2020 recently announced the winners of this year’s 2020 Global Inspiration Contest for kitchen, bathroom and office designers. Interior designers across North America, the United Kingdom, and France submitted their designs using 2020 applications that allow users to create visualizations using real materials and finishes from the widest selection of manufacturer catalogues available.

This year’s contest was sponsored by Allied USA, Fotile America, and Armony Cucine. There were nine categories that designers were encouraged to submit to, and over 445 submissions were received this year. The winners of each category were selected by an expert panel of judges, with the top three designs eligible for the Voters’ Choice prize.

The winners of the 2020 Global Inspiration Contest for 2021 are:

Contemporary kitchen – Laura-Lou Fortin from Christian Marcoux Cuisine et Mobilier Design, Canada –
2020 Design Live
Traditional kitchen – Marie-Pier Durand from Cuisine MT, Canada – 2020 Design Live
Contemporary bathroom – Aurore Guy from QUADRILLAGE, France – 2020 Fusion
Traditional bathroom – Chelsea Butler from Cabinets.com, U.S.A – 2020 Design Live
Any space – Alex Légaré Grondin from Dkor.A, Canada – 2020 Design Live
360° panorama – David Fitton from Mill Town Kitchens & Interiors, U.K – 2020 Fusion Live
Reconfigured office space – Isabel Dunklin from McDowell-Craig, U.S.A – 2020 Visual Impression
Flexible office space – Kristen M. Selner from Tech Valley Office Interiors, U.S.A – 2020 Visual Impression
Educational space – Marianne Box from Hertz Furniture, U.S.A – 2020 Visual Impression
Voters’ Choice – Brittany Hutt from Cabinets.com, U.S.A – 2020 Design Live

2020 Marketing Director Karen Curtis is thrilled with all the submissions received this year. “Our designers are extremely talented, and our contests really showcase how their creativity and expertise combined with our software make beautiful things happen,” says Curtis. “We strive to continually improve our products so that designers can rest assured they are using the best solution on the market.”

To learn more about the 2020 Global Inspiration Contest winners, please visit the contest webpage.

This month, Chief Executive of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, Tom Reynolds considers the latest Government update on water and environment protection plans.

Three years on from the launch of the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan, there are changes to be made to realise the ambition of ‘clean and plentiful water and a cleaner, greener country for all.

At the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, we are calling on the public, merchants and Government to take action to drive down water consumption, before water shortages become the norm.

The recently released progress report on the Environment Plan, shows we are heading in the right direction.
Per capita water consumption in England, 2000 – 2020 reduced from 152 litres per person per day to 141 litres per person per day in terms of domestic water use, but there’s still a long way to go if we’re to avoid routine water shortages in the years to come.

The report recognises climate change and population growth will put increasing pressure on our water supplies and that ‘ambitious reductions’ in water consumption and leakage have a significant role in maintaining secure supplies and protecting the environment.

Reducing the energy and water demand of our 27 million homes is crucial to achieving our national environmental goals. Firstly, BMA is highlighting how consumers can reduce water waste by checking their toilets for leaks, it is a simple way to make a big difference. Our dedicated webpage www.getlavvysavvy.co.uk gives clear guidance on what to look for. You may have water leaking from your toilet and you don’t realise it. Limescale, cleaning products and grime can build up and stop the parts from working properly, causing water to constantly trickle into the toilet bowl. This can waste hundreds of litres of water a day.

Secondly, retailers and merchants can do their bit by displaying information on the Unified Water Label in a prominent place, to give consumers the information on the best water-efficient products to buy. 

Thirdly, Government has a big role to play in addressing water efficiency in the country’s 27 million homes. To do this, schemes to incentivise the installation of the most water-efficient products should be created and the National Retrofit Strategy produced by the Construction Leadership Council should be adopted.

The Unified Water Label Association, (UWLA) has urged the bathroom industry to support its Water Matters message as world leaders committed to tackle climate change at the G7 summit in Carbis Bay last weekend.

UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill says, “It was great to see that climate change was a major focus at the summit.  The world leaders present committed to cut emissions and pledged to meet net zero emissions no later than 2050.

“The bathroom industry can play its part in reducing CO2 by helping people understand the link between using water wisely, and know that when we heat water in our homes, it has an impact on energy efficiency and our carbon footprint. Bathroom products are at the heart of water use in the home as over 60% of water used in the domestic environment is used in the bathroom, and 25% of energy used in the home is associated with heating hot water, with 18% of the UK carbon emissions emanating from the home.

“If as an industry we promote the use of products that carry the Unified Water Label consumers can then make an informed choice about the bathroom products they select for their homes. With many manufacturers offering smart technology products that deliver good performance but use less water and energy, there is plenty of choice and no need to experience any loss in performance.

“Our #dontforgettheplug marketing campaign is also addressing this message.  Together the industry can help consumers make the link between water, energy and carbon issues, understand more about how much water they use, and promote the benefits of reducing water wastage.”

You can find a directory of products and more about the Unified Water Label here

West Yorkshire-based Cavalier Bathrooms has entered the kitchen market following receipt of £15.2m in funding facilities from Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance, which supported the acquisition of brassware company Tre Mercati.

Family-owned Cavalier Bathrooms, backed by industrial investment group HLD Group, has been creating high-quality bathrooms solutions for more than 100 years. With a number of sector-leading brands to its name, including Aquadart, Elation, April Products and Niagara, the business was looking to grow and diversify its offering with the acquisition of a business that serviced the kitchen sector.

Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance created £15.2m in flexible funding facilities to allow investment in the existing Cavalier product range and infrastructure, together with support for the purchase of Oldham-based Tre Mercati, a supplier of bathroom and kitchen brassware. Another family-owned business, Tre Mercati and Cavalier Bathrooms have shared values of bringing functional products to market alongside best-in-class customer service.

Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance provides a full suite of asset-based lending options including invoice financing, working capital and inventory financing. Currently, the commercial finance arm of the listed bank has in excess £500m of facilities agreed to support growing businesses across the UK.

David Myles, Special Operations Director of the HLD Group of Companies (HLD), said: “Despite the pandemic and difficulties in the sector, Cavalier Bathrooms has had a strong year, achieving its original forecast despite a number of months without trade. We’ve had time to invest in our business processes and technologies and being able to welcome Tre Mercati as part of the business will only strengthen our offering further.

“The support of Dave Green and the team at Secure Trust Bank cannot be understated. We’ve had a relationship with them for several years, having used their funding across other group companies. Once again, they really got to know the business, understood our growth ambitions and were able to provide a flexible facility to help us achieve them. We would highly recommend them as partners.”

Dave Green, Regional Sales Director at Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance, said: “We have developed a strong relationship with the HLD team and it’s fantastic to be able to support another of their portfolio companies. Both Cavalier and Tre Mercati have knowledgeable and passionate management teams and combining the businesses will no doubt lead to even greater success.”