Author

Diane

Browsing

Planet-friendly bathroom design

Planet-friendly sustainable bathrooms

Checking labels and understanding how products are created is increasingly important to today’s consumer. According to the Ethical Consumer the total UK ethical consumer market was just £11.2bn in 1999,  but almost four times that today, at £41.1bn. The report also reveals that ‘green home’ spending has increased eight-fold, from over 1bn 20 years ago to in excess of 10 bn last year.

When it comes to bathroom design, consumers want to know products are manufactured sustainably without leaving a negative legacy on the world. As Kaldewei’s Adam Teal tells us “Today’s consumer is more aware of the environmental impact being placed on the planet, especially the effects of plastics on our environment and oceans.”  

VitrA’s Suit L basin mixer shown in copper saves water and energy – shown with Equal bathroom furniture.

The good news for the bathroom industry is we are not short of responsible manufacturers, with many already ahead of the game.  For example, Vitra’s Blue Life approach to production and design is central to all group activities. Manufacturing plants are equipped with specifically designed recycling systems to reduce raw materials, and power consumption and products are designed and developed to promote resource and energy conservation. 

Kaldewei (pictured top) has been awarded an Environmental Product Declaration and is also a member of the US Green Building Council LEED.

All Kaldewei steel enamel bathroom solutions are 100% recyclable and Kaldewei avoids the use of colour additives in production. In 2017, Kaldewei won a Green Good Design Award – one of the world’s most prestigious sustainability awards.

Bette’s baths, shower trays and washbasins are made from glazed titanium-steel.

Bette has invested in energy-efficient manufacturing and creates 2/3 of its own energy requirements. Its baths, shower trays and washbasins are made from glazed titanium-steel, which uses only natural materials in its production, and they are so durable that they come with a 30-year warranty. When Bette products do, eventually, reach the end of their life, they are also 100% recyclable.

Planet-friendly bathroom design Novellini
Novellini

Novellini’s products are designed and manufactured to meet the latest European standards in terms of quality, safety and environmental friendliness. The adoption of low environmental impact production processes, the total control on toxic substances and significant energy savings, are the answers to the problems of a world in constant evolution.

Together, these eco-aware brands deliver a comprehensive portfolio of products, making green design easier to execute than you might think.

Keep Reading
By

System 900 Powder coated finishes

System 900 powder coated finishes

System 900 is the answer to the complex requirements of accessible bathrooms. The products are well designed down to the smallest detail – they impress with functionality, long-lasting quality, clever installation solutions and a hygienic design. System 900 combines purist design with outstanding functionality and a unique range width. With System 900, you can create comfort.

HEWI believes that good design also includes offering options. Due to the wide choice of materials, there is plenty of scope in terms of design. Available in a matt finish, HEWI offers a new, exciting source of inspiration. customers can also choose from a stainless steel or chrome finish. The powder-coated finish is available in white, shades of grey or black. Authentic materials and the timeless, as well as striking product design, add character to the spaces.

Matching accessories for System 900 open up versatile design options in the bathroom: for example practical toilet roll holders with a cover or a shelf, new towel rails or toilet brush sets in stainless steel, chrome or with a powder-coated finish in white, shades of grey and black.

In addition, numerous universal products, from waste bins, make-up mirrors and bath towel shelves to hairdryers or shower handsets ensure that everything can be obtained from one source.

Syste, 900

www.hewi.com

More news from Hewi

Keep Reading
By

Stephen Maley from Hewi talks compliance…

Stephen Maley

This week, we caught up with Hewi’s UK Sales Director to find out why compliance is so important to the manufacturer and its customers.

BR: Describe the philosophy of Hewi?

SM: HEWI believe in creating aspirational accessible bathrooms for everyone. By combining innovative engineering with beautiful contemporary design HEWI help our customers turn dated and non-compliant spaces into desirable and compliant modern bathrooms.

BR: What is the Hewi definition of good design?

SM:At HEWI we are constantly striving to improve both the look and the functionality of our ranges. By incorporating the accessible requirements into the actual product, we achieve what we refer to as hidden accessibility. Washbasins become load-bearing supports, shower risers double as grab rails and drop-down hinged support rails can be totally removable. Good design for us means ensuring everyone gets the same high-quality experience no matter how they move about a bathroom.

BR: Why is compliancy important to Hewi?

SM: We believe in an inclusive world for everyone whether you are young or old, have a disability or not. As different countries have created their own compliancy standards HEWI have produced ranges of products to facilitate each region’s individual requirements. For decades we have been leaders in championing compliant solutions, and we feel rightfully proud of our history.

