KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
19th June 2015
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 International News
Products Business travellers routinely add days to work trips for personal travel Four out of every 10 business travellers add extra days onto trips so they can enjoy personal travel without incurring the extra cost, new research has revealed. Streamlined and elegant: the latest swan neck taps from Rangemaster
The models were designed to complement the company's existing range, allowing consumers to choose a tap that suits their personal tastes and requirements. The recent additions include the Mini Pro, Belfast Monobloc, Vertex, Parma, Bari Single Lever Pull Out Spray, plus an expansion of the Aquