Bathroom Product Launches June 2007

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Made to Measure by the Stonetheatre

The photographed bathroom design featured depicts a bespoke 20mm thick floor created in arabescato marble from Italy that has a polished finish and is produced from marble slabs measuring around 2.5 metres by 1.5 metres in size.

The curved flooring sections are firstly designed by hand, based upon loose dimensions provided by the client. Over a series of several site surveys these flooring sections are confirmed and the mason then produces a final physical template of each section from a corrugated plastic material called 'Correx'.

The templates are then used to cut away the sections from the 20mm slab on a CNC (computer numerically controlled) water jet cutter. The water jet cutter allows seamless flowing cuts to be made that produce intricate shapes which would be too delicate to attempt to produce by hand.

Patterns are virtually limitless, although the fragility of the material does inevitably produce certain limitations. Very fine points, like the point of a flower petal for example, can be cut, but the obvious difficulty lies in transporting such delicate features, without breakage.

Consideration to this fact should therefore be borne in mind with design specifications, which are ultimately going to be affected by the constitution of selected stone. In this regard Stonetheatre's experts are on hand to advise, knowing that for example a granite petal shape design will have a better chance of surviving intact than if it had been created in marble.

The Stonetheatre has considerable experience in design and is happy to provide a no obligation quote to customers for this service, on a project basis. Projects are costed according to the individual requirements and scale of the design undertaken and whether, or not, the client purchases the finished product.

Location - Private Residence, Stroud, Gloucestershire.
Material - Arabescato marble cladding and featuring bespoke specialised
water jet machine cut floor.
Created & installed by Stonetheatre, Cirencester & London, Waterloo.

For further information on the Stonetheatre log onto the website at http://www.stonetheatre.com alternatively telephone the London showroom on 0207 021 0020 or email London@stonetheatre.com. The showroom is open from Monday to Saturday 9am - 5.30pm, closed all day Sundays.


VitrA has the Touch

VitrA's commitment to touch-free technology and the challenge of combining hygiene with function and design within public washrooms was on show at EXPO in the shape of two new lines from German designers NOA.

 



The new lines further expand VitrA's Professional Series, which is designed in response to the hygienic and functional concerns of public and institutional washrooms:

High-Q+
High-Q+ combines technology, functionality and packaging solutions. A new line, this range prevents hand-faucet contact and therefore maximises hygienic aspects. Users are able to control the flow and heat of water by simply motioning their hands close to icons on the basin, where the sensors under the ceramic body activate the faucet. LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are installed under the glass washbasins, indicating cold with blue and hot with red. The LED also has an ambient light option enabling the washbasin to be a mixture of colour introducing an attractive lighting effect.

High-Q
Solving the space limitations of public bathrooms is always a challenge. To accommodate personal belongings (such as handbags, coats, cell phones, etc.) VitrA's new High-Q washbasins are designed to work in tandem with a counter unit. Again, water flow can be controlled by special sensors or with a unique joystick control and the washbasin is also distinguished by the fact that its faucet is integrated with the basin, making repairs less complicated and consequently time and money-consuming.

A further enhancement to VitrA's design-oriented solutions for professional customers. This new collection includes both circular and square washbasins as well as short wall-hung and close-coupled WC pans, providing significant advantages for tight bathroom spaces as well as design flexibility when it comes to specifying for a particular context.

A specific hygiene benefit has also been integrated - the washbasins, WC pans and bidets have a backsplash in their installation surfaces to eliminate moisture build up and dirt on the contact areas between the product and wall. NOA has also developed clever solutions with metal and wooden shelves under the washbasins intended for hotel use.

VitrA's production facilities have again come into their own for this clever yet practical range. The shining example is a new urinal with integrated separators which add privacy to frequently used bathrooms. The electronically-operated flusher is concealed inside the product itself, with no need to demolish walls for installation and depending on the type of usage; the flushing system can be battery or main supply-operated. The system is concealed inside the product itself, from which it operates directly by liquid heat and flow.