BR: What are the benefits of compliant products to the specifier?

SM: When creating a new accessible space, the specifier is legally required to create a compliant solution. HEWI has long-standing relationships with a wide range of clients from Architects to Interior Designers. We offer our partners the peace of mind that when they specify a HEWI solution, they know that it will be fully compliant with the law.

BR: What are the benefits of compliant products to the end consumer?

SM: It is not so much a benefit to the consumer but rather it is a right and we need to think about these spaces in those terms. If someone has need of an accessible area, they should be able to interact with the relevant equipment in a safe and comfortable fashion. HEWI have been at the forefront of creating contemporary and inclusive products since the 1980’s. We believe that not only should a space be compliant it should be pleasant and comfortable to be in.

BR: Is the UK behind the times in terms of its compliancy status?

SM: By no means! The UK have some of the best standards in the world. In fact, many parts of the world with fewer legal requirements means the specifiers and consumers will regularly look to UK standards to create their accessible spaces. At HEWI we work across many different regions and so are perfectly placed to advise a potential client on what would work best for their project in their specific country.

BR: Does Hewi have plans to develop more products in this arena?

SM: At HEWI we are constantly looking to improve what we already have while creating new and increasingly innovative solutions to add to our extensive portfolio. Our award-winning ranges and dedicated expertise in this vital sector will continue to grow for many years to come.

Hewi

More News From Hewi

Keep Reading
By

CRL Stone – create a bespoke shower area

Bespoke shower area CRL Stone

Create a bespoke shower area in practically any space and overcome the challenge of awkwardly shaped bathrooms in style, with the comprehensive range of shower hardware solutions from CRL Stone.

Combining minimalism with accessibility in the modern bathroom, sliding shower doors are the ideal solution when space is tight in compact situations. The Cambridge and Serenity sliding shower door systems from CRL is a case in point – available in a choice of on-trend finishes including contemporary matte black and brushed stainless steel, these systems keep hardware to a minimum to create a frameless look and almost floating appearance. 

From a practical viewpoint, operation of the sliding shower door itself is almost effortless and extremely quiet thanks to stainless steel anti-lift rollers that maximise on safety. 

CRL also offers a wide range of shower hardware for hinged door and fixed panel options, including glass clamps that provide a clean-looking alternative to U-Channels and a square support bar that responds to the trend for geometric design helping to maintain the frameless appearance of a contemporary shower enclosure, these can be specified with square cornered and bevelled edge hinges that can be exactly matched, in a variety of finishes, including chrome and matte black. 

For a copy of the CRL shower door hardware brochure, visit www.crlaurence.co.uk or call 01706 863600.

More news from CRL Stone

About CRL Stone

With 20 years of experience in the stone industry, CRL Stone offers a large range of colours and finishes of ceramic and quartz surfaces.

Ceralsio ceramic is a beautiful, hard-wearing and versatile range of ceramic surfaces that is available in a large range of colours. Offering a large range of advantages such as a strong resistance to wear and tear, scratch, stain and ultra-violet, it is ideal for interior and exterior applications.

CRL Quartz is a beautiful, hard-wearing engineered quartz stone, available in a large range of colours, with a polished finish and in thicknesses of 20mm and 30mm. Inspired by nature itself to meet the current trends and demands of modern living CRL Quartz is non-porous, stain, scratch, heat and shock resistant. It is also very strong and simple to care for, making it ideal for kitchens and bathrooms.

Keep Reading
By

Pacific Grey joins CRL Stone’s marble inspired decors

CRL Stone Pacific Grey Surface

A surface that is durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of the busiest of kitchens and bathrooms, and is versatile enough to install in any area of the home, CRL Quartz Pacific Grey joins the line-up of marble-inspired designs now available from CRL Stone.

Pacific Grey is available in a thickness of 20mm or 30mm and can be chosen in a large slab format for using as a kitchen island surface. With all the characteristics of marble aesthetically, including a subtle grey patterning throughout, Pacific Grey combines comfortably with any colour scheme and marries perfectly with other trending materials from brass to glass.

While the marble-effect lends this work surface its understated beauty, CRL Quartz has none of the maintenance issues commonly associated with natural materials. In fact, it is extremely hard wearing, easy to clean and to maintain with no requirement for sealing during the lifetime of the surface.

CRL Quartz surfaces prices start from £250-£450 per square metre.

