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RAK-FEELING – live life in colour

RAK-Feeling

RAK Ceramics launched colour into its portfolio at kbb with the introduction of RAK-Feeling.

In a world that has long been dominated by white sanitaryware, RAK-Feeling is a complete collection of shower trays, enclosures and valves, washbasins, brassware, WCs and bidet, made with innovative materials and available in a range of colours to give consumers the freedom to express themselves by adding flair and personality to their bathroom. 

Imagine your ideal bathroom where quality and harmony merge with functionality to give you the utmost comfort and then imagine it in colour. RAK-Feeling is the complete collection of shower trays and washbasins, water closets and bidet, made with innovative materials and co-ordinated colours to perfect your moments of relaxation in a total look ambience.

Alongside Matt White, the range is also available in Matt Greige, Matt Cappuccino, Matt Grey and Matt Black, RAK-Feeling is where quality and harmony merge with functionality to create a bathroom of the utmost comfort, in colour. 

RAK-Feeling countertop wash basins with slim edges will enhance any modern bathroom and are finished with an exclusive matt glaze, matching exactly with RAK-Feeling shower trays. Designed to create a spa-like finish with elegant and contemporary lines the flush-to-the-floor shower trays are made of RAKSOLID, a durable material composed of a mixture of natural minerals and resins, with an anti-slip smooth finish. 

The perfectly colour matched WCs and bidet and beautiful brassware offer the perfect final touch for a total look bathroom where harmony accompanies those all-important moments of relaxation.

Contact:

RAK Ceramics UK

01730 237850

www.rakceramics.com/uk/

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Acquabella helps fight COVID-19

Acquabella fights COVID-19

Acquabella, best known as a manufacturer of shower trays is helping the fight against COVID-19 by producing PPE (personal protective equipment).

Spanish brand Acquabella (recently awarded European Company of the Year at the EBA Awards) has voluntarily joined the initiative promoted by the professional 3D printer distributor, Sicnova. This firm called for anyone with 3D printing technology to manufacture medical accessories to help assist against the lack of protective material in Spanish health centers, residences, public institutions, and security forces.

In Castellón there are currently 155 printers and four organisations that have requested individual protection visors or face masks for their health or elderly-care personnel.

Acquabella is company that is skilled in the avant-garde production and design of shower trays and bathroom furniture, however with its production temporarily halted, Acquabella’s priority is to protect doctors and healthcare teams.

Juan José Benavent, CEO of Acquabella, confirmed they saw this opportunity “through social networks” and decided to “contact them immediately to collaborate.”

Acquabella was assessed and enrolled by Sicnova, following approval it received materials such as a coil of PLA, EVA rubber (avoids direct contact of the visor with the skin), acetates to place in the visor, and a bag to store the printed pieces.

3D printers work by melting a thread (PLA coil) and the printer ensures that it acquires the desired shape, Acquabella is producing supports for the forehead – the transparent protector (acetate) is then put in place and a rubber band is attached to secure the visor to the back of the head.

Juan José Benavent, CEO of Acquabella commented “We have not changed direction or industry, we simply have a 3D printer that we can use to make prototypes, so we are using it to manufacture these face shields. We started on Wednesday because Sicnova had a queue, as they received 9,000 requests, and could not supply us all with the raw material. The van that distributes the material is the same van that collects them once  manufactured.”

Acquabella can make an average of 40 or 50 protectors a day “It is like a normal printer, you send a PDF document and it comes out as desired. In this case, you put what you want and make a three-dimensional drawing that allows you to create the transparent masks, we are pleased to be in a position to help, and to demonstrate Acquabella’s commitment to the unity of effort that the health crisis demands.”

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Eco-design – be kinder to the planet

eco-design from Kaldewei

Eco-design: Adam Teal, Head of Sales for Kaldewei UK explains why Kaldewei is kinder to the planet.

