bathrooms Archives

Why go wall-hung? A buyers guide

August 25, 2023

Us Brits are often tasked with planning compact bathrooms, with the average UK bathroom measuring a modest 2M x 2M1. Fortunately, many innovations and designs allow homeowners to create an inviting yet functional space. Opting for wall-hung fittings within a compact space is an ideal solution to provide additional space while limiting clutter, helping to create a streamlined finish, and these fittings are continuing to grow in popularity as we get more familiar with their benefits.

Today, bathroom experts GROHE, provide a complete buyer’s guide and share all there is to know on wall-hung fittings, including how these design choices can elevate even the smallest of bathroom spaces with reduced outward projections and elevated placement.

Simple Installation

While its recommended wall-hung fittings are installed by professional installers, the fittings are often
not as invasive and complicated to install as often believed, especially when it comes to full bathroom
renovations. Many of GROHE’s models can be installed in front of a solid wall or within a stud wall in
next-to-no-time thanks to the GROHE QuickFix system with ToolFree feature, which requires no tools
to connect hose, inspection shaft, or water supply.

Functionality & Durability

Wall-mounted fittings offer the same functionality and durability as standard fittings and can even provide
improved function in some cases. The ‘built to last’ fittings firmly mounted to the wall allow room for improved cleanliness and hygiene. As the fittings are elevated from the floor space, with just the toilet or basin bowl visible and no exposed pipework or cistern, there’s less surface area and corners for dirt and grime to build up in, making easy cleaning.

A common misconception with wall-mounted toilets and sinks is that they do not offer adequate support, however a correctly installed flush-frame and basin can more than comfortably support the weight of almost any adult without any concerns. GROHE’s wall-mounted fittings carry the German TUV certification for load capacity with the toilets approved for weights up to 400KG and basins approved for up to 150KG.

Future-proof fittings

With modern flushing systems models such as the GROHE Rapid SLX, homeowners can have peace
of mind if future renovations are needed. While the Rapid SLX can work well with the regular WC
pans, it is exciting to note that it has been designed specially to cater to future-planning and features a
built-in electric socket and water connection ready for shower toilet installations, limiting the need for
invasion renovation work. The system is also equipped with various technologies, including GROHE
3 Whisper which prevents sound travelling through walls making it an ideal choice for households where
someone may be waking up numerous times throughout the night.

Wall-hung fittings can also provide enhanced accessibility to users, thanks to the fitting’s height being
adjustable and not limited to the fitting’s pedestal stands. GROHE’s concealed flush-frames have
adjustable feet, setting the height at the desired level and providing additional comfort.

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Duravit introduces new Bento Box Series by Phillipe Starck

July 28, 2023

Arranged like a Japanese lunchbox: the new Bento Starck Box bathroom series from Duravit and designer Philippe Starck represents the latest Duravit Artisan Lines addition. Inspiration is drawn from a traditional Japanese bento box – which is subdivided into several internal compartments by separators.

The new series includes a washbasin, toilet sets, plus bathtub, featuring a clear-cut design that is perfectly matched to different variants and dimensions of the bathroom furniture. The spacious Bento Starck Box washbasins offer practical and convenient storage areas. All personal care products and accessories can be placed within easy reach.

Washbasins

The Bento Starck Box single washbasins are made from DuraCeram®, and the double washbasins from DuroCast UltraResist. Enabling Duravit to demonstrate how a range of different materials can be used to produce unconventional designs.

Alongside the 650 mm-wide washbasins, the Bento Starck Box collection comprises above-counter basins
in a range of sizes, all available in White and White Satin Matt: round variants with a diameter of 460 mm, and rectangular versions with a width of 550 mm as individual basins or, for two faucets, in widths of 1140 mm and 1340 mm – made from DuroCast UltraResist. The faucet is mounted inside the inner basin on all models.

Bathroom Review Duravit Bento Box Series

Bathtub

The freestanding acrylic infinity bathtub, sized 1800 x 900 mm, is ideal for a spa-like experience in your home bathroom. A tapered water channel prevents a build-up of water and can be used as a storage area for accessories.

WC

Bento Starck Box toilet sets harmonize with the design of the ceramic and bathtubs, including a compact model with a projection of just 480 mm and the HygieneFlush version with a projection of 570 mm. The range includes a floor-standing, close-coupled toilet and matching bidets. The integrated push buttons on the seat with the gentle, silent lowering mechanism means it can be easily removed and cleaned.

“The Bento Starck Box collection is the start of an elegant serenity,” said Starck, describing the washbasins and bathtubs. “With intelligently divided wet and dry areas, the clean, clearly structured washing areas and bathtubs enable countless options for personal design.”

