Awards & Standards @ THE K&BZINE

Maytag's Agility Awarded Good Housekeeping Institute Accreditation

Maytag UK's Agility Deep Cleaning Carpet Extractor has received the Good Housekeeping Institute's accreditation for its outstanding performance.

Scoring 94 points out of 100 in the carpet cleaning feature of the April issue of the Good Housekeeping Magazine, Maytag's Agility came top in comparison testing.

‘When it comes to appliance testing we know that the Good Housekeeping Institute is one of the very best. We knew the Agility was an excellent carpet extractor and now it has been confirmed. The consumer knows they can rely on the recommendation of the Good Housekeeping Institute and has confidence in the purchase. Retailers are delighted that they can offer products which are emphatically endorsed with the knowledge that they will have a happy customer without question,’ says Ian McCulloch, Maytag UK's Director Floor Care Business Group.

Vacuuming alone is not enough to maintain the appearance and longevity of a carpet. The Agility is designed to clean deep down resulting in a professionally deep clean finish with the bonus of extending a carpet's life.

Owning an Agility means you no longer have the inconvenience and expense of a contractor. You can deep clean your carpet whenever you wish at your convenience. And it doesn't have to be hard work or time consuming. The Agility cleans as easily and quickly as it takes to vacuum and carpets dry very quickly too. The Agility is ready to go straight from the box and is simple to set up. Use as you would a conventional vacuum cleaner achieving hygienic carpet lustre instantly. And to complete the satisfaction you empty the recovered solution down the sink revealing just how dirty the carpet was!

Features of the Agility deep cleaner
* It is ready to use straight from the box.
* For use on carpets, rugs and upholstery.
* Neat enough to go under furniture with tools to do the stairs.
* Lightweight and easy to manoeuvre.
* Easy clip-on/clip-off solution and recovery tanks are large enough to clean several rooms and small enough to manage in a normal domestic sink.
* Unique SpinScrub brushes rotate and gently remove ingrained dirt and stains.
* CleanSurge button releases extra solution for more intensive cleaning of heavily soiled areas.
* Low profile floor head moves easily around the room and under furniture.
* Detachable tool caddy includes powered hand brush with spin scrub technology for stairs and upholstery.
* Extraction of solution is very effective so carpets dry in a couple of hours.
* Handle folds down for easy storage in a compact space.
Available from leading department stores, multiples and independent electrical retailers retailing at £229.

Special Needs Designers Given Special Recognition at the Recent KBB Review Industry Awards 2006

The importance of high quality, design-led kitchens and bathrooms for those with special needs has been recognised for the first time with a new award category at the KBB Review Industry Awards 2006.

Now in its 12th year, the industry's award ceremony is organised by the trade magazine kbbreview, which has been championing the need for a more serious approach to designing bathrooms and kitchens for those with special needs over the past 12 months. With more than 10m disabled people currently residing in the UK, the magazine believes it is time for the bathroom and kitchen industry to wake up to the needs of disabled customers and introduced the new category for the first time in a bid to publicise this.

After serious consideration, the winners were selected and were invited to receive their awards in front of 1,000 members of the KBB industry at a black tie ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on January 23rd 2006.

And the winners are: Alison Wright and Kate Sheehan of Easy living Homes, who took the Designer Award for Accessible Bathrooms, and Adam Thomas of Design Matters, who took the Designer Award for Accessible Kitchens.

Alison Wright of Easy Living Homes comments: ‘Receiving the Award will help Kate and I on our mission to challenge the current traditional medical model of special needs which can be ugly and stigmatising, by injecting aspirational values into the design. We all want our homes to look good and our message is that functionality does not need to compromise style or affordability. We have certainly found that kitchen and bathroom manufacturers appreciate this is an area with huge potential, so we are delighted to be recognised by the industry for our work.’

Adam Thomas of Design Matters comments: ‘I am delighted that KBB Review has taken inclusive design to its heart by instituting this award, recognising that the best designs are responsive to the wishes and the needs of their users.’

VASCO Wins red dot Design Award

2068 entries out of 41 countries; those were the entrants for the 2006 edition of the ‘red dot award: product design’. One of the participants was VASCO. The specialist in designer warmth sent in 4 products.