Today’s consumer is more aware of the environmental impact being placed on the planet, especially the effects of plastics on our environment and oceans. By purchasing Kaldewei’s sustainable steel enamel bathroom solutions consumers are making a conscious choice to help to be kinder to our planet. Not only do they offer iconic design but exceptional material benefits too which are 100% recyclable.

Kaldewei underlines the quality and longevity of its material with a 30-year guarantee, ensuring its bathroom solutions continue to look as beautiful as they did on installation and deliver a sustainable long-term option, without the need to refurbish any time soon.

With an extensive portfolio of over 600 durable award-winning steel enamel bathroom solutions, from over 100,000 options for designing a floor-level shower area, to washbasins for all installation types; undercounter, countertop and wall mounted and baths – luxury Meisterstücke freestanding collection, showering baths to compact baths perfect for small bathrooms. Kaldewei delivers the perfect sustainable material choice for any bathroom design with its versatile and flexible solutions, which meet present and future needs.

www.kaldewei.co.uk
01480 498053

Eco-design – more planet-friendly bathroom ideas

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Sustainable bathrooms from Kaldewei

Planet-friendly sustainable bathrooms

Achieving a beautiful sustainable bathroom is possible with Kaldewei. With over 100 years’ experience across four generations, Kaldewei is considered a pioneer of sustainable manufacturing. Kaldewei has a vast portfolio of over 600 shower surfaces, washbasins and baths, and over 150 design awards, making it the preferred partner of choice in all aspects of sustainable bathroom design. 

All Kaldewei steel enamel bathroom solutions are 100% recyclable and Kaldewei avoids the use of colour additives in production. In 2017, Kaldewei won a Green Good Design Award – one of the world’s most prestigious sustainability awards.

Kaldewei shower solutions
Kaldewei Nexsys shower surface with Kaldewei Miena washbasin bowl and freestanding Meisterstueck Classic Duo Oval bath.

Steel enamel is a highly sustainable material that contributes to conserving resources. It is ideal for sustainably designed buildings and Kaldewei has been awarded an Environmental Product Declaration that complies with ISO 14025 and EN 15804. It is also a member of the US Green Building Council LEED.

Sustainable bathrooms
Kaldewei Cayonoplan shower surface in Lava Black matt from the Coordinated Colours Collection with Kaldewei Secure Plus anti-slip finish and Kaldewei Puro inset countertop washbasins.

Kaldewei’s superior steel enamel fuses steel and glass for exceptional toughness and has a lasting, beautiful sheen. Despite frequent use, the smooth surface shows no scratches and has no place for dirt or bacteria to settle. This makes the use of aggressive, ecologically harmful cleaning products unnecessary. Kaldewei underlines the quality and longevity of its material with a 30-year warranty, ensuring its bathroom solutions continue to look as beautiful as they did on installation and is therefore a long-term, practical investment.

Colour is also key for creating a sense of space, the Coordinated Colours Collection from Kaldewei now covers all shower surfaces, washbasins and selected baths. The colours include a selection of natural matt shades – from earthy brown hues to greys to soft cream or elegant Lava Black. These provide a harmonious and elegant effect in the bathroom.  

Kaldewei has an ethical and ecological commitment to the environment and offers sustainable bathrooms and material choice that supports the UK government’s carbon-neutral 2050 target.

www.kaldewei.co.uk

01480 498053

More planet-friendly bathroom ideas

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VitrA launches Voyage Collection

VitrA Voyage Collection

VitrA introduces the Voyage collection, a collaboration with the award-winning multi-disciplinary artist and designer Arik Levy.  

With more than 130 products available in the range, Voyage is one of VitrA’s most extensive collections to date, offering endless possibilities for customisation. The vast number of furniture and sanitaryware pieces can be individually tailored using the extensive range of colour, material and size options, and by taking advantage of the variety of horizonal and vertical units and wall panels to create the ideal layout to suit any bathroom space or style. 

Inspired by his time living and working in Japan, Arik Levy worked closely with VitrA’s in-house design team to create a bathroom collection that allows both mind and body to relax. He comments: “Taking time for ourselves in the bathroom each day can be extremely purifying. Our daily habits are deeprooted, but I hope that the Voyage collection will help us to indulge ourselves and make time to enjoy our daily rituals”.  

The collection is entirely wall-hung, making it exceptionally versatile and ideal for small or awkward spaces. Both open and closed storage options are available – from hooks and open shelving, through to mirrored wallboxes and a variety of storage units – and each piece can be positioned anywhere in the room to suit individual needs. Coordinating accessories including a heated towel rail and a toilet roll and brush holder is also available to complete the look. 

Voyage bathroom furniture is available in five different dual colour finishes, including flamed grey and natural oak, planked sand and stone grey, and flamed grey and forest green. 

Cast from hygienic and easy-to-clean ceramic, the Voyage collection includes a range of countertop and wall-hung washbasin units which offer a convenient combination of wet, dry and semi-wet areas, blurring the lines between a traditional bowl and a vanity unit.  

This collaboration is the latest in VitrA’s long-standing programme of working with world-renowned designers to create distinctive and modern bathroom collections. Arik Levy joins a group of designers such as Ross Lovegrove, Sebastian Conran, Terri Pecora, and most recently, Claudio Bellini, each of whom has worked closely with VitrA’s in-house team to create bathrooms that reflect their own vision and aesthetic style.  

Levent Giray, Managing Director of VitrA UK, comments: “The Voyage collection highlights the importance of taking time to practice self-care on a daily basis and we are delighted to see it in production. Arik Levy worked closely with our in-house design team to ensure that his vision was expertly manufactured and engineered to be as versatile as possible, ensuring maximum convenience and choice for our customers.” 

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Sottini showcases brand new ranges at kbb

Sottini brand new ranges

Sottini showcased new ranges at this year’s kbb event, including Rienza washbasins, Caffaro WCs and Ceno fittings for the first time, as well as exciting furniture additions to the successful Fusaro range. The striking collections have been designed to inspire, and build on Sottini’s existing collections which are perfected for premium, aspirational bathrooms. 

The Rienza and Caffaro collections share the same design vocabulary so the basins and toilets work perfectly together.  Both ranges add a sense of quiet sophistication to any bathroom, and are styled with a stunning simplicity. Ceno mixers feature sharp, flat surfaces and strong horizontal lines. The fittings are designed to be as versatile perfectly complementing other Sottini products.

 Also taking centre stage at kbb, are additions to the Fusaro range, which has already proven to be a popular choice. Sottini will introduce elegant new furniture at the show, including wall-mounted vanity and basin units, all design-matched for the subtle, slim edges  of the Fusaro washbasins. 

As well as showcasing new ranges, Sottini is offering a space to escape the hustle and bustle of kbb, in the form of its new installation – Serenity 2020. This relaxing area is designed not only to give visitors a moment of relaxation and tranquillity, but to celebrate Sottini’s passion for balance between beauty, craft, elegance and innovation. To elevate the functional and inspire wellbeing, and to celebrate the Sottini way of life.  

Olivia Maycock, Retail Marketing Manager at Sottini said: “We’re incredibly excited about kbb 2020, as we get to share a wide variety of new additions to our growing premium range. All of our products are specifically designed to be aspirational, and to work in harmony with each other to ensure the bathroom remains a serene and stylish place to be. 

“The introduction of the Rienza, Caffaro and Ceno ranges, as well as the new additions to our already popular Fusaro collection all culminate to bring a premium and stylish simplicity to any bathroom. For this year we’re also holding our very own Serenity 2020 installation on our stand, which is an experience designed to offer visitors the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of kbb. We can’t wait to welcome visitors to the stand.”

For more information about Sottini products, visit: www.sottini.co.uk

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Kocoon shower cubicle from Kinedo range

Kocoon shower cubicle

Kocoon is a new self-contained shower cubicle from the Kinedo range by Saniflo. 

