The SUPERPLAN ZERO is the latest product from Kaldewei. This impressive enamelled shower surface is the perfect addition for statement bathrooms and has been created by the Berlin designer Werner Aisslinger. The style is reserved yet extremely comfortable underfoot.
Kaldewei has always paid attention to customer requirements and as such have translated these needs into Superplan Zero. The shower surface becomes part of the bathroom floor, installed at ground level, the very narrow edges make it possible to tile directly up to the shower edge with almost invisible joints.
Easy access
The waste is placed close to the wall so that standing comfortably and moving safely on the Superplan Zero is guaranteed. The new shower surface is characterized by its elegant and precise lines and is easily accessed from three sides, without having to step up or into the surface.
Sustainable design
The base is sustainable, extremely long-lasting and 100 per cent recyclable steel enamel. The exquisite glass surface is applied to the steel using a special process and this is what gives it such a luxurious finish.
According to Kaldewei it is the only steel enamel manufacturer that produces the enamel, i.e. the basic substance for the glass coating, in-house and using a secret formulation. Kaldewei tells us the quality and durability of these surfaces are legendary.
There are over 50 different dimensions from 70 to 180 centimetres, diverse surface variations and a wide range of colours, all of which make the Superplan Zero even more attractive. Whether in large or small bathrooms, building owners, planners and installers have full flexibility. The shower surface is available with the almost invisible, anti-slip surface finish Secure Plus, upon request.
The Superplan Zero is 100 percent compatible with all the sealing sets, assembly systems and waste fittings from Kaldewei.
Bathroomproduct specialist Aqualisa has introduced the Quartz™ Smart Retrofit Shower – an all-in-one upgrade solution that transforms almost any make of exposed mixer shower into a voice-activated, smart digital shower system, without the need to disturb the current bathroom décor or re-tile the shower enclosure.
Quick and straightforward to fit, the installer will find it effortless to assemble with no major pipework alterations required. Once in place, the home owner will enjoy the full benefits of the Aqualisa Quartz Smart Shower Collection, including:
• An intuitive app enabling the creation of personalised shower profiles for all family members • Remote activation of shower or bath using voice or app control (Google and Amazon Alexa compatible) • Environmentally-friendly water usage monitoring and water-saving features • Safety and peace of mind – water programmed to run at a consistent temperature and flow
The Quartz Smart Shower collection is powered by the intelligent Aqualisa Wi-Fi-enabled Smart Valve™, which can be located up to 10 metres away from the shower itself, providing flexible installation options. Setting the Smart Valve to Eco mode can reduce water consumption for the home owner by up to 33%.
Mike Simpson, product marketing director, commented, “The bathroom is becoming an experiential rather than just a functional space. Smart technology delivers a whole host of enhancements to the showering experience – from the relaxing shower routine itself to the sustainability and cost-saving benefits of reducing water usage, to the convenience and security of being able to step into a shower that is the perfect temperature every time. From the installer’s perspective, the beauty of the Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower is that it offers a straightforward, practical and efficient conversion process. All this, combined with a sleek, contemporary design that provides extra storage functionality within the shower enclosure itself.”
The Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower can upgrade almost any brand of wall-mounted mixer shower (concentric, single lever or bar valve) with 130 to 170mm pipe centres, and comes with a choice of the Aqualisa Quartz Touch™, Quartz Classic™ or Quartz Blue™ smart shower kits. Supplied with an extension rail to adjust the height of the controller, this no-mess solution is easy to install with optional fixing points, while the assembly backplate neatly covers all previous pipework and screw holes.
Patented Storage Shelf
The patented integrated storage shelf, which houses the new smart shower control, comprises two halves featuring a polished chrome finish. It also incorporates two useful hanging hooks for bathroom accessories.
