Lakes has launched a new Ambient walk-in shower with concealed LED lighting in the wall mount that emits a soft glow of light along the edges of the Low-Iron glass. The light is activated when the embedded PIR sensor is triggered.
Headlining the popular Walk-In Collection, this 2-metre high walk-in is the first of its kind and is designed to make night-time bathroom visits safer while leaving light sleepers undisturbed by the need to turn on bright main lighting. The PIR motion sensor triggers soft LED lighting when someone enters the bathroom in the dark.
As well as making nocturnal bathroom visits safer and less disturbing, the soft glow also transforms the showering experience into one that is calming and restful by virtue of the low-level lighting which helps to create a private, gently lit sanctuary. Ambient has Lakes Glass PureVueHD low-iron glass for superior clarity and AllClear® advanced glass coating for long-life looks. The glass thickness is a generous 8mm.
Managing Director Bev Brown says: “The LED lighting built into the spectacular Ambient walk-in serves a dual purpose. First and foremost it makes the showering space a more soothing environment to relax and unwind in, particularly for showering in the evenings. It also makes the bathroom a safer place at night, showing up potential trip hazards left out by younger generations that could otherwise pose a safety concern for visiting or co-habiting grandparents. Although, who hasn’t stepped painfully on a piece of forgotten Lego or a toy?
“Over the last few years, we’ve seen more and more families welcoming sons or daughters, often with young families, or grandparents back into the family home. Multi-generational living and improving the home to make that possible is becoming a feature of life today. Low thresholds to showering enclosures, non-slip shower trays, seats and reassuring grab rails are the showering accessories that enable this type of lifestyle. The good news is they’re no longer purely functional; the best are very stylish additions and enhancements.
“Showrooms offering solutions for homeowners modifying their bathrooms to suit a multigenerational lifestyle will maximise opportunities and sales by displaying the Ambient Walk-In.”
All Lakes products are backed by a unique guarantee. To add Lakes’ new Ambient walk-in to your display, call 01684 853 870. Download the brochure here: www.lakesshoweringspaces.com.
Kudos has expanded its collection of Pinnacle8 luxury shower enclosures. It’s now offering a 1000mm quadrant, four new offset quadrants (900x800mm, 1000x800mm, 1000x900mm & 1200x800mm) and two new door sizes to the hinged range, 1100mm and 1300mm, that are suitable for use in either corner or recess installations.
Pinnacle8 is an elegant range of semi-frameless shower enclosure models initially launched in 2018. The collection has been increased by a number of additions in both 2019 and 2020 in response to increased demand. As one of the most popular selling enclosure ranges the collection has been expanded again and these new options are available to retailers from March.
At 2000m in height, the Pinnacle8 collection offers enclosure sizes ranging from 760mm to 1800mm. All models feature crystal clear seals and 8mm toughened safety glass throughout which is treated with Lifeshield™, a lifetime protective coating for easy cleaning. The collection can be paired with the Kudos KStone or Connect2 shower trays and is covered by a lifetime guarantee.
Pinnacle8 enclosures are easy to install with a slimline wall profile with fully concealed fixings maintaining 20mm wall adjustment. SmartSeal technology is used on the crystal clear seals and glass-to-glass corner join seals, to ensure a clean uninterupted finish and a water tight bond. Kevlar impregnated pins are used in the rise and fall chromed hinges for consistently smooth opening and closing of the glass doors and aircraft grade stainless steel roller bearings are used in all sliding doors for smooth action and longevity.
Kudos Shower Products Ltd has been designing and manufacturing shower products at their Cumbrian facility since 1999. Their portfolio includes shower enclosures, shower trays, over-bath screens and wet-room solutions sold via KBB showrooms and merchants across the UK.
We expect a great deal of the once humble shower room. It goes without saying shower spaces should offer multi-generational accessibility, and in the wake of COVID-`19, hygienic features and easy-clean surfaces. However, we are also looking for a sense of spa-like luxury, a space to relax and rejuvenate.
Shower hardware combines all these elements, offering a practical solution that is included throughout the shower area to match bathroom accessories for a cohesive design-led feel.
Simon Boocock, CRL Managing Director agrees: “The shower enclosure has evolved into more of a wet-room, easy access and almost open-plan area, low-level trays coupled with frameless enclosures create a minimalist appeal. With very little on show, the shower hardware, including hinges and U-channels, as well as the brassware, has a chance to shine. Creating a cohesive look is important here, with hardware very often now chosen in keeping with shower brassware and available in a range of finishes to suit.”
Frameless style
CRL Cambridge Frameless Shower Enclosure
CRL’s Frameless designs such as the Cambridge maximise accessibility and deliver a clean, streamlined look. This range is designed to match CRL shower hardware with colours and styles to suit all décor schemes.
Access all areas
HEWI’s System 900 is also a response to the complex requirements of accessible bathrooms. The products boast long-lasting quality, clever installation solutions and a hygienic design. Matching accessories open up versatile design options in the bathroom and HEWI also offers practical toilet roll holders and new towel rails or toilet brush sets in stainless steel, chrome or with a powder-coated finish in white, shades of grey and black.
Hewi System 900 Powder Coated Finishes
Staying grounded
Some of the most serious accidents happen in the bathroom and we expect a high proportion are caused by slips and falls whilst getting in and out of the shower. For hoteliers, keeping bathrooms safe is a priority and the health and safety checklist requires handrails and slip-proof surfaces. For the home, an efficient anti-slip surface keeps all the family safe without having to include rails for open plan designs.
BetteAir Tile
The Bette-Anti Slip Sense surface is a new type of surface treatment for maximum slip resistance (in accordance with evaluation group C of DIN 51097) and claims to provide the highest level of slip protection. This surface is available on Bette’s new BetteAirshower tile for perfect level-access integration.
Smooth operator
Another key aspect when it comes to safe design is not having to fight with your amenities. Lakes Antigua Slider features an easy-glide door that closes effortlessly at the touch of a finger to a near-silent stop. Concealed wheels ensure easy cleaning and a cooler look plus a low threshold for easy and safe access, and a solid cast handle with smooth, rounded edges for a touch of elegance.
Let’s get personal
Lockdown gave us time to get creative and in the UK it fuelled a trend in home improvement, as life imitates art, art imitates life and so, the hospitality sector is creating bathroom spaces that feel like home. In our homes, we still want to emulate that luxury hotel feel. Personalisation delivers the best of both worlds.
Richard Eaton, Product Manager, RefleXion Enclosures by PJH comments: “The desire for personalisation is causing designs to evolve, for example, the black-framed or panelled look that we’ve seen of late is great for the industrial-inspired or monochrome look.”
“More patterns, colours and unusual finishes are now appearing, such as our botanical themed RefleXion Iconix ‘Black Leaf’ 8mm Panel and the use of materials other than polished chrome frames and clear glass will really grow in the next few years – such as gold or brass frames, and frosted or fluted glass.”
Just relax
Keely Greenhalgh, National Sales Manager at Mermaid Panels tells us: “We want our bathrooms to replicate the spa experience. Bathrooms are increasingly being treated as a treasured area of the home to truly relax and refresh so bathrooms that can capture that spa-like serenity at home will continue to be a standout style for 2022.”
Pursuing tones that give a sense of tranquillity and reflect the natural environment certainly feels like a trend that’s here to stay and using contrasting materials is a simple way to achieve this. However, we can expect a switch back to lighter shades for 2022, for example, greens and blues will still be popular but sage green and sky blue may lead in popularity.
Keely agrees: “Whether it’s a Swedish wood effect or a more traditional yet decadent marble, there is an increasing number of surface options on the market to create a hidden retreat in the home. Calming tones and colours are a perfect way to create serenity within the bathroom. Designers can look at muted tones combined with one stand out wall to create a relaxing, soothing area.”
Mermaid Panels – Elite Range – Himalayan Marble
Mermaid Panels has introduced 28 new décors to its premium Elite collection of bathroom panels. Offering an alternative to tiling, Elite has a 100% waterproof core and helps create a completely seamless, premium look and finish. The artistic post-formed edges add unique design detail that removes the need for trims or grouting.
PJH’s own brand of shower enclosures and trays, RefleXion, as featured in its Bathrooms to Love Collection, has evolved to become a popular choice with both the retailer and the consumer.
The collection is manufactured and designed to a high specification and includes a comprehensive choice of enclosures, wetrooms and trays to suit a wide range of bathroom projects. The RefleXion brand offers three enclosure families – Iconix, Flex and Classix – each offering a range of USP’s and price points to suit varying styles and budgets.
Richard Eaton, Product Manager, RefleXion Enclosures by PJH comments: “Over the last two years, sales for walk-in and wetroom enclosures have increased steadily as the demand for larger and more accessible showering areas continues to rise. Whether this is for easy access, perhaps in a multigenerational household, or simply for the desire to create a spa-inspired wetroom environment, there are more and more innovative designs being launched to a highly captive audience.
“Whilst the minimalist frameless plain glass screen look is still popular (see image below), it seems that less is no longer more. The desire for personalisation is causing designs to evolve, for example, the black-framed or panelled look that we’ve seen of late is great for the industrial-inspired or monochrome look.
One of the RefleXion 8mm Iconix Wetrooms from PJH
Richard continues “More patterns, colours and unusual finishes are now appearing, such as our botanical themed RefleXion Iconix ‘Black Leaf’ 8mm Panel (see very top) and the use of materials other than polished chrome frames and clear glass will really grow in the next few years – such as gold or brass frames, and frosted or fluted glass.”