It combines luxury shower walls with a chrome frame, low level shower tray and overhead rain shower, handset and valve in one package to provide a stunning centrepiece in the bathroom. Whether for domestic customers, accommodation providers or manufacturers of modular buildings the Kocoon is a contemporary, designer shower solution that stands out from the rest.

This new cubicle offers a choice of three coloured shower wall options, including a tile pattern that makes for a stunning feature wall using on-trend natural colours in grey, grey with tile pattern and beige with tile pattern. The low level shower trays are textured for safe showering and available in two modern colours; white and taupe to complement the walls. 

An exceptional quality, ultra-thin rainshower head is supplied part of the whole package. A modern square shape it is manufactured from stainless steel and combines with an exposed thermostatic valve with mixer handles and an integrated handset and hose. An anti-twist hose features on the handset for ease of use, whilst the valve doubles up as a handy shelf for easy storage of – and access to – bottles of bathroom products. 

The versatile Kocoon is available in multiple sizes and configurations from 1000mm to 1700mm for corner and recess installations and either right or left hand fitting. Sizes include bath replacement models which can be fitted in the exact place of a standard UK sized bath. As with all Kinedo cubicles installation is simple and straightforward and requires no silicone. Thanks to clever and intuitive assembly it is completely watertight.  All glass panels and doors are 8mm thick and feature Cristal Plus to minimise water marks and for ease of maintenance. Options include a central frosted panel on the glass and feet for raised settings, supplied with a cut-able plinth. There is a choice of sliding or saloon doors to suit all bathroom settings. 

For a product that is durable, low maintenance and stands out from the crowd then the Kocoon is worth a look. 

To see more please see the Kinedo website on www.kinedo.co.uk

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BetteForm bath re-designed

BetteForm fitted bath

The BetteForm bath has been completely re-designed to feature contemporary styling, a wider, more comfortable back rest and more standing room, when used as a shower-bath. The strength of the Bette glazed titanium-steel also means that the bath is able to feature a very slim, stylish rim, while still being extremely strong, and the metal construction enables almost right-angled corners, so the bath fits into a tiling pattern. It is available in 12 sizes from 1400 × 700 mm to 1900 × 800 mm, with a depth of 420 mm, providing a wide range of options for bathrooms of all sizes.

Comments Bette UK Country Manager, Samantha Lewis: “The re-designed BetteForm is a high quality, contemporary fitted bath for a price comparable to many non-steel baths.  It provides retailers with the opportunity to trade up and offer their customers the lasting good looks, 30 year warranty and eco credentials of a Bette bath. 

“While there are many retailers who choose glazed titanium-steel for the majority of the baths they sell, because they are aware of the benefits, we hope that the new BetteForm will provide an affordable alternative for those who have not yet experienced the advantages of Bette’s material. These benefits include scratch resistance, strength, long-lasting shine, 30 year warranty, easy-clean, no plastic, 100% recyclable, generous shower end standing room and hundreds of colours available.”

The redesigned BetteForm is available now. Extras and accessories for the bath remain available in the range.

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

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Aqualisa Smart Quartz Collection

Aqualisa Smart Quartz

The new Aqualisa Smart Quartz Collection delivers intuitive control, stunning good looks as well as personalisation and convenience. The established Quartz name has been retained to launch a new generation of showers with an exceptional level of connectivity, including breakthrough voice activation, wifi connectivity and app control.

App technology allows the homeowner to control the smart digital shower via WIFI, connecting through residential WIFI networks to the Aqualisa Smart Valve (ASV) using safe and secure best practice for IoT/Connected devices. It utilises the simplest on-boarding techniques possible to establish secure and robust connection with the ASV via WIFI.  It is voice activation and personalisation that will make it stand out against the competition since it integrates with established smart home eco-systems via voice control – using Alexa.  