Online Smart Hub
The Aqualisa Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower range will be launched with a comprehensive marketing campaign to support the trade partner channel including influencer communications, PR, extensive digital content and social media initiatives, as well as a full training programme. Aqualisa has also created a new Smart Hub online education platform, with in-depth information and advice on smart bathroom products and their benefits. A digital product brochure can be viewed here.
The Aqualisa Quartz Smart Retrofit Shower range is backed by the Aqualisa five year guarantee.
Global bathroom brand VitrA’s Liquid is a new comprehensive range designed in collaboration with Tom Dixon. Liquid is the first-ever bathroom range by the acclaimed British designer.
The range is the latest addition to VitrA’s portfolio of designer collaborations, part of a long-standing programme of working with world-renowned designers to create distinctive, modern bathroom collections.
For Tom, the collaboration with VitrA has allowed him to explore new design opportunities while gaining an appreciation of the complexities of manufacturing products for the bathroom. Creating a fully comprehensive range was key for the designer so Liquid covers all elements of the bathroom – sanitaryware, furniture, taps, tiles, shower systems, and accessories.
For Liquid, part of Tom’s inspiration was Victorian bathrooms.
“I like the feeling of permanence in Victorian bathrooms, with their big chunky taps and fat tubes,” Tom notes. “It’s an aesthetic that’s closely connected to a whole tradition of British engineering and influenced the development of the bathroom.”
The fact that clay is readily available and extremely durable resonated with Tom, particularly from a sustainability perspective. He found it fascinating “the way a bit of grey and greasy earth can transform into something so white, clean and shiny.”
Like much of Tom’s recent work, the new collection is aligned with his increasing use of round-edged aesthetics. The designs have been inspired by elements of pop art, such as Jeff Koons and his Balloon Dog and the work of Claes Oldenburg, as well as the sculptor Barbara Hepworth’s geometry of soft forms and use of rounded marble.
Over months of close collaboration, VitrA and Tom Dixon explored lots of new ideas. “I think design should always increase the potentials,” says VitrA’s design director, Erdem Akan. “If you get the core pieces right, you can create combinations and potentials – creating more with less.” The final result is Liquid, a range that is wholly new and yet somehow familiar.
Levent Giray, managing director of VitrA UK, comments:
“We are delighted to introduce Tom Dixon’s innovative and contemporary collection as part of our ongoing collaboration with world-renowned designers. Our extensive manufacturing, design and innovation capabilities have ensured that there is a unity to the breadth of Liquid, the VitrA x Tom Dixon collection. At a time when there is a greater emphasis placed on the bathroom space, this cohesive collection has a generosity of design that will sit comfortably in both domestic and professional environments.”
The Bathrooms to Love Collection from PJH Group has enhanced its showering category with the addition of a number of premium Mixer Showers, including two new models with a beautiful Brushed Brass finish.
Satisfying the growing trend for metallic-effect brassware and showers, both shower kits boast a high specification balancing quality with design. The flawless brushed finish allows for greater personalisation in bathroom schemes, especially when teamed with other brushed brass basin and bath taps, such as the ‘Pesca Brushed Brass’ range also from Bathrooms to Love.
Pictured here, this new thermostatic bar mixer shower includes two outlets – a generous 250mm, round, ultra slim shower head with brass arm and separate handset with riser kit. Featuring ‘Cool Touch’ technology to prevent scalding and an integrated ceramic diverter valve, this model guarantees excellent flow rates and great all round performance.
With a handy height adjustable main shower head and a 1.5m hose, this sleek, contemporary thermostatic mixer shower is the perfect choice for discerning customers looking for a premium showering solution.
Richard Eaton, Brassware Product Manager, PJH said: “Metallic-effect showers and taps, such as brushed brass, rose gold and copper, provide beautiful warm metal tones and will add a richness of texture against ‘cooler’ materials such as white sanitaryware, marble and concrete. Collectively, this all allows bathroom designers to achieve more of a bespoke look with the opportunity for greater creativity and a premium finish.”
Complete with a 10-year guarantee (body & finish), the new brushed brass mixer showers are now available from PJH’s Bathrooms to Love Collection and can be ordered via the PJH Partners Portal for next day delivery.
After the successful launch of UNION in 2018, Crosswater has developed the collection to include a variety of new colour combinations. Not only do these new colour combinations create a striking visual contrast, but they allow consumers and designers alike to mix-and-match finishes to add instant wow-factor to any space.
This unique range offers an alternative to traditional chrome and provides the opportunity to experiment with Brushed Nickel, Brushed Black Chrome, Union Brass and Brushed Nickel. With a variety of options available for the basin, shower and bath – homeowners can easily create an on-trend, cohesive and contemporary bathroom suite.
To create a bold statement, style the new UNION Mixage alongside textured surfaces including, marble, exposed brick and concrete as this will further accentuate the raw, industrial-inspired feel of the space. To keep the space clutter-free, carefully select decorative pieces to curate an aesthetic yet minimalist space.
UNION Mixage allows consumers to experiment more freely with their design. With a continued commitment to offering more choice, these four striking new colour options from Crosswater are sure to guarantee a bold design statement.
The new IXMO shower series by KEUCO has been designed to offer flexible installation thanks to the ability to freely position fittings horizontally or vertically. IXMO’s range of functions has been efficiently combined to enable specifiers, designers and consumers alike to create a stylish shower area with the minimum number of visible components.
IXMO Online Planner
One of the key details when designing a showering space is the ability to visualise the area and how all the elements will work together. With IXMO it is possible to combine up to three separate water outlets; so for example the main showerhead, a hand shower with shower rail or wall bracket, waterfall shower and a spa hose can all be combined.
This can be easily demonstrated via the brilliant IXMO online planner, a system that enables designers and consumers to create a personalised showering solution. The results can be saved in pdf format providing both a detailed specification with illustrations and an installation guide showing component placement and pipework routings.
IXMO Verstile Fittings
Round or square fittings are offered and each provides a unique combination of functions. For example, a 3-way diverter valve, a hose connection and a bracket for the hand shower, have been combined into one.
The adaptable fittings may also be freely positioned to deliver design flexibility. The versatile mounting rail enables an easy and precise alignment of the components; whether you want to position the valves horizontally or vertically, they will always align with the help of the mounting rail. The IXMO thermostat fitting is also designed to account for any installation option, for example, if the waterways have been crossed during installation the cartridges can simply be switched over inside the valve instead of the costly ordeal of accessing the pipework.
IXMO depth-conpensator
Another intelligent feature of IXMO is the depth-compensator which ensures fast and safe installation. The depth compensator makes it possible to install IXMO showers into walls with depths between 80-110mm allowing for building methods both new and old.
The star of the IXMO series is the IXMO solo thermostat (pictured here). Created for single-function showering it easily surpasses conventional thermostat solutions as they require two wall-mounted elements to adjust the water flow and temperature and a third element for the hose connection. However, the IXMO solo thermostat compresses the shut-off valve, thermostat and hose connection into one single element.
The IXMO_solo Thermostat and IXMO_solo Single-lever mixer created for single-function showering cleverly combines shut off, flow and temperature control and hose outlet into one single fitting allowing for ease of use and speed of installation.
IXMO shower fittings have an elegant minimalistic design, they are available in six different finishes including; chrome-plated, aluminium and PVD stainless steel, brushed bronze, brushed nickel and brushed black chrome.
IXMO shower accessories also provide innovation; an integrated yet movable soap dish; a height-adjustable shower rail with an easily adjustable bracket that can be turned by 180° so it is ideal for both right and left-handed persons and can be moved with just a single hand.
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.
Watt is a brand-new range of single-lever and thermostatic shower valves for built-in showers, inspired by the world of lighting. The architecture firm Q-Bic has designed the new Watt collection for Rubinetterie Treemme.
Keen to create a collection of cutting-edge shower thermostats with a truly innovative design, Rubinetterie Treemme says the Q-Bic architecture firm in Florence offered just what the company was looking for, creating a unique, unprecedented collection.