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Ideal Standard: New glossy grey finish to i.life B

July 7, 2023

Leading bathroom manufacturer, Ideal Standard, has announced the latest addition to its i.life B range – a Glossy Grey finish is available on a selection of i.life B’s vanities, toilets, and bidets.

Designed in collaboration with the Italian studio Palomba Serafini Associati (PS+A). The entire collection is built to be flexible, offering various models for both large family bathrooms and smaller ensuites.

Ideal Standard’s Singular™ approach ensures compatibility since any of Ideal Standard’s portfolios can be brought together to create tailored solutions without compromising.

The manufacturer offers matching furniture options and shower trays in grey, with various models to suit any space. Partnering perfectly with the glossy grey finish, Ideal Standard’s range of Silk Black fittings, accessories, and shower enclosures enable customers to create a fully coordinated look. Equally, the new grey ceramics can be combined with Ideal Standard’s wide range of brassware collections in chrome or durable PVD colours for fully tailored solutions and truly cohesive space.

i.life B also boasts powerful flushing technology, while the lack of an overhanging rim means these WCs are easier to clean for a more hygienic space.

Making the installation process more accessible, the innovative EasyFix+ installation system means wall-hung toilets can be installed faster and by just one person – saving time and resources.

Ideal Standard’s UK marketing director, Leanne Martin said: “The i.life bathroom collection provides a smart, adaptable collection where design, comfort, and hygiene all come together. No matter the size or shape of your bathroom, i.life can bring style to any space, and the addition of Glossy Grey to this range offers a contemporary and sophisticated look.”

Bathroom Review Ideal Standard i.life B Gloss

Find out more about the i.life collection here: www.idealstandard.co.uk/products/highlights/ideal-standard-i-life

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GROHE explains ‘Quiet Luxury’ & consumer attitudes

June 6, 2023

‘Quiet Luxury’ is a trend into a movement that brings understated elegance into a space. This trend has been gaining recognition within the interior design sphere of late.

Influenced heavily by trending interiors that favour understated craftsmanship and quality design over mass trend-led styling and overbranded buys, ‘Quiet Luxury’ requires each design decision to be conscious, considered and refined.

In a recent YouGov study, it was found that 23% of UK adults view the environment as one of the top three most important issues currently facing the country¹. Since their research began in 2011, YouGov noted that those acknowledging environmental issues as important matters have steadily risen over the past decade, from having hovered between 5%-9% until 2014 to consistently staying above 20% ten years on. The societal demand and continued awareness around sustainability is a key driving trend for manufacturers to provide premium performance showers that cater to an eco-friendly and environmentally conscious lifestyle.

GROHE lifestyle & portfolio

With quality, sustainability, and human-centric design at the core of the GROHE product portfolio, GROHE says it naturally embodies the ‘Quiet Luxury’ approach to design and specification. Alongside premium quality products created with expert craftsmanship in timeless designs, the portfolio is subtly equipped with GROHE’s innovative technologies to deliver the very best in experience as well as offering sustainable benefits.

GROHE & Caesarstone Collaboration

GROHE’s latest collaboration with premium quartz surfaces brand Caesarstone, for their brand-new Private Collections, is an extension of GROHE’s beloved premium models, Atrio and Allure Brillant. The collection provides a customisable design experience with a choice of colour, finish, material, and handle options.

Integrated within a number of the fitting’s body is GROHE’s water-saving technology, EcoJoy, which reduces the water flow by up to 50%, without compromising on performance.

Sustainable design

GROHE recently announced Spring 2024 as the market launch of its first-ever water-recycling shower GROHE
Everstream. The shower system is currently being field tested and a training programme for installers is expected to start in the second half of 2023. In addition, GROHE is also aiming to have all GROHE concealed showers water-recycling-ready by 2030. GROHE Everstream has been designed to create the showering experience users expect but consuming as little fresh water as possible – and using far less energy. The Everstream system uses as little as a quarter of the water and a third of the energy typically required by traditional showers.

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Schlüter® KERDI-BOARD offers versatile, lightweight & waterproof tile backerboard option

May 3, 2023

As one of the most versatile and widely specified products from Schlüter-Systems, Schluter-KERDI-BOARD finds applications for both retrofit and new-build installations, with different thicknesses of the extruded polystyrene (XPS) panel providing a stable and waterproof substrate for natural stone and ceramic tiling.

The panels are available in thicknesses of 5, 9, 12.5, 19, 28, 38 and 50mm and are easily installed across existing masonry, concrete, timber stud frames or lightweight metal framing, with panels featuring parallel grooves also available for creating rounded surfaces, such as for seating or curved walls. With all thicknesses available in 1.25 m or 2.6 m lengths, both by 62.5 cm wide, KERDI-BOARD is frequently used to create work-surfaces, breakfast bars, islands and vanities.

