a member of the Bette UK team.

Register for Bette Future Days at www.bettefuturedays.com.

About Bette

Bette is a specialist in bathroom products that are made of a special metal in a unique manufacturing process: titanium steel sheets are shaped under high pressure and then finished with a thin coating that is related to glass – hence the name “glazed titanium steel”. This composite material is perfect for the bathroom (it is skin-friendly, hygienic, durable and robust), and Bette uses it to make its baths, shower areas, shower trays and washbasins.

The Bette family company was founded in Delbrück in North-Rhine Westphalia in 1952 and specialises exclusively in this manufacturing process because it allows the products to be shaped smoothly with the maximum skilled precision. The manufacturing and administrative headquarters employs around 385 people. The CEO, Thilo C. Pahl, is a member of the owner family.

The range includes baths, shower areas, shower trays, washbasins and bathroom furniture “Made in Germany”. Unique items that can be made in various colours and dimensions and open up inspiring spaces in interior design for the bathroom. Bette’s assembly processes combine high-tech industrial production techniques with tailor-made manufacturing where it benefits the customer. More than half its products are customised to customer preferences. The company offers over 600 different baths, shower trays and washbasin models in a tremendous range of colours.

The natural raw materials glass, water and steel are used to manufacture high-quality products that are completely recyclable. They are verified to the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) as per ISO 14025 and to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

The new BetteFlat is a shower area made of glazed titanium steel, especially for bathrooms that need to provide barrier-free access, conforming to the standard, DIN 18040-2.

It can be installed flush to floor, and 50 percent of its surface can be used to provide space for access to other bathroom items, such as the basin, so it can be particularly useful in bathrooms with small floor plans. In addition, it protects the user with slip resistance to rating group B, is easy to maintain, robust and comes equipped with a sound insulation set. BetteFlat is ideally suited for use in commercial and private residential projects.

In order for the shower area to be considered as accessible according to the DIN 18040-2 standard, it must be at least 120 x 120 cm in size and be of the same floor level. In addition, stability and slip resistance to evaluation group B and a high-contrast design are required. All requirements of the barrier-free standard are met by the new BetteFlat shower area in full, tested and confirmed by DIN CERTCO.

Makes small bathrooms accessible

The BetteFlat can be installed in bathrooms in which the user’s movement areas for the shower, washbasin and WC are overlapping. With a gradient of less than two percent, half of its total area can be counted as a movement area. This allows a bathroom of high aesthetic quality to be realised, even with a compact floor plan of only four square metres.

BetteFlat shower tray

Safety for all generations

Due to the frequency and severity of falls in the bathroom, DIN 18040-2 requires slip-resistant floor coverings with slip class B (GUV-I 8527 “Floor coverings for wet-loaded barefoot areas”, rating group B) in the shower area. With its proven Anti-slip Pro surface, the BetteFlat offers standard-compliant safety for people with movement restrictions, but also for families with young children or those future-proofing their bathroom – in fact for anyone who wants to enjoy a carefree shower.

A welcome side effect of the integrated slip resistance is that aids, such as anti-slip mats or pads, which with their uneven and difficult to clean surfaces offer the ideal breeding ground for dirt and germs, become superfluous. On the hygienic and non-porous surface of the glazed titanium steel BetteFlat, dirt and bacteria find it difficult to adhere.

Colours also mean safety

The BetteFlat is available in white, in exclusive matt colours and in Pergamon, Manhattan, Bahamas, Edelweiss, Jasmine and matt black. As a result, the shower area can be used in any bathroom interior design and, as required by the Standard, the BetteFlat can form a visual contrast to the surrounding bathroom floor. For people with reduced vision, this means that they can orient themselves more safely, even in poor light conditions.

The anti-slip surface does not diminish the elegant look of the glazed titanium steel. However, the difference between the shower area and the surrounding floor, usually tiles, is also noticeable under-foot, so that two senses signal entering the shower area.

Ease of care and sound insulation included

In addition, the BetteFlat offers a high level of hygiene, ease of care and durability. The glazed titanium steel is impact-resistant, scratch-resistant, chemical-resistant and UV-resistant – Bette provides a 30-year guarantee on the material. With the BetteInstallation System Universal, the shower area is also sealed according to DIN 18534 and can be inspected at any time, because the shower area can be easily removed.

At the factory, the shower area is also equipped with a basic sound insulation set. If a higher level of sound insulation, in accordance with DIN 4109, is required, the set can be extended with further sound insulation measures.

For further information see my-bette.com/en or telephone 0844 800 0547.

LIXIL’s launch of the new digital experience hub GROHE X, for its GROHE brand across EMENA, has so far attracted more than 68,000 visits from 140 countries across the globe.

