In a significant advancement for barrier-free sanitary solutions, HEWI has announced that its renowned Range 801 is now available in the WARM TOUCH edition. The classic among barrier-free hygienic products is also available as a warm-to-the-touch alternative to chrome products.
Nobody likes to hold on to cold support rails, especially not in the bathroom or an accessible toilet. In particular, people with a heightened sensitivity to cold find it unpleasant to touch cold surfaces. That’s why HEWI, the pioneer of barrier-free sanitary equipment, has gone one step further and given the products in its classic design, the 801 range, an elegant chrome look – with a pleasantly temperate surface.
The name WARM TOUCH, therefore, says it all, as the support rails and the shower and bath handrails have the warm, tactile properties of polyamide and, thanks to the special coating, the elegant look of a chrome surface, elegance with the comfort factor.
For over 50 years, HEWI’s System 801 has set the benchmark for sanitary equipment, being the first barrier-free range in the industry. Today, it continues to offer top-tier, accessible sanitary solutions characterised by durability, functionality, and aesthetic appeal.
In developing the WARM TOUCH edition, HEWI has prioritised the needs of both users and caregivers. The coating and colour selection are thoughtfully designed within the framework of universal design, catering to the diverse requirements of all individuals. This focus is particularly beneficial for people with limited mobility, who gain enhanced security and confidence through the ergonomic round tube design of washbasin, WC, and shower support systems.
Pleasantly warm, elegant and easy to care for
The high-quality chrome-look coating of the WARM TOUCH edition not only imparts a sophisticated appearance to the polyamide products but also ensures exceptional durability and ease of cleaning. These features are crucial for environments such as professional nursing care, the hospitality industry, and private homes. Additionally, the comfort of a pleasantly warm surface can significantly benefit individuals with rheumatic conditions and other sensitivities.
For more information about HEWI’s WARM TOUCH edition and the Range 801, please visit HEWI
Employees at Utopia were delighted to support the charity Breast Cancer Now last Friday, 18 October, by sporting pink garments to work on Wear It Pink Day. Many staff members raided their wardrobes, and a whole range of pink clothing was displayed at the company’s Wolverhampton headquarters.
This was the latest fund-raising effort by the company, which supports a range of local and national charities. Helen Clark, Head of Marketing at Utopia, said, “Who doesn’t enjoy the opportunity to dress up for a good cause? Cancer charities are particularly dear to our heart at Utopia as a number of employees have been affected, including our own Liz Green, so we’re delighted to take any opportunity to support them.”
The Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) has welcomed ProPlanet UK Ltd., a leading IT software company specialising in Product Information Management (PIM), ETIM Classification and Product Data Services, as its newest affiliate member.
Founded in 2000, Proplanet are PIM specialists and co-founders of ETIM with extensive experience in helping manufacturers, merchants, and retailers streamline their product data, workflow, and communication processes.
Proplanet’s PIM is an easy-to-use, flexible, fully customisable PIM solution that allows manufacturers to manage, organise, enrich, and distribute detailed product information directly to marketing channels, all from a single, centralised platform. This technology is crucial in today’s digital era, where precise and effective communication of product information across various channels is essential for maintaining competitiveness.
Tom Reynolds, the BMA’s chief executive, highlighted the importance of ProPlanet Ltd joining the association: “Having ProPlanet on board strengthens the BMA’s ability to support our members as they navigate the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Their expertise and knowledge offer manufacturers the tools to enhance their e-commerce capabilities and ensure product information accuracy across all platforms. This will play a key role in improving efficiency and driving innovation within the industry.”
Sales and Marketing Director Suzanne Wells Adgar from Proplanet shared their perspective on joining the BMA: “We are very excited to collaborate with the BMA and its members. By joining the association, we aim to bring our industry knowledge and PIM and ETIM expertise to members, helping them optimise their product information processes.
“Through our PIM solution, businesses can take full advantage of online marketing and e-commerce opportunities while ensuring consistency and control over their product data information. Our Proplanet Product Data Services will also provide BMA members with access to an additional external data resource, of which they can tap into when required to help complete and harness the full potential of their valuable product data information. We look forward to working with the BMA’s network to drive digital transformation across the industry.”
An exciting combination of bold colour and heritage shades marks the latest stage in the evolution of Roseberry, Utopia’s premium painted timber collection of fitted, wall-mounted and freestanding bathroom furniture.
Joining the existing Roseberry palette are six brand new, carefully selected colours, including rich, vibrant Royal Mulberry, Highland Green and Midnight Blue, and three subtle, more traditional shades – Natural Limestone, Wild Mushroom and Pistachio Green.
Rich Shore, Head of Product Design at Utopia, comments “The consumer is now much more confident about the use of colour and prepared to embrace strong shades to create dramatic focal points in the bathroom. These six new colourways are right on trend.”
Expanding on this, Helen Clark, Utopia’s head of marketing, says, “Initially, Roseberry was positioned very much as a premium range targeting that classic look of traditional, hand-painted timber furniture, but we soon saw that it had far greater appeal. Extending our colour palette yet again to include on-trend shades massively extends the design scope of this range, and we are seeing some very exciting, contemporary bathroom designs featuring Roseberry.”
Now offered in a total of twelve shades, the Roseberry Collection is designed and manufactured in the UK, using responsibly sourced timber and painted to order in-house using state of the art facilities.
KEUCO has launched a new addition to its PLAN collection: the PLAN blue thermostatic bathtub mixer. This wall-mounted solution combines timeless, contemporary design with functionality, making it a perfect fit for various bathroom styles.
Designed for new builds and renovations, the PLAN blue mixer discreetly conceals water supply connections behind two round decor discs. The handles on either side allow users to easily adjust the water temperature and flow rate.
Safety is paramount, as the mixer features a temperature block set at 38 °C to minimise scalding risks. The centrally positioned spout and conveniently located shower hose connection enhance usability.
The slender design of the PLAN blue series complements existing thermostatic shower mixers and is further supported by a wide range of accessories for bathtubs, showers, and washbasins. Available in classic chrome or bold matt black, these options cater to diverse design needs, making them suitable for modern bathrooms in hotels, healthcare facilities, and private residences.
Bathroom manufacturer Ideal Standard recently hosted an insightful discussion on bathroom design and specification, featuring TV presenter and architect George Clarke, at its London Design and Specification Centre on 16 October.
This exclusive media event allowed attendees to engage directly with George, delving into key topics in interior design and his recent home renovation experiences.
Throughout the day, the conversations highlighted the critical role of sustainability in bathroom design. Participants explored how bathroom products can transcend mere water conservation and be crafted to endure both physically and aesthetically. The discussions also focused on how designers can weave these essential themes into their new projects and renovations.
Sustainability has always been at the core of George’s philosophy, significantly influencing his work and product choices. “The ability to specify high-quality products that evolve proven design concepts rather than trend-led items that need replacing frequently reduces the carbon footprint of raw material usage, manufacturing emissions and transport.” This commitment to durability and excellence is a hallmark of Ideal Standard’s Atelier Collection.
With a shared dedication to enduring, quality products, George Clarke incorporated several Ideal Standard items into his recent home renovation, including the minimalist Conca furniture, Linda X basin and bath.
Attendees were also given the chance to get hands-on with the latest ranges on display at Ideal Standard’s showroom, including the most recent edition to the design-led Atelier Collections – the Italian lifestyle inspired La Dolce Vita® range – created by internationally renowned designer, Roberto Palomba.
Introducing SIONA, the latest Kudos 8mm semi-frameless shower panel and enclosure collection. Made in Britain, the range includes pivot and sliding doors, as well as walk-in panels in both chrome and matt black profile finishes. Each panel proudly stands at 2 metres in height, has Lifeshield protection for easy cleaning and is backed by the Kudos Lifetime Guarantee.
Siona is positioned neatly between the Divera 6mm and Ultimate 8mm ranges as part of the Kudos Core Collection. All the glass panels in the new Siona collection are 8mm toughened glass; the pivot doors feature a quality barrel hinge mechanism, the slider doors a double roller ensuring a smooth sliding action, and all come complete with concealed fittings and crystal-clear seals.
The Siona Walk-In range features 8 popular panel sizes from 700mm to 1400mm in width and they can all be installed on the KStone or Connect2 shower trays from Kudos or on a wetroom floor like Aqua4Ma. Two deflector panels complement the design offering either a foldaway or hinged action and designed to control any overspray. The sliding door can be used to create corner, recess and 3-sided enclosures up to 1500mm wide, and the pivot door comes in sizes ranging from 800mm to 1400mm and is ideal for the larger bathroom.
Kudos is a showering product brand that trades as RONAL Bathrooms UK. The Kudos brand is designed and manufactured in the UK, producing shower products at their Cumbria facility since 1999. The Kudos portfolio includes shower enclosures, shower trays, over-bath screens, and wet-room solutions that are sold via KBB showrooms and merchants across the UK. Visit their website kudosshowers.co.uk, call them on 01539 564040 or email info@kudosshowers.co.uk
Recent research from Wickes, the home improvement retailer, reveals that avocado-green bathrooms are making a comeback.
Alexandra Alventosa Garcia, design coordinator at Pure Fitout, comments: “Bars and restaurants often act as the inspiration for many consumers’ homes. They are ahead of the interior design curve and embrace their creative freedom and bold experimentation. Their emphasis on creating memorable experiences drives innovation, which has now crossed over into UK homes.”
Alventosa Garcia continues, “Interior designers push the boundaries to be memorable and make a lasting impression on their visitors. Bars, restaurants, and retail spaces are highly stylised to create unique atmospheres that reflect their brand, culture, or dining experience. Designers’ experimentation with materials and colours has also crossed over into our homes, with terrazzo basins becoming increasingly popular.”
She highlights that “as trendsetters, hospitality spaces inspire residential design, and these avant-garde ideas have now filtered into home interiors.”
Traditionally, homes have been designed with a focus on neutrality and adaptability for everyday living. Consumers have often been cautious in their choices, with many believing that bold bathroom designs could adversely affect their property’s value. However, it appears that homeowners are now more willing to embrace daring designs. Pure Fitout’s bathroom basin brand, Synk, reports a remarkable doubling of sales for 70s-style basins in the past quarter alone.
Claire McCann, general manager at Synk, adds: “There’s been a significant surge in interest in colours such as burnt orange, sunshine yellow, tuscan red, mocha, and terracotta, as people begin to experiment more. Bold colours and rich, earthy tones are making a comeback. These hues are being increasingly featured in bathrooms and kitchens, including in tiles, cabinetry, and accents.”
She continues, “Materials such as concrete are gaining popularity over ceramic, allowing for greater colour customisation. Brass fixtures and gold accents are also returning to style, taking market share from stainless steel alternatives. Darker woods like teak, walnut, and rattan are being used in vanities and cabinets rather than the more traditional white units or lighter wood tones.”
According to McCann, “These new trends combine nostalgic elements of the 1970s with modern technology and functionality to create bathrooms that feel stylish and inviting while evoking memories of past eras. We hope this expression and experimentation is here to stay.”
About Pure Fitout Pure Fitout delivers elite fitout projects encompassing all elements of design, construction, and support services, with specialist bespoke joinery and metalwork capabilities in-house. Established in Belfast in 2015, the firm operates from a 50,000 sq ft manufacturing plant, focusing on continuous capital reinvestment and skills training in the latest technologies and machinery. Pure Fitout’s project portfolio includes the award-winning restoration of Dublin’s Stella Theatre.
About Synk Synk is Ireland’s leading expert in the design and manufacture of bespoke concrete basins, sinks, and bathtubs. With over 20 years of experience, they specialise in handmade products using Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) and conventional wet cast techniques. Synk offers a vast range of customisable designs, working closely with architects, designers, and fitout specialists for both residential and commercial projects. All products are crafted in their Ireland-based workshop, ensuring superior quality and control at every stage of production.
The Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) has revealed that Craig Baker was appointed its new president following the annual general meeting in Leeds. Baker, the global chief innovation officer at Kohler Company, succeeds Jason Parker, managing director at Thomas Dudley Ltd.
With a career spanning over 27 years, Craig Baker has made a name for himself as a visionary leader in the bathroom manufacturing industry. He began his career as a design engineer at Mira Showers, a subsidiary of Kohler Company, in 1997. He advanced through the ranks, spending 16 years on the Kohler Mira leadership team in various strategic positions. In January 2024, he was appointed chief innovation officer, tasked with driving product design globally and overseeing Kohler’s Kitchen & Bath Group in the UK.
In his inaugural address as BMA president, Craig Baker expressed his appreciation to outgoing president Jason Parker, stating:
“I sincerely thank Jason Parker for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the BMA. Working alongside him as vice president has been an incredible experience, and I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of his vision on our industry. It is an honour to follow in his footsteps, and I am committed to building on the strong foundation he has laid.”
The association’s agenda for the next two years is both progressive and focused on ensuring that the BMA continues to meet the evolving needs of its members. Central to the BMA’s vision are three core priorities:
Reducing Environmental Impact: The BMA aims to lead initiatives to help members lessen their environmental footprint by promoting best practices and establishing industry standards for sustainability.
Raising Industry Standards: The association will persist in advocating for elevated standards across the sector, ensuring product quality, safety, and customer satisfaction remain top priorities.
Market Growth and Understanding: The BMA will strive to enhance its understanding of market trends and dynamics, offering members the insights necessary for growth and success in a competitive global landscape.
To support these priorities, the BMA also plans to improve its data pooling and market reporting capabilities and boost its lobbying efforts, ensuring that government policies align with the interests of the bathroom manufacturing sector.
“The BMA is committed to being the driving force for positive change in our industry,” Baker stated. “Over the next two years, we will not only tackle the challenges of a rapidly evolving market but also seize opportunities for growth and innovation. We will concentrate on sustainability, enhancing standards, and supporting our members in a competitive environment. Together, we will shape the future of bathroom manufacturing.”
Tom Reynolds, chief executive of the BMA, echoed Baker’s sentiments, underscoring the exciting direction the association is taking:
“Under Craig’s leadership, we have a clear pathway to further enhance the benefits we provide to our members. From expanding our presence at key industry events such as InstallerSHOW in the UK and KBIS in the USA to influencing policy decisions that directly affect our sector, we are dedicated to fulfilling our mission to support our members and advance the bathroom manufacturing industry.”