A handy guide can be downloaded from the Schlüter-Systems website which can assist both specifiers and tradespeople in picking the right panel for an application. For instance, 12.5 mm is the minimum thickness recommended for use where a stud frame is constructed to 400 mm centres. The largest three thicknesses should be considered for construction purposes, while there are also special L-shaped and U-shaped panels for use as pipe boxing, and prefabricated niches in different sizes – with or without lighting – to create storage within walls.

Both sides of the KERDI-BOARD panels have a waterproof, cement-free reinforcement layer, which offers an ideal surface for standard tile adhesive, either fully embedded or using the dot and dab method. Printed lines aid accurate cutting using a utility knife or power tools.

KERDI-BOARD is certified BBA certified.

For further information, call 01530 813396 or visit https://www.schluter.co.uk/

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HiB unveils two new mirror ranges as part of Spring launch

March 29, 2023

Award-winning bathroom supplier HiB has released two new ranges to enhance its illuminated mirror offering.

Both designed in their own distinct style, with a range of practical features, the Arcane and Cassini mirrors are perfect for use above a bathroom vanity unit and across other areas of the home.

Cassini’s clean and modern design concept makes it a versatile mirror suitable for a variety of spaces. With no straight edges, a deep band of illumination around the mirror and a chamfered diffuser to create a gentle glow, the Cassini Curve and Round both offer soft styling that focuses on maximising illumination.

The Cassini mirrors are operated using a touchless sensor and feature integrated colour temperature-changing technology and a heated pad to reduce condensation on the mirror’s surface, greatly enhancing the user experience after a bath or shower.

The Arcane range also includes a heated pad and touchless operation to operate the mirror’s color temperature changing-enabled illumination. Available in two finishes, black and brushed brass, with Curve, Round and Pill shapes in a variety of sizes, there is plenty of choice to suit every style of bathroom and requirements.

Ash Chilver, HiB sales director, said: “Round and curved mirrors have a strong popularity among bathroom designers and these new ranges offer a plethora of options that maximise style, while also offering the features we know our customers love.

“Each mirror has been designed to be hung portrait or landscape, opening up wider options for installation within a bathroom design. It’s fantastic to see Arcane and Cassini launched as our latest products to the market and I am looking forward to watching them flourish.”

Also new for 2023 is the 100cm Bellus mirror, an expansion to the existing Bellus range in a larger dimension, perfect for offering extra drama and opulence to the space.

To see the latest products, visit hib.co.uk

Notes to editors:

About HiB

HiB is a major supplier to UK and Irish Bathroom Retailers and is a market leader in innovative bathroom products such as mirrors, cabinets, lighting and furniture. With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, the company is renowned for providing innovative, creative solutions which make bathrooms beautiful and substantially improves the lives of retailers, partners and the wider community.

Since HiB was established in the 1990s, the company has grown significantly. From humble roots as a fledgling business founded by Chairman Warren Ginsberg, to a 100 plus-strong operation with centres both in New Southgate, North London and a 85,000 Sq.ft national distribution site near Tamworth in the Midlands, the company has been responsible for many bathroom industry ‘firsts’.

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Why are a growing number of homeowners exploring bathroom tile alternatives?

March 27, 2023

While tiles have been a popular choice for bathroom walls for many years, Google searches for ‘bathroom tile alternatives’ have increased by 48 per cent over the last three months. So why exactly are a growing number of homeowners exploring tiles alternatives for their bathroom, and what does this mean for retailers and installers?

The manufacturing process of tiles is particularly energy intensive. Considering that the cost of energy traditionally represents around 50 per cent of a tile’s overall cost, the recent surge in energy prices has forced manufacturers to increase product price points. Likewise, the same energy price surge has caused homeowners to abandon tiles for cost-effective methods of bathroom refurbishment.

bathroom tile alternatives Mermaid Panels

Homeowners are also looking to save money on the installation process, as well as product. It’s said to take three to four days to tile the average bathroom, at a cost of £700-£800. In comparison, fitting out an entire bathroom with wall panels can take as little as four to six hours, offering homeowners a significant saving on their total project cost.

Sources of bathroom styling inspiration are everywhere and as a result, there is a stronger desire for a more personalised interior. Rather than opting for a cold tile, homeowners can turn to bathroom wall panels to replicate natural materials such as wood or stone to create a unique bathroom space with added texture and depth. Time-poor homeowners can also eliminate the arduous cleaning process that comes with tiles and grout, as bathroom wall panels can be cleaned with the simple wipe of a cloth.

Quick to fit, easy on the eye and simple to maintain, bathroom wall panels have never been more appealing, creating a competitive tile alternative that may not have always been viable. Retailers and installers who are familiar with panelling and able to offer a broad variety of finishes stand to benefit hugely from what looks to be a market set for significant growth.

If you’re keen to stay up to date with the latest developments in bathroom wall panels, sign up to Mermaid’s newsletter.