The red dot design award is an initiative of the German Design Centre Nordrhein Westfalen. The contest receives international fame and each year high quality products are entered in one of the 11 categories. Also during the 51st edition this year, the competition was spectacular and the experts in the jury accepted the challenge to select the most innovative entries.

Out of the 4 registrered VASCO products, no less then 3 products were awarded with a red dot award: the designer radiators ARCHE and NIVA horizontal and also the new electrical regulation for bathroom radiators.

The ARCHE from VASCO has already been crowned several times before: Design Plus Award (2005), Designpreis Silver 2006, selected for Design in Belgium after 2000, selection Henry van de Velde price, category ‘Best Product’.

This international recognition of its product quality - by the competent members of the jury and in the company of a lot of well-established producers – is a valuable asset for VASCO.

The prize giving takes place during the annual gala of the red dot award on June 26th, 2006 in the Essen Opera House. The festivities start in the afternoon with the opening of the special exhibition ‘Design on stage - winners red dot award: product design 2006’, in the presence of about 1200 international guests from the world of design, art, industrial circles and politics.

In Design: Winner of the Bathroom Showroom Award

In Design, North London's newest kitchen, bathroom and bedroom showroom won the 'Bathroom Showroom of the Year Award' at the KBB Industry Awards 2006. In Design only opened its doors to the public in June 2005 and was immediately nominated for both 'Best Bathroom Showroom' and 'Best Kitchen Showroom' categories.

The impressive 10,000 square foot showroom is equipped with the largest selection of Villeroy and Boch bathrooms in the UK. In Design employs a team of award winning designers and specialist installers, who have vast knowledge and experience in designing and fitting kitchens and bathrooms, offering a complete service from design to installation completion, aiming for peace of mind for the customer and quality of finish that will not only meet, but exceed expectations.

In Design's Hemang Halai receiving the Bathroom Showroom Award from Beccy Jepson, UK & Ireland Sales Manager for Lucite International; sponsors of the Bathroom Showroom Award

Dhanji Bhudia was thrilled to have been nominated for both the kitchen and the bathroom showroom awards. ‘We have to pinch ourselves to believe that we have come this far in just six months! All the team knew that our showroom was out of the ordinary but to beat so many nationally renowned names from the world of kitchen and bathroom retailing in such a short space of time has made us all feel very proud; not just of what we have created but also of our suppliers who have been so instrumental in helping us achieve the look and being an unchallengeable pool of experience that has proven invaluable’.

Visit the In Design showroom at Kiran House, 53 Park Royal Road, London, NW10 7LQ. Telephone: 0208 963 5841

Double Hit for Hammersmith Architect Firm at Prestigious UK Design Awards

Hammersmith-based architect Tim Angus secured two awards at the KBB Review Industry Awards 2006 for a bathroom he designed for his boss!

The innovative double-winning design involved a complete redesign of the family home of Graham Harris, md of SHH, where Tim has been practising architecture for the past six years. Commenting on the design, the Award's judging panel said: ‘It's real problem solving in that it responds to the way people live, and it flows well because he has thought about how people get up in the morning. To have a sequence of rooms rather than just sticking in a bath is great. It's how people want to live.’

As well as picking up the prize for Designer Award for Bathroom, talented Tim also bought the International Designer Award for Bathrooms back to the UK. ‘Although I work with all aspects of architecture, I have been specialising within bathrooms and kitchens for high-end residential projects for the past four years now so it was amazing to win two awards at such a prestigious event - especially since I was competing against many companies who solely work in these fields. It was fantastic recognition of the hard work I put in, especially in the public format of the awards dinner,’ says Tim.

Sanitaryware manufacturer Qualceram Shires is the official sponsor of the Designer Award for Bathrooms, while high-end bathroom manufacturer Jacuzzi UK sponsored the International Designer for Bathrooms Award.

Norwood Interiors Defends its Title as Master Retailer for Kitchens for Second Year at Prestigious UK Design Awards

West Yorkshire-based kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design company, Norwood Interiors, has retained its title of Master Retailer for Kitchens for the second year running at the renowned KBB Review Awards 2006 recently.

Norwood Interiors, which has two showrooms in West Yorkshire - one in Kirstall and one in Brighouse - fought off stiff competition to keep the coveted crown of the UK's Master Retailer for Kitchens and was awarded the title for another year at a glittering gala event on January 23rd at the Metropole Hotel, Birmingham.