“The world of electricity was part of my family background, which re-emerged while I was designing this new collection”, explainsQ-Bic’s Marco Baldini.“This prompted me to give the range a vintage look reminiscent of the old-style electrical plates, obviously with a totally modern, designer slant. So then the name Watt came naturally”.
The signature feature of the Watt range is the levers that turn the water on and off, adjusting the flow; these hallmark elements resemble light switches, while the temperature is adjusted with a round knob.
The collection is fashioned entirely in brass and comes in a choice of several different finishes.
Wattis the result of an impressive style and design effort, in which the creative skill of Q-Bic joined forces with the manufacturing expertise of Rubinetterie Treemme.
Watt has also just won the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021, one of the most prestigious accolades in the sector.
German manufacturer, Bette, is launching a new type of anti-slip for glazed titanium-steel shower trays and baths that keeps the glossy looks and smooth, easy-to-clean surface, while also providing the highest level of slip protection. BetteAnti-Slip Sense is a type of anti-slip that you can neither see nor feel. Almost magical: the protective effect of BetteAnti-Slip Sense only occurs when the body and wetness meet.
Until now, anyone who wanted to protect themselves from slipping in the shower or bath had a problem: slip resistance could only be achieved through a surface that looked like it has slip resistance, or with unsightly and unhygienic additions, such as rubberised mats.
BetteAnti-Slip Sense is a new type of surface treatment for maximum slip resistance (in accordance with evaluation group C of DIN 51097) with very special properties. The anti-slip effect on glazed titanium steel only occurs when the pressure of the bodyweight and water come together, so providing the protection exactly when it is needed: when standing in a wet bath or shower. When the surface is dry and the feet are dry, no additional slip resistance is required as the adhesion is high enough.
Invisible, durable and easy to clean
To achieve the slip-resistant effect, Bette treats the surface with a suspension containing the finest micrometre-sized ceramic particles, which form a permanent bond with the BetteGlaze. They are almost invisible to the eye, and the surface does not become rough as a result. The shower trays and baths retain their flawless, brilliant look and pleasant feel in all glossy colours. In addition, they can be cleaned in the usual way, because BetteAnti-Slip Sense is extremely durable, scratch-resistant and is not affected by cleaning agents usually used to clean shower trays and baths.
The new BetteAnti-Slip Sense can be used to provide the highest level of slip protection on Bette’s glossy colours. For shower trays and baths in matt colours, Bette offers the proven, almost invisible BetteAnti-Slip Pro.
Certified slip resistance
With its particularly high slip resistance, BetteAnti-Slip Sense is an ideal solution for those who are less mobile and for families with small children – in fact for everyone who wants to enjoy a safe and carefree shower or bath. The slip resistance has been certified by the German institute LGA Bautechnik GmbH in Nuremberg and tested in trials. In these tests, a test person stands on a shower surface wetted with soapy water, which becomes increasingly inclined. With BetteAnti-Slip Sense, the person only starts to slip at an angle of inclination of at least 24 degrees, which corresponds to the highest bathroom slip resistance rating group C. (Six degrees less, i.e. 18 degrees, means only rating class B and 12 degrees rating class A).
The highest level of slip resistance means that there is no requirement for anti-slip mats or pads that can provide the ideal breeding ground for dirt and germs and are difficult to clean. The hygienic and easy to clean the surface of Bette’s glazed titanium-steel with BetteAnti-slip Sense, means that dirt and germs find it hard to adhere to.
Bette is a specialist in bathroom products that are made of a special metal in a unique manufacturing process: titanium steel sheets are shaped under high pressure and then finished with a thin coating that is related to glass – hence the name “glazed titanium steel”. This composite material is perfect for the bathroom (it is skin-friendly, hygienic, durable and robust), and Bette uses it to make its baths, shower areas, shower trays and washbasins.