More news from Mermaid

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Luxurious fluted ‘Texture’ range welcomes bold graphite grey

March 21, 2023

Bathrooms to Love by PJH has welcomed a bold new matt graphite grey option to its premium fitted bathroom furniture range, Texture, that features a beautiful soft fluted finish to its drawer and door fronts.

Offering high specification storage incorporating luxurious soft-close hinges and drawer boxes, contrasting oak-effect interiors, durable 18mm doors and panels, and plenty of interior drawers and shelves to help organise space, the new Matt Graphite Grey Texture fitted furniture range sits at the top end of the Bathrooms to Love furniture portfolio.

An elegant soft fluted, tactile design creates an aesthetically pleasing play with the light and the range is a perfect choice for adding individuality to bathroom schemes. What’s more, with three handle choices in Matt Black, Brushed Brass or Chrome, designers can coordinate with other products in the scheme, like, as pictured, with Matt Black brassware, shower, enclosure, mirror and lighting.

Responding to the growing trend for adding new textures and finishes to the bathroom, this super-matt Graphite Grey fluted furniture style is a good choice for showroom displays with its beautiful bold looks, flawless fitted design and inviting tactile finish. It is available in a number of unit options, including Basin, WC, Tall, Drawer, Base, Wall and Mirrored cabinets.

It also teams up perfectly with the choice of complementary basins, WC’s, worktops, and colour matching plinths and panels, all available from Bathrooms to Love.

Available from stock on a Next Day Delivery service from PJH’s Partners Portal™ platform, the Graphite Grey Texture range comes fully assembled with a five-year guarantee. Contact PJH to find out more about display deals, point-of-sale material and all marketing collateral.

Further information:

Bathrooms to Love by PJH: T: 0800 8 77 88 99 / www.partners.pjh.uk / www.bathroomstolove.uk

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New Compact Range from VitrA – ArchiPlan

February 9, 2023

VitrA Bathrooms, a global bathroom brand, has launched a striking range that provides plenty of options for designers and specifiers, particularly those working with small spaces. Designed by Design Studio VitrA, the new ArchiPlan collection is also perfect for bathrooms in the hospitality and commercial sectors.

ArchiPlan is modern and minimalist and offers a variety of sizes, including narrow cabinet widths and reduced projections (from just 28cm). Storage options include shelves in two sizes (45 and 60cm) and open shelving in the mirrors and mid-units. The contemporary design also has black metal framing detailing. Elegant cut-out holes instead of door handles keep the design simple and add to the feeling of space.

The furniture is made from plywood, an eco-friendly material option. As well as requiring little energy to produce and being highly recyclable, plywood is incredibly hard-wearing and durable. The finish is water and moisture-resistant, offering a solid solution without compromising aesthetics or functionality.

With contemporary, clean lines, the furniture is available in a choice of neutral and timeless matt colours – white, black, and taupe. Wall-hung furniture units with washbasins are available in 45cm, 60cm and 90cm. A 52cm wide mid-unit provides valuable storage and open shelving.

ArchiPlan basins can be wall-mounted (with the option of chrome legs on 38cm x 90cm basins) or mounted in cabinetry. Each is available in 45cm, 60cm, 90cm and 120cm formats and is ideal for tight spaces in both 28 and 38cm projections.

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Edwardian elegance from Drummonds

February 8, 2023

The interior of this Edwardian house in Cambridge was completely rebuilt, allowing for a dramatic
transformation and leaving only the facade untouched.

One of the key elements of the renovation was the family bathroom. To reflect the period of the property and to create a distinctly Edwardian aesthetic, the owners wanted the space to have a classic, English feel, opting for traditional wooden floorboards, retro Acanthus tiles and solid pieces from Drummonds.

The striking freestanding bath was an absolute must for this family bathroom; the Ashburn in a painted finish sits directly in front of the large sash window. Based on an 18th century ‘bateau’ design, it is one of Drummonds’ more compact designs, offering all the comfort of a classic double ended bath, without overwhelming the space.

Drummonds_Cambridge_house_Edwardian_bath

Two Syre basins sit opposite; cast in English china clay, and finished and glazed by hand, they bring a refined elegance to the scheme. An Antique Brushed Brass finish on the vanity legs, Mull taps and Oval Tilt mirrors
add contrast to the look.

A large glass shower enclosure featuring an Antique Brass frame and backed by floor-to-ceiling green tiles,
demarks the ‘wet zone’ within the room, and creates a stylish ‘walk in’ shower area. A half border of sleek Edwardian-style tiles surrounds the room, acting as a perfect balance and counterpart to the dark wooden floor.

Drummonds_Cambridge_house_Edwardian_taps

Drummonds products:

Tiles: Edwardian Tile range from Fired Earth
firedearth.com

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