The use of a special magnet allows the urinal to be programmed to different settings, ultimately an important innovation for high traffic areas such as stadiums, airports and schools, because it removes the need for manual flushing after each use and also allows for subsequent 1 litre rinses to be programmed, meaning considerable water conservation and efficiency.

Also new from the VitrA Design Team is Slope, a collection of inclined 'monobloc' faucets which tick clear design and aesthetic boxes as well as providing key reliability, water and energy conservation benefits.

Web: http://www.vitra-bathrooms.com


Victoria & Albert Reinvents the Slipper Bath with New Amalfi

British freestanding bath specialist Victoria & Albert impressed visitors to EXPO 2007 with the launch of the company’s latest model, the Amalfi. Described as 'the slipper bath reinvented for the twenty-first century', the new 1640mm long model taps into V&A's rich heritage of recreating period reproduction models like the Shropshire in QUARRYCAST®, a rare volcanic limestone mixed with resin.

The result is a minimalist design that focuses on the elegance of the Victorian original by doing away with some of the more period-specific detailing; gone are the ball and claw feet and roll top replaced with softly contoured rimless sides that descend gracefully to the floor - all the waste pipe work is hidden within the Amalfi's full apron.

Comfort was a central factor in the design process - on the inside the Amalfi is a world away from its Victorian forbears, being highly insulated and warm to the touch. In addition, it features an extended 850mm high backrest to provide full head support for users choosing a long luxurious soak. However, as the latest freestanding bath from Victoria & Albert, most people will be attracted firstly by its good looks and ability to form the perfect centerpiece to a dream bathroom. As a true timeless classic, the new model features V&A's QUARRYCAST® one piece casting with renewable surfaces, backed up with a twenty-five year guarantee.

Another six models were also on display at Stand D30. These included the successful Napoli egg-shaped bath and the Freedom Collection; whose models offer all the features of a high-end deep, double-ended bath in a package that is small enough to fit virtually anywhere.

Nick Portlock, Victoria & Albert Group Sales & Marketing Director says, ‘The Amalfi is a special project for Victoria & Albert as it brings together our joint love of period classics and of clean contemporary design. Coinciding with our 10 year anniversary it's the embodiment of our brand values, and a model which I'm sure consumers will find irresistible.’

Tel: 01952 221100
Web: http://www.vandabaths.com


Jasper Morrison in Stock at Ideal Bathrooms

Ideal Bathrooms has taken delivery of the new Jasper Morrison collection from Ideal Standard and product worth £200,000 is now in stock ready for delivery to retailers across the UK.

This fully integrated range of fittings, sanitaryware and furniture delivers a beautiful and functional bathroom in Jasper Morrison's signature 'Super Normal' design style.

£200,000 is a substantial stocking commitment for Ideal Bathrooms to make, but Ideal Bathrooms supports its brands by taking in new stocks in depth, helping with product launches and initial displays which all helps to achieve ongoing sales.

Martin Carroll, Managing Director at Ideal Bathrooms comments:

‘The design of these products indicated that the Jasper Morrison range will be a sure-fire winner. The market is moving towards 'signature' pieces in the bathroom and this collection has been designed with this in mind. The launch of the Jasper Morrison collection once again puts Ideal Standard at the cutting edge of design with these iconic styles. I feel sure that this range will be seen as a design classic in years to come.’

Ideal Bathrooms is a leading UK bathroom distributor and has warehouses in Kingston upon Thames, Milton Keynes and Wakefield. Deliveries are next day for anywhere in the UK giving retail showrooms the confidence to plan deliveries and installations for customers with total peace of mind.

Web: http://www.idealbathrooms.com


Size Matters! - New Sydney 600 Basin

In recent years Roca has noticed a sizeable fall in sales of large sized basins. Due to ongoing space issues, customers are opting for mid to smaller sized basins that make the bathroom appear larger - one of a number of trends resulting from decreasing UK bathroom sizes.

In line with this trend, Roca has updated its popular Sydney suite to include a new 600mm basin. The more compact shape offers the same angular and contemporary design features as the rest of the Sydney suite but is more practical for smaller spaces.