The comprehensive brand platform offers informative multimedia content to GROHE’s professional business partners and consumers. Tailored to visitors’ different needs and interests, a customised programme of content is offered to respective target groups. During the launch week, more than 8 events, ranging from a premiere keynote for media and a panel talk on consumer insights, to a deep-dive session on installer services, were hosted. Meanwhile, architects, designers and business partners sought out discussions on topics such as ‘Strategies for Future Living’ and ‘Green Buildings’. Videos and live sessions have already been viewed almost 70,000 times and are now available as on-demand content on the hub.

A highlight and further proof of the global brand’s position as a sustainability pioneer in the sanitary industry, was the reveal moment of its four best-selling products as Cradle to Cradle Certified® variants. In contrast to the linear take-make-waste model, Cradle to Cradle stands for continuous material cycles: a product is manufactured in such a way that, at the end of its life, the components can be used to create new products. This is a new milestone in the GROHE brand’s sustainability journey.

GROHE X offers a vast selection of how-to videos, inspirational articles and 360° virtual rooms that allow visitors to immerse themselves in the new product highlights and innovations. In addition, there are exciting video formats such as ‘A Glass of Water with…’, in which various GROHE experts offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of the global brand, or ‘Wow of the Week’, in which a particularly inspiring project or topic is presented each week. 2 While visitors to the brand hub can explore the world of GROHE on their own, GROHE X also opens up new ways of interaction. Business partners can use the platform to schedule appointments with their sales contact and thus exchange information directly about upcoming innovations. The visionary idea of driving customer engagement via the hub has so far resulted in more than 4,000 customer meetings.

“We were blown away by the positive feedback from our customers, suppliers, and various other stakeholders as well as colleagues from LIXIL around the globe,“ says Jonas Brennwald, Leader LIXIL EMENA and Co-CEO Grohe AG. “GROHE X is a true milestone in our brand history. It opens up unprecedented opportunities to experience GROHE and to discover our products and the topics that drive us. The digital journey we have embarked on with GROHE X has only just begun.”

Online bathroom retailer Victoria Plum has announced that its sales rose by a record 46 per cent to £103m for the year ended 28 February 2021. The company has also put in place a permanent remote working strategy.

In addition its EBITDA increase by 115 per cent to £4.5m. Over the same period, the company grew its headcount from 349 to 398.

18 months ago the Doncaster based company was acquired by Leeds-based private equity fund Endless, this year also marks its twentieth year in business.

During that time, Victoria Plum has continued its successful management-led turnaround and transformation strategy under the leadership of chief executive, Paul McClenaghan.

This included launching a bathroom design and installation service in 2020, a move that has clearly differentiated the company, creating higher value transactions and enhanced customer relationships.

Victoria Plum also took the decision last year for all its people to permanently work remotely. The only exceptions to this are the teams working in the company’s 275,000 sq ft distribution facility in Doncaster and across its nationwide delivery network.

Victoria Plum’s Doncaster facility and one of its offices in Hessle, East Yorkshire, have now become hubs where people can work and meet according to their requirements.

Commenting on the business’s performance, chief executive Paul McClenaghan said: “We have an ambitious growth strategy, highly capable people throughout the company and a collective determination to further accelerate our rate of expansion. These latest record results validate our approach and provide us with the platform to progress our plans at pace.

“Elements of our results have benefitted from the speeding up of the structural shift to online retail throughout 2020. However, we were constantly evolving Victoria Plum as a pure-play online retailer long before last year’s events happened and will continue to do so.”

Compared to the previous financial year, Victoria Plum’s website users increased by 165 per cent to 23.2 million whilst its sessions rose 194 per cent to more than 51 million.

Paul continued: “We are confident that we will continue to grow at speed. Our market fundamentals are strong, we have the necessary scalable infrastructure in place and a clearly differentiated design and installation service that is experiencing rapidly increasing demand.

“In addition, the constant stream of valuable data and consumer insights we access and interpret enables us to quickly adapt our product offer to meet customers’ needs, keeping us ahead of the game.

“All this means we are ideally positioned to make Victoria Plum the most differentiated, most trusted and most respected bathroom provider.”

For further information visit www.victoriaplum.com.

Bathroom Brands Group is sponsoring DESIGN POD; the contemporary podcast from Hotel Designs aimed at interior designers and architects working across the globe.

This innovative new series reflects on the key issues faced by many modern design professionals with an aim to amplify voices and to invite healthy discussion. As leaders in bathroom design, the group is extremely proud to be part of the thought-provoking series whilst showing their full support for the hospitality industry.

Hosted by Hotel Designs editor, Hamish Kilburn and his co-host interior designer Harriet Forde – the pair have a wealth of knowledge across both the hospitality and design industry. To listen to the podcast, visit:
www.hoteldesigns.net/design-pod/