Baker added: “The bathroom manufacturing industry is at a pivotal moment, and I am eager to lead the BMA into this new era. Together, we will ensure our members are prepared to face future challenges, capitalise on new opportunities, and set the standards for excellence and innovation in our field.”
Interview by Diane Larner founder and editor of Bathroom Review & Kitchens Review. Diane Larner launched both titles over 14 years ago and has been writing about the bathroom and kitchen interior design industry ever since, publishing regular features across the two sectors.
During a visit to Kaldewei HQ this month, Diane Larner caught up with Christian Buettner – Director of Innovation and Portfolio – to get the inside scoop on the design and production processes behind Kaldewei’s acclaimed steel enamel baths.
Q: What elements do you believe epitomise excellent design at Kaldewei?
A: Ultimately, design excellence is judged by its success; the customers choose. So, when people say let’s do an innovation, I believe you can only do your best; it will be awarded to you by its success. But I also think our products should have a unique quality, maybe some surprising elements that elevate the bathing experience. It is also essential to create a product that is a cohesive part of the building project; we want our products to work with various interior designs. Our design philosophy is based on our core values of sustainability and circularity. We try to make products that are long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing, but not too loud, not obnoxiously screaming ‘look at me’, because then that’s styling, and I shy away from that.
Good design has these inherent qualities: good ergonomics, flawless function, and the correct elements that make it fresh and new. These are what makes them icons in time.
Q: How does your design team integrate emerging trends into new products in such a rapidly evolving industry?
For us, it is about megatrends, long-standing trends that stand the test of time. We want to cultivate the bathroom experience, so it’s not just about the shower gel and the new scent but also the product’s aesthetics that help create the bathroom as a space for cleanliness and mindfulness. In this sense, ergonomics have surprising functionality. For example, the Sound Wave Bath lets users indulge in their own dreamy music, whale sounds, or whatever rocks your boat. You can play with light and temperatures. There are a lot of aspects that we like to bring to the wellness trend. We want to help people be themselves, and they do this by creating their own wellness and recreation area in the home.
Q: You’ve talked about the importance of sustainability for Kaldewei. What role does this climate change play in the design process, and how do you balance eco-friendly practices with innovation?
Firstly, we benefit from working with steel enamel, which is now a certified circular product. We are also part of the Madaster database, which ensures we refurbish and reuse. It is close to the circularity principle of cradle-to-cradle design and has been created to ensure zero waste. This means that in the future, if you redesign the building or tear it down, you will know exactly what products are in there, how much steel there is, how many lighting fixtures there are, etc.
Furthermore, since steel enamel is 100% recyclable, we also give money back if you recycle a steel bathtub. The concept is you borrow usage for a time and then bring it back. Kaldewei is also considering bringing the products back to refurbish them (we are not there yet), but it would mean you could keep your vintage bath and then, at some point in the future, ask for it in a different colour.
We also have the highest standards in terms of eco-friendliness and production. We are careful only to add products that are the most sustainable, and we have eight megawatts of solar panels, so Kaldewei is already in that space.
Q. Can you discuss upcoming projects that highlight Kaldewei’s commitment to sustainable design?
We always want to improve, but you must know what your suppliers are doing. That’s now on the map; it proves that we are not just doing marketing but actually doing it. We are committed to science-based targets; in this sense, we are an open book. However, it is not easy to comply with the process and deliver all the data; it involves an immense amount of work – and we are putting this work in.
Q: Can you tell us about the most challenging project you worked on recently and share the design obstacles?
OYO is the most challenging bath we have ever worked on. In many bathtubs, the outer shape is the inner shape, so with a steep side wall, there is nowhere for a neck rest, and that’s no good; it needs to be comfortable. Stefan Dietz and I developed the OYO shape together. The process took a year from start to finish, and it pushed us to the limits. Due to how steel enamel is created, we had to use the single largest sheet metal piece we could get, and we created two bathtubs, one inside the other. The result was the curve of the outer shape barely touches the floor, so the curve continues underneath the bathtub; there is tension between the baths. This was our most challenging process.
Kaldewei is a leading manufacturer renowned for its premium steel enamel baths and shower solutions, blending innovative design with sustainable production practices. Founded in 1918 in Germany, the company has established a strong reputation for quality and durability, using a unique steel enamel formula that combines resilience with aesthetic appeal. Committed to sustainability, Kaldewei prioritises environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and recyclable materials, making its products luxurious and eco-conscious. With a focus on design excellence, Kaldewei continues to push the boundaries of bathroom aesthetics, catering to a diverse range of styles and preferences in the KBB market.