Sydney 600 - Facts & Figures
Dimensions
600x485mm
Materials
Vitreous China
Colours
White
Other
Available with one tap hole

Tel: 01530 830080
Web: http://www.roca-uk.com


Sensational Sophie

The new Sophie bathroom collection from William Ball adds natural warmth and beauty as well as stylish storage.

 

Warm walnut effect doors are just as perfect for the bathroom as the kitchen or bedroom as William Ball has proved by expanding its Sophia furniture range into the bathroom. With rich sapponetta-style curves the Sophie range has a deep velvet lustre that will add glamour to any bathroom without overpowering the space.

Sophie is especially suited to bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, as the same furniture can be continued seamlessly throughout both spaces for a fully coordinated feel. Combining open shelving with mirrored cabinets and integral lighting, Sophie comes in a wide selection of units, allowing the creation of bathroom storage to suit any sized room.

William Ball's Sophie furniture range starts from £211 for a 600mm vanity unit, and comes with a five-year guarantee as standard.For further information contact 01375 375 151 or visit http://www.wball.co.uk


Ancient Pyramids Provide Inspiration for Ideal Standard's New Design Collection - Imagine

Ideal Standard has announced the launch of its new Imagine collection. Milan-based designer, Ronen Joseph, creator of the collection, was inspired by geometric forms, called trapezoids which are reflected in the structure of the ancient Egyptian pyramids.

A trapezoid is a four-sided shape which can be recognised because it has one pair of exactly parallel sides. Ronen Joseph's design overlays two trapezoids resulting in an avant-garde creation which moves beyond the straight lines and right angles commonly used in minimalist concepts.

The collection comprises seventeen different pieces of ceramic sanitary ware, including washbasins, toilets, bidets and a bath tub, as well as twenty pieces of furniture offering beauty pampering and storage options. Furniture comes in two lacquered colours, with the choice of three design patterns and two wood finishes.

‘I see my design as an evolution of contemporary trends towards minimalism. I tried to create a stronger concept. Not just a pure form but something more.’ said Ronen Joseph. ‘I played with various forms and tried to find a common aesthetic that looks good in different proportions. I've always been interested in the past and fascinated by the pyramids. The shapes generated are very exciting and create a perfect balance between quiescence and motion.’

In addition to the three-dimensional trapezoid design, which creates extra space on top of the wash basins, the collection offers some integrated features. For instance, Ideal Standard's advanced Ideal Flow technology - eliminating sometimes unsightly and dirt catching overflow holes on washbasins, is a standard feature within the collection. Once water levels are surpassed, depending on the specificity of the wash basin, the Ideal Flow system initiates the automatic opening of the water plug thus avoiding any overflow.

The collection also offers wash basin cabinets with an integrated waste pipe for evacuation that is much shorter that standard waste pipes. This allows for extra storage opportunities usually lost by the substantial space required for larger evacuation pipes under washbasin cabinets. Moreover, the different colour and decoration options for the furniture allow buyers to create a distinctive look that matches their individual tastes.

Additional features that may be added to the Imagine collection include a soft closing seat system for toilet bowls in order to avoid slamming. High levels of sanitation are promoted through Ideal Standard's Ideal Plus system, a surface treatment that groups water droplets, meaning faster and easier cleaning of the products.
‘Imagine provides a sensation of harmony, dynamism and solidity,’ said John Rietveldt, Ideal Standard's president of Bathroom and Kitchen, EMEA. ‘It also reflects Ideal Standard's philosophy to create bathroom products focused on helping people create a life space that enhances the well being of their body and mind via unique, smart design, durability and hygiene.’

Imagine will be available across Europe during the last quarter of 2007.

Web: http://www.idealstandard.com


New CENTO Italian Sanitaryware - Beautifully Simple!

Specialist Italian bathroom products importer and distributor, Althea UK Ltd, has launched its new CENTO range of sparkling white sanitaryware.

Aimed particularly at the new homes developer and hotel/restaurant markets, new CENTO embodies the highest standards of Italian design, characterised by purity of form and simplicity of line.

 

Washbasins can be wall hung or pedestal supported and are available as single bowls or with an integral shelf and towel holder.