The range consists of Quartz Blue, the introduction to the smart showering revolution for the new Collection, and Quartz Classic, now with added smart technology,  and top of the range Quartz Touch, every member of the family can activate their own personal shower requirement – created and saved on the App for the perfect, consistently repeated showering experience.

For installers, the new Smart Quartz Collection is a great proposition for new build, self-build or renovation projects, principally because the unique Aqualisa Smart Valve – the brains of the new smart collection – can be located up to 10 metres away from the shower itself, providing unbelievable flexibility in installation.  Installers will find this new product range easy to sell, impressing their customers with the benefits of connectivity – voice activation being a major unique selling point.

“’Alexa turn my shower on’ will quickly become a familiar command in homes with a new Aqualisa Smart Quartz Collection shower”, says Aqualisa CEO, Colin Sykes. “The Quartz excellence established from the early two thousands has now reached new heights and will offer homeowners the most sophisticated showering experience available. Despite the advent of the smart home and the arrival of a myriad of smart products, the suggestion, even five years ago, that showers would take this huge step into the world of smart technology would have been difficult to imagine.  Thanks to Aqualisa, this is now a reality. It seems the most natural development for them to take, but we’re delighted it’s us introducing this technology to the UK and Ireland”, he adds.

For more exciting news on these exceptional new showers, head for www.aqualisa.co.uk or to the Aqualisa You Tube channel where you can find all the information you could possibly need, including access to multiple application videos that explain the complete smart showering experience. It’s time to develop a closer relationship with your shower – courtesy of Aqualisa.

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Kaldewei low profile trays deliver easy-installation

Kaldewei low profile trays

There’s no easier and quicker way to install an enamelled shower surface: thanks to the low-profile support, it takes just a few steps to install the Kaldewei Conoflat, Cayonoplan, Superplan, Superplan Plus and Scona showers directly onto a suitably prepared floor. Shower surface, tray support and central support are already preassembled, perfectly coordinated and easy to handle. This benefits installers as they save time on the installation and therefore increase their efficiency. 

Preassembled system in one package Using the low-profile support, Kaldewei showers can be installed very quickly and easily onto the floor or, if necessary, directly onto the tiles. The enamelled shower surface, tray support and central support are delivered in one package as a preassembled system solution. This provides the optimum solution for time-saving fitting in almost every installation situation, whether with a tiled, concrete or wooden floor.  

 Simple and standard-compliant installation A floor recess is only required for the waste fitting. Thanks to the low built height, Kaldewei showers can be virtually installed at floor level. It takes just a few steps to install the enamelled shower surfaces onto the floor. For standard-compliant sealing, Kaldewei recommends the Flex sealing kit that can be integrated with the greatest of ease into the surrounding bathroom sealing.   

 Persuasive material properties Not only can Kaldewei’s enamelled shower surfaces be installed quickly and easily with the low-profile support, but they also possess highly persuasive material properties. With superior Kaldewei steel enamel, these include longevity, anti-slip properties, ease of maintenance and recyclability. All Kaldewei bathroom solutions are supplied with a 30-year guarantee. 

www.kaldewei.co.uk

Kaldewei low profile trays

About Kaldewei

For exclusive and innovative bathrooms products see the Kaldewei range. With over 100 years’ experience, Kaldewei has become a global partner for iconic bathroom solutions made of superior steel enamel. With a portfolio of over 600 shower surfaces, washbasins and baths, the premium manufacturer provides perfectly coordinated solutions for project business and private clients – featuring a uniform material throughout and harmonious design. The company collaborates with renowned international design firms and has received over 150 awards. For its unique brand management, Kaldewei has been recognised with a gold German Brand Award. In 2018, a long-term partnership was launched with WWF, the nature and environmental conservation organisation. Kaldewei is supporting the WWF marine conservation programme that is devoted to reducing plastic waste in our oceans.

Beautiful and extremely hard-wearing – all Kaldewei steel enamel bathroom solutions are sustainable, 100% recyclable and are supplied with a 30-year guarantee.

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