The well respected company, which was launched in 1985, impressed the judges with its comprehensive marketing plan, which makes good use of local media including advertisements in local press, regional radio adverts and mail shots. Norwood Interiors' was also congratulated for its sound understanding of customer needs and the detailed attention it pays to after sales service, which is largely responsible for the company's success.

‘I only entered again as a tribute to our team, who have worked extremely hard in what has been a difficult year for the whole industry - it was really just a way of me telling them how much all their hard work is appreciated and I never dreamt we would win for a second year. To actually win was amazing. We were all over the moon. No-one's ever won it twice before so we were absolutely thrilled,’ comments md Ronnie Potts.

In their summary of Norwood Interiors, the Award's judging panel was highly complementary: ‘They've grown fantastically, they have a great reputation. I think that, as a business, it's head and shoulders above many others. They have key performance indicators on everything, which is always a great sign. They know everything about their business.’

Appliance manufacturer Neff is the official sponsor of the Master Retailer Award for Kitchens and its sales director Mike Jarrett comments: ‘We congratulate Norwood Interiors on winning this award for the second year running. They have demonstrated an extremely professional approach to their business. We are particularly impressed with their showroom which is unparalleled in the area’.

Maytag UK Wins Double Honours at Product of the Year Awards

Maytag UK has won the Get Connected Magazine's Product of the Year Award for the Maytag TriLogy genuine American fridge freezer and the Maytag Agility Carpet Extractor.

Maytag has achieved these accolades via an independent panel of judges, industry professionals and votes from the readers of this electrical trade journal. The stringent set of judging criteria included innovative design, style, technology, quality and reliability. The pair have also been recognised for their ability to address consumer needs and to bring added value to the market.

The Maytag Agility is the result of extensive consumer research. Designed in-house, the Agility carpet extractor offers the consumer the best deep down cleaning performance, new and effective features and performance, market leading ergonomic design and simplicity of use to perfectly reflect the needs of the typical UK consumer. ‘The award is fabulous recognition as one of the best carpet cleaners on the market and the award is a testament to our positioning as an innovative floor care manufacturer,’ says Ian McCulloch, Director Floor Care Business Group.

Andrew Long, Marketing Director comments, ‘The new Maytag TriLogy is another superb authentic American refrigerator with genuine innovative benefits. The unique double door system not only allows easy access, the small side-by-side doors take up a third less space than a traditional full width door, making the TriLogy ideal for installation where room depth is limited. The Get Connected Product of the Year award is a superb achievement and one that we are very proud of.’

Andrew concludes, ‘Maytag is renowned for innovative design and technical expertise, dependability and outstanding performance and being recognised through an independent panel of industry judges is a superb tribute. This will not only add to retailer confidence, it will boost consumer confidence at the point of sale too.’

Courts Homemakers Wins Top Dealer Award

KBSA retailer Courts Homemakers of Stockton-on-Tees has recently won the dealer of the year award run through kitchen furniture manufacturer Second Nature, also a KBSA member.

Courts Homemakers supplies kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture in the North East of England and has a turnover of £5 million. The company won the prestigious award by scoring 100% in the judging, which evaluated their showroom.

The Second Nature' Dealer of the Year' competition is designed to find and reward the dealer whose showroom meets the Second Nature guidelines most effectively across a number of key retail and display standards, these being Second Nature product on display, branding, display styling guidelines and retail environment.

During November, Second Nature sent out an independent assessor armed with a detailed checklist and visual product references, who visited the 72 outlets who had entered the competition. Each outlet was not pre-warned of the visit. Court Homemakers was the clear winner with maximum points.

Ian Goodwillie, director of Court Homemakers comments: ‘Entering this competition gave us the opportunity to really focus on how our showroom performed. We all wanted to win so we made an extra effort to make sure the showroom looked and performed top class, and it still does! We are delighted to be the Second Nature Dealer of the Year 2005.’

Courts Homemakers received a holiday voucher for £2,000 and an engraved crystal trophy for the company’s efforts.

Electrolux Wins Six 2006 iF Design Awards

Electrolux has been awarded a combined total of six International Design Awards in the 'Household/Living' appliance category for the 2006 edition of the iF Design Awards. Held annually in Germany, the competition of the International Forum Design in Hanover attracts hundreds of entries each year. This year, 740 entrants from 37 countries competed with 1952 submissions, of which 464 fell into the Household/Living category.