WCs can feature monobloc cisterns or be installed flush to walls. Both floor standing and wall hung models are available, mirrored by the matching bidets.

CENTO, as is the case with all Althea products, looks good but can prove to be surprisingly affordable, as underlined by Barbara Holmes, Althea's National Sales Manager who said:

‘It's a real pleasure being able to demonstrate to our clients that extremely high design levels don't have to equate with astronomical prices. Our new CENTO range illustrates this perfectly and is already creating huge interest with those who've seen it so far’.

CENTO is available for immediate nationwide delivery from Althea's central distribution depot and can be supplied complete with taps, wastes, syphons and accessories.

Further Information: Barbara Holmes
Tel: 01924 43952
Email: barbara@altheauk.com
Web: http://www.altheaceramica.co.uk


Ideal Standard Presents Daylight Offering Smarter Space for a Tidier Bathroom

Ideal Standard has launced its new Daylight collection combining modern, linear styling with a wealth of smart storage ideas. Daylight's wide range of modular furniture and ceramic sanitary ware is designed to organise and arrange bathrooms of many different shapes and sizes.

Daylight includes a wash-basin, a mirrored cabinet, various models of tall and side cabinets, as well as a series of optional elements. The base cabinets fit perfectly with the wash-basin models, and the side cabinets can be fitted with storage boards on both sides. As a result, a 'level bridge' is created, connecting the side cabinet with either the wash-basin base cabinet or the tall cabinet.

This design concept is new in Ideal Standard's bathroom collections and creates an added opportunity for storage under the level bridge. Daylight provides sophisticated 'extras' to structure bathroom spaces even more, including a hair-dryer holder as well as expandable towel holders and cabinet elements with an integrated box for cosmetic tissues and a separate cosmetic waste container.

‘The bathroom has evolved and become more than just a functional area. It continues to gain importance as a core life space, becoming a focal point in the house,’ says Paul Frankish, Ideal Standard's Category Leader, Furniture and Accessories for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).’However, the traditional bathroom is not very spacious, restricting design possibilities and storage space. With Daylight's furniture range, Ideal Standard provides a convenient response to this challenge by combining intelligent design with a wealth of practical ideas, resulting in maximum storage volume.’

The doors of Daylight's tall cabinet conceal more drawers with storage boxes - the perfect home for all smaller bathroom accessories. A soft-closing function prevents slamming, allowing all doors in the range to be closed gently and quietly.

Integrated lighting behind the mirror doors provides illumination on both the outside as well as the inside of the mirror cabinet. An extended opening angle of 175° means that the mirror is a practical aid for putting on make-up or shaving. A magnetic strip inside the cabinet secures nail files and clippers within easy grasp.
As an optional extra, the Daylight hairdryer holder can be attached to the underside of the cabinet, keeping hairdryers within immediate reach. In line with the modular character of the range, the mirror cabinets come in three sizes, matching the washbasin formats.

Extra storage surfaces from innovative wash basin

The wash basin's rectangular external shape softly transitions into the inner bowl. Combined with the crescent-shaped tap ledge, this provides additional space on each side of the fitting. Ideal Standard's Ideal Flow system gives the basin a harmonious style. Ideal Flow is an invisible overflow system that eliminates the need for unsightly and dirt catching overflow holes on washbasins. Once water levels are surpassed, the Ideal Flow system initiates the automatic opening of the water plug thus avoiding any overflow. The Daylight wash-basin comes in five different formats, including a double basin model as well as a built-in variant.

Filip Van der Linden, Ideal Standard's Category Leader, Ceramics for EMEA adds, ‘Daylight's modular system offers solutions for bathrooms of virtually any shape or size. The Daylight portfolio ranges from an individual wash-basin to a complete self-contained furniture unit. Daylight is just as suited for the small bathroom as for creating a conveniently laid-out bathroom for the whole family. Daylight lends itself to a timeless design context featuring modern creations, and is a perfect partner for other product lines from Ideal Standard, such as Moments and Tonic.’

Web: http://www.idealstandard.com


Retailers Anticipate Significant Sales from New 'Super Normal' Designer Bathroom Collection by Jasper Morrison

Ideal Standard, a leading provider of bathroom and kitchen solutions, is launching its new designer suite by Jasper Morrison to retailers. Since its preview at 100% Design this fully integrated collection of sanitaryware, fittings and furniture has created much interest and is expected to generate substantial sales.

Retailers are set to benefit from Ideal Standard's commitment to a significant consumer advertising budget, which has been put in place as an integral part of a wide-ranging marketing support campaign for the new collection.

It is the simple but stylish design described by leading British designer Jasper Morrison as 'Super Normal' that is widely seen to be the suite's main attraction. The collection represents what Morrison feels is an antidote to the 'over-design' of so many of today's consumer goods. Says Morrison, ‘Super Normal tries to concentrate on the essential purpose of a product, ensuring that it works with every day environments.’

The Jasper Morrison collection continues Ideal Standard's commitment to provide 'Total Bathrooms' whereby consistent and coordinated design style is applied to all features, fittings and furniture. Each and every element holds a distinct reminder of the design - from the shape of the bath and the taps to the washbasin and furniture.

The contemporary Jasper Morrison collection has a straightforward design with a signature soft square shape and oval interior echoed throughout each piece. Its uniqueness lies in shapes that are naturally suited to their purpose.

Marked by understated design with functionality, the collection offers a total bathroom solution including WCs with close coupled, back-to-wall and wall-hung suites, which all have a soft-closing seat option that uses a special hinge system to lower the seat and lid slowly and reduce 'seat-slamming'. Additionally, there is an extensive range of ceramics including pedestal, hand-rinse and vessel basins, three baths, accessories, matching furniture and a urinal. The design appeals not only to a wide range of homeowners, but also to commercial establishments and applications such as hotels.

The range of beautifully crafted bathroom furniture offers quality with a 22mm thickness. This depth, which is substantially greater than the norm of 18mm, gives the range a 'chunky' feel. The Oak wood grain runs in the same direction on both the doors and the cabinets, emphasising attention to detail that resonates throughout the whole collection and adding to the natural wood effect. The units have integrated chrome handles and white solid surface countertops.

The Ideal Standard Jasper Morrison range has a comprehensive collection of fittings. This includes one-hole basin and bath mixers, bath/shower mixers, a built-in thermostatic shower valve, as well as a co-ordinating shower kit.

The signature Ideal Standard Jasper Morrison bath follows the soft square design Morrison has reflected throughout the entire collection by using a one-piece panel. The same curve seamlessly follows the shape of the bath eliminating the need for a separate end panel.

Brian Grey, Ideal Standard UK's Marketing Manager, comments; ‘Retailers are eagerly anticipating this new collection, which perfectly combines a simple but stylish design to deliver a beautiful yet functional bathroom with wide-ranging appeal.’

For further information on Ideal Standard products call 01482 346461 or visit http://www.ideal-standard.co.uk


Ssssshh! The New Quieter Mixed Flow Fans from Manrose

The new Mixed Flow Fan Range from Manrose Manufacturing has been designed for applications that require high air flows and pressure without the noise associated with powerful fans. Engineered for in-duct mounting, the mixed flow units have compact overall dimensions and are available in 100mm, 125mm, and 150mm with two speed fan settings and the 200mm option with three speed settings.

In addition to standard use, the new mixed flow fans can either be used in series (one in front of the other) to double the pressure or in parallel (side by side) to double the airflow. The mixed flow units are suitable for use with either rigid or flexible ducting and installation and maintenance is simple, as the motor can be removed from within the duct run by removing the spigot clips. High quality ball bearing motors are incorporated in these fans and they have double insulation so no earth is required.

The units are all manufactured using high impact ABS thermoplastics for strength and durability, aesthetics and easy cleaning. All Manrose fans carry a 3 year no quibble guarantee, have the benefit of full after sales back-up and fulfil all the requirements to comply with the necessary building regulations and approvals.

Email: sales@manrose.com
Web: http://www.manrose.com


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