Minimalism is still king in the bathroom. Monochromatic colour schemes, thin edges and clean lines – both straight and elegantly curved – continue to dominate the shower space. These design features are proving even more popular in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumers looking for bathroom products that are hygienic and easy to keep clean.
Seamless spaces
Choosing a minimalist shower doesn’t mean forgoing colour and innovative design. Bette’s revolutionary BetteAir is the world’s first shower tile made of glazed titanium steel, available in more than 30 colours and eight sizes.
Its floor-level installation means it blends seamlessly into the bathroom floor, and can be glued directly to the screed like a standard tile. Bette has ensured that the shower tile will sit flush by reducing its thickness to 10mm—the typical thickness of a large-format tile.
Designer Dominik Tesseraux says: “BetteAir has all the advantages of a tile without its disadvantages. With the shower tile, the floor of the shower is immaculately beautiful, free of joints and thus absolutely hygienic and easy to clean.”
Discreet solutions
Even with more standard shower surface design, manufacturers are ensuring products remain sleek without sacrificing style. Kaldewei’s KA 90 and KA 120 waste systems for enamelled shower surfaces – including its floor-level Cayonoplan shower surface – include the option for an enamelled waste cover in the same colour as the shower surface, making it even more discreet.
The KA 90 now features a flatter design, allowing it to be integrated almost flush, while the KA 120 waste system is available in round and square options. Both include a hair catcher as standard and a new plug-in connection for the waste cover, allowing the waste to be cleaned easily and safely.
Kaldewei – a flatter design & variety of waste options
Straight & narrow
The new Kinedo Brooklyn shower cubicle range by Saniflo highlights the popularity of showers with clean, straight lines. Bringing industrial style to the forefront, it is available in black with black silk screen printed lines, as well as a modern take on the traditional grey and chrome with transparent glass.
The Brooklyn cubicle comes with a pivot or sliding door, a white Biocryl shower tray with chrome waste, and metal handles. It has been designed for quick and easy assembly without silicone and predominantly without screws.
Spacious curves
The new 700m curved showering panel in Kudos’s Ultimate range provides additional showering space in an elegant solution. Designed to sit neatly on a 1200mm bow-fronted shower tray, this new walk-in enclosure with 8mm curved glass has been created specifically for British bathrooms and is available in three sizes.
Also available as flat glass shower panels, Kudos’s Ultimate range comes in chrome, brushed or bright nickel, brushed or bright gold, and black. They can be installed on both shower trays and tiled wet-floors, making them a perfect option for the minimalist bathroom.
Style & substance
Inclusive design is not being left behind when it comes to the minimalist shower trend. HEWI is a key player when it comes to accessible, functional shower products that are hygienic and compliant with current British or International standards. Its range of products – including the HEWI S900 range and Doc M shower pack – allows customers to create fully compliant showering spaces without compromising on design.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also been prompting clients to consider the hygiene standards of their current bathroom spaces. HEWI’s active plus range has been developed with an antimicrobial effect using microsilver, which is effective against bacteria and fungi by inhibiting the growth of bacteria through the discharge of silver ions. This allows customers to future-proof their bathroom spaces as we emerge from the pandemic.
HEWI creates aspirational accessible shower spaces with built-in anti-bacterial protection and works with clients to overcome any design challenges they may have. Plans will ensure the final space is functional and compliant with current British or International standards.
During the COVID lockdown HEWI worked with an increasing number of clients keen to future proof shower spaces with the HEWI active plus range. These products have been developed to have an antimicrobial effect, microsilver is used, which has broad effectiveness against bacteria and fungi. The Microsilver discharges silver ions, which inhibit the growth of bacteria and other unwanted germs and therefore minimises the risk of infection for humans. Within 24 hours unwanted germs on the surface of the products are reduced continuously so that during this period 99.9 % of the germs are reduced.
In addition to the obvious hygiene implications of COVID, HEWI also helps clients look at the overall compliance of their accessible shower space. For some, this might be the first time that they had a need or opportunity to consider compliance and many are surprised to find areas in which they are lacking. In these instances, HEWI is hand to help adapt and create spaces that are attractive while adhering to all legal requirements. HEWI’s S900 range is the perfect selection of products to best achieve those aims. From the high quality and diverse finishes to the fixed and removable functionality, HEW’s clients are able to fulfil their design briefs which reflected their brand identity.
HEWI is constantly developing new lines of products that challenge the traditional ideas of inclusive accessible design. Whether the building is a hotel, a student accommodation project, a serviced apartment, a health care facility, or retirement home, HEWI helps design solutions to create contemporary inclusive environments.
Bringing the industrial trend to life, the new Kinedo Brooklyn shower cubicle range offers a desirable showering solution for mid to high-end specifications.