Winning appliances from the Electrolux Group include the Electrolux Insight Cooker, which allows for enhanced visibility into the oven and greater user convenience; the AEG-Electrolux Wine cooler SANTO W 98820-4i, an elegant and functional wine storage unit that keeps wines at an optimal temperature; and the AEG-Electrolux gas hob 79900 G-m, a gas cooker with touch controls that allow for precise regulation of cooking temperatures. The AEG-Electrolux Range cookers was also distinguished with the iF Design Award.

Electrolux appliances were recognised for their leading quality, functionality, design, ease of use, environmental friendliness and innovative technological solutions, among other factors.

The Award, given at what is regarded as a key international design competition, is judged by top international designers from various disciplines. The 2006 Award jury members included design experts, such as industrial designer Fritz Frenkler, celebrated Danish designer Erik Magnussen and Per Börjesson, Design Director at Electrolux Major Appliances Europe. The actual award statues, dubbed 'Design Oscars', were especially created for the iF Awards by leading designer Herbert Schultes in 1996.

'We are honoured to once again receive such recognition for our design work at the iF awards,' says Hans Strohmeier, Design Director at Electrolux. 'Our products are designed to make consumers’ lives a little easier and with this in mind, we continue to strive to reach the perfect fusion between appliance design and functionality. Receiving so many awards for these efforts is a great stimulus for our whole design team.'

All the awarded products will be displayed at the iF design exhibition from March through September 2006 and during multiple Hannover fairs and exhibitions like CeBIT. For more information on the iF product design award 2006, please visit: http://www.ifdesign.de

Gold, Silver and Bronze for Neff Evolution

At the annual Incentive Travel & Meetings Association (ITMA) award ceremony in London last week, Neff won a total of four awards for its 'Evolution' trade product launch held at the Concept Centre in Bedford in February 2005.

A coveted Gold award was won for 'Best Use of a Venue's Facilities'; two silvers were won for 'Best Product Launch' and 'Consumer Durables & Technology' respectively, and a Bronze award was won in the 'Best UK Event' category.

Neff Evolution was the platform event to launch the company's first completely new cooking collection for 20 years to the trade. It was designed to attract attention from existing Neff dealers nationwide as well as generate interest in the new collection from the media.

A complex set was constructed to showcase the entire Neff collection in custom-built housings and two fully fitted kitchens were set up to highlight the products in a built in scenario.

Over 1200 dealers visited the Evolution event during the 5-day promotional period and over 4000 units were sold, resulting in Neff's three highest sales months ever following the launch event.

External events & incentives agency, Rodber Thorneycroft, who masterminded the entire Neff Evolution product launch, entered the event for the ITMA awards and was thrilled at the successful outcome, beating off stiff competition from within the industry.

Comments Neff Brand Manager, Hannah Watson: ‘Neff Evolution was a real success story on every level, from response rate to sales records. It has become a benchmark event for the entire kitchen industry. To be recognised in this way is an added bonus and a great accolade to the team that made it all possible.’

Designer Martin Nets Top National Award

A talented designer from KBSA retailer Chiselwood Ltd in Lincoln has won a major national award for kitchen design.

Martin Holliday won Kitchen Designer of the Year in the annual Design Awards run in association with the Kitchen + Bathroom Designer magazine.

Martin transformed a derelict missionary chapel into a fabulous contemporary kitchen in order to win the award.

Martin comments: ‘The chapel was such a fabulous space to work on - a fantastic blank canvass. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and found the building both inspiring and motivating. I believe there should be no boundaries when designing a fabulous kitchen.’

‘I'm absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award,’ continued Martin.
Martin's design for this kitchen earned him the Kitchen Designer of the Year title - plus a cheque for £1,000 and a cut-glass trophy.

The brief was that the kitchen area was to be in the living space, but be kept as tight as possible so therefore had to be pleasing to the eye from all angles, practical and, as the client liked the idea of a flying balcony (suggested by Martin) the kitchen needed to be aesthetically pleasing from above as well.

Chair of the judging panel Grahame Morrison added: ‘The winners of this year's awards are to be congratulated in achieving pole position as the standard of entry was incredibly high.’