For more information and free samples call CRL Stone on 01706 863 600 or visit www.crlquartz.co.uk

More news from CRL Stone

About CRL Stone

With 20 years of experience in the stone industry, CRL Stone offers a large range of colours and finishes of ceramic and quartz surfaces.

Ceralsio ceramic is a beautiful, hard-wearing and versatile range of ceramic surfaces that is available in a large range of colours. Offering a large range of advantages such as a strong resistance to wear and tear, scratch, stain and ultra-violet, it is ideal for interior and exterior applications.

CRL Quartz is a beautiful, hard-wearing engineered quartz stone, available in a large range of colours, with a polished finish and in thicknesses of 20mm and 30mm. Inspired by nature itself to meet the current trends and demands of modern living CRL Quartz is non-porous, stain, scratch, heat and shock resistant. It is also very strong and simple to care for, making it ideal for kitchens and bathrooms.

Keep Reading
By

BetteCraft washbasin in glazed titanium steel

BetteCraft washbasin

The BetteCraft washbasin combines the sculptural aesthetics of the finest porcelain with the perfect material for the bathroom: glazed titanium steel. 

The German design offices of Tesseraux + Partner created the design which turned Bette’s glazed titanium steel into a rounded shape that tapers towards the top and bottom. This kind of shape is unusual in the extremely strong and hard glazed titanium-steel and is usually associated with soft clay at the potter’s wheel. To achieve the design every BetteCraft basin is individually made by hand, then glazed on both the inside and outside. 

The beautifully-shaped BetteCraft washbasin received the Design Plus Award 2019 at ISH.

BetteCraft is available in a choice of two sizes; 350 or 450 mm diameter. In addition to elegant white, Bette also offers the basin in a range of colours, including exclusive matt shades and in the new Effect colours, such as sparkling Midnight, velvety Blue Satin and iridescent Forest. 

For more information see www.bette.co.uk or telephone 0844 800 0547. 

More news from Bette

About Bette

BETTE is a German family-run company. BETTE has been producing premium architectural bathroom components from steel-titanium alloy enamelled with purely natural materials since 1952.

BETTE’s thermoforming process allows the manufacturer to create flowing shapes with extraordinary craftsmanship and precision to offer a broad range of colours and dimensions for your bathroom design.

Keep Reading
By

New BettePond baths by Dominik Tesseraux

BettePond Silhouette Circular bath

The circular BettePond was designed by Dominik Tesseraux (Tesseraux + Partner, Potsdam) as a reminder of the original shape of the tub. With a generous 150cm diameter, the circle is the perfect place for quiet contemplation and slowing down in everyday life – and a genuine oasis of tranquillity in the bathroom.

 “The circle is an original symbol of mankind, and represents harmony, infinity and oneness,” explains Sven Rensinghoff, Marketing Director at Bette. “Which is an extremely apt description of enjoying a bath, because time almost seems to stand still when we relax in the warm water, enabling us to find our way back to ourselves.”

Counterpoint or sparkling pool

Depending on the room architecture and place, BettePond can be chosen either as a free-standing or built-in version. The free-standing version has the word “Silhouette” after the name and can be used as a specific style tool in the bathroom.”

BettePond Silhouette attracts admiring glances simply by its sheer presence, the result of the volume of the cylindrical body, the elegant material and the flawless, brilliant surface.

For those who prefer a more subtle look, but still want to enjoy the comfort of a circular bath, BettePond can also be inset into a surface. With its slender rim of only 8 mm, the bath then looks like a sparkling pool that is perfect for a peaceful, contemplative bath – with plenty of storage all round for shampoo, towels and soaps. Adding a whirl system to BettePond will increase the well-being even further.

Spectacular in form and format

Realising this inviting circle in glazed titanium steel called for every ounce of Bette’s mastery. Although the reduced circle appears basic in form, producing a bath from this strong material demanded a profound knowledge of the material and manufacturing process.

“Creating a round form with a diameter of 150 cm and the smooth connection of the interior and exterior called for an extremely high level of skill in the processing of glazed titanium skill,” explained Sven Rensinghoff. The completely hygienic material, glazed titanium steel is not only extremely durable, but is also notable for its skin-friendly properties, permanent colour stability and impermeability to cosmetics and bath additives.

BettePond baths have a thirty year warranty.

Keep Reading
By

Kinemoon shower tray from Kinedo

New Kinemoon shower tray

It’s hard to believe that the great and the good of the KBB world was attending the KBB Show at the NEC just a couple of short months ago. Now, of course, the world is a different place and we’re looking forward to the time when we can meet our sector colleagues again. 

The show, despite what was around the corner, proved to be a great showcase for the kitchens and bathroom sectors including Kinedo, the shower brand of Saniflo. One new product that was displayed – which is now in stock and available for delivery – was the Kinemoon shower tray. The stone effect, textured tray taps into the trend for natural stone style shower trays and doubles up as an effective anti-slip surface rated to PN24. Available in 5 colours – white, anthracite, grey, black and sable it also has 3 different patterned waste covers which are self-coloured to blend in perfectly with the tray. 

The super flat tray – just 26mm in height – is designed for easy access, but can be supplied with an optional riser kit if extra height is required and can also be used in a wetroom style application. Manufactured from durable Biolex material, that is resistant to damage, the tray can be cut on site for awkward installation situations. 

This flexible and versatile tray can be bought as part of a number showroom offers that are available until the end of June. So, for showrooms that are busy updating their spaces in anticipation of a rush of home improvements, this is a tray that will hit the spot for all designs of shower area. 

For more information, including details of the comprehensive range of sizes, please visit www.kinedo.co.uk/shower-trays/kinemoon  for more details of our current showroom offers. 

Keep Reading
By

RAK Ceramics

RAK Ceramics

RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramics brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and porcelain wall and floor tiles and sanitaryware, plus an extensive range of sinks and taps for the kitchen, the manufacturer produces 110 million square metres of tiles and 5 million pieces of sanitaryware per year. Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, RAK Ceramics serves clients in more than 150 countries through its network of operational hubs.

At the forefront of design innovation, RAK Ceramics collaborates with some of the world’s leading designers to create breath-taking bathroom collections, including RAK-Cloud in partnership with Italian designer Giuseppe Maurizio Scutellà and RAK-Variant, a washbasin concept brought to life by design duo Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri.

With a product portfolio spanning every aspect of bathroom design, plus kitchen sinks and taps, the RAK Ceramics range encompasses: 

•WCs •Bidets •Washbasins •Taps •Showers •Accessories •Heating •Furniture and storage •Mirrors and Cabinets

The RAK Ceramics surfaces collection is just as extensive, with floor, wall and countertop tiles in a wide range of styles and sizes, along with mega slabs for a minimal finish with virtually no grout lines.

Keep Reading
By

Dansani launches YOU at kbb

Dansani

Denmark bathroom manufacturer Dansani showcased its latest collection at kbb. YOU offers three different styles that can be combined to deliver a variety of design combinations to suit any project.

Vintage, Classic and Urban provide a wealth of choice, not only in the larger elements like cabinet doors, basins, tabletops and lighting, but right down to the details and little things like handles, legs and towel hooks.  

“Even a little detail like putting romantic legs and handles on a stringent Urban cabinet will change the expression completely. At the same time, it is fun to experiment, breaking away from the overall style. It stimulates curiosity and adds personality and edge to the final result. It really lets the customer take over the designer’s role, and we can barely wait to see what designs our customers will put together with YOU,” says Susanne Krag, Sales and Marketing Manager at Dansani. She continues: “We hope we will get a lot of super pictures of YOU bathrooms sent to hash tag #mydansani.”

Vintage

The pure Vintage style is romantic, but functional retro. A light, organic style, in its very essence inviting you to find a personal, decorative furnishing style.  The Vintage style is personified in Caroline, who chooses an eclectic feminine style for her furnishings. Pictured Bottom.

Classic

The pure Classic style is timeless elegance. The classic virtues of Danish design tradition show clearly in every detail, creating an elegantly timeless look. The Classic style is personified in Sofia, who knows exactly what she wants. Photo: Dansani. Stylist: Pernille Vest. Pictured Top.

Urban 

The pure Urban style has a modular, minimalist idiom. Strong, clean lines, with absolutely no fuss. There are no superfluous details to disturb the smooth, single-coloured surfaces and stringent lines. The Urban style is personified in Alexander, who goes for simplicity and clean lines. 

Urban and Classic mix:

Even small changes can make a big difference in the total picture. On the left is how it starts – Urban. On the right it is combined with elements from Classic. It still gives a basically stringent impression, but it is softened with elements of timeless elegance. 

 For more information, please contact:

Project Manager

Lene Sand

Telephone: +45 73 22 29 25

www.dansani.co.uk

Keep Reading
By