The Brooklyn cubicle comes in a pivot or sliding door, a white Biocryl shower tray with chrome waste, and metal handles. It is available in two colour options – an industrial-chic black version; and, grey profiles and chrome shower for a traditional modern twist. Brooklyn features transparent glass on the grey version and black silk screen printed lines on the black version. Its clever design and quality fixtures mean assembly is quick and simple, without silicone and predominately without screws.
Brooklyn C90 Pivot
Known for being leak-free, stylish, safe, swift to fit, easy to maintain and economical, the Kinedo range (designed and manufactured by Saniflo) comprises 11 shower cubicle ranges, 4 shower enclosure ranges, and the Kineduo walk-in shower-bath. This versatile range appeals to numerous domestic and commercial applications and enjoys success among mid to top-end independent housebuilders, guest accommodation providers and retailers. The Kinedo budget models are widely specified for universities and larger scale leisure facilities.
The iconic duka shower enclosures feature a striking matte black finish and are metropolitan in mood.
The matte black profiles distinctly enhance the glass and, together with other matching details such as the hinges, handles and supports, give shape and presence to the shower enclosure. This style can be seen on duka’s acqua 5000, acqua R 5000, gallery 3000, libero 3000 and libero 5000 enclosures.
The libero 3000 enclosure also includes geometric silk-screen printing on the glass reminiscent of wrought iron frames typical of industrial spaces, creating a striking effect that adds character to the room and makes the shower enclosure a statement piece.
libero 3000 is available with a six-square or eight-square grid. The support of the glass wall is fixed to the side profile that closes the grid continuously, for a precise and visually clean result.
duka enclosures are available with 6 or 8 mm thick safety glass and can be adapted to any space or environment. Each shower enclosure is made to order, hand finished and supported by the best technologies. The design and attention to detail of each model are combined with the essential criteria of innovation, practicality, safety, high quality and customization.
Roman, best known as a leading UK shower designer and manufacturer, has unveiled more fluted glass options on its Liberty Wetroom Panels, Liberty Sliding Door and Liberty Hinged Door with In-Line Panel.
The Liberty Sliding Door and Hinged Door with In-Line Panel are now available in five colour finishes – Silver Chrome, Matt Black, Brushed Nickel, Polished Nickel, and Brushed Brass – these on-trend products coordinate with brassware across bathroom spaces.
These new styles offer several design options to suit every style and shape bathroom including a choice of left or right handing. The Liberty Fluted Glass Sliding Door and Hinged Door with In-Line Panel can be installed on Roman’s Anti-Slip Trays, Infinity Trays, and also the Low Level Trays to eliminate the step into the shower. They are all manufactured in 8mm toughened safety glass.
All of Roman’s Liberty Wetroom Panels are now available in six colour finishes – Matt White is the latest extension to our colour collection alongside Silver Chrome, Matt Black, Brushed Nickel, Polished Nickel, and Brushed Brass.
“The glass texture distorts light and offers a degree of obscurity without reducing the light in the showering area, but it is the panels’ finished look that demands attention and adds value. Fluted glass has been really popular in the international hotel sector for the last few years, but there has been a growing clamour from Designers to bring more options into the retail sector – and now we can,” says Managing Director David Osborne.
Lakes, best known as a manufacturer of innovative showering spaces, has enhanced its premium Island Collection with the addition of Antigua and Aruba. The exciting new ‘showroom exclusive’ products are designed with Lakes Definitions for an exclusive finishing touch.
The Antigua is an elegant 2-metre high slider with high specification design. It includes an easy-glide, softly closing door; concealed wheels for a cooler look; a low threshold for easy and safe access; and a solid cast handle in chrome complete with smooth, rounded edges for supreme elegance. An ultra-slim gap between the fixed panel and sliding door, and a discreet Quick Release mechanism adds to the practical and aesthetic appeal of this impressive showering space.
The Aruba has all the performance and design benefits of the Antigua and with the addition of a side panel, making this showering space ideal for corner areas. Both products benefit from Lakes Glass – PureVueHD low-iron glass for superior clarity and AllClear® advanced glass coating for long-life looks. Glass thickness is 8mm.
Lakes Aruba showering space shown with a gold handle and profile caps from Lakes Definitions
Define the showering space with Lakes Definitions
Lakes Definitions is a new contemporary suite of shower door handles and accessories, designed exclusively for the Antigua and Aruba. The high-quality cast handles and stylish profile caps are available in four on-trend colour options: gold, rose gold, nickel and matt black. This latest innovation meets the growing demand from homeowners to personalise their complete showering space to suit their bathroom style. The handles and caps can be fitted retrospectively too, making Lakes Definitions a flexible choice for bathroom renovations.
All of Lakes products are backed by a unique ‘no quibble’ lifetime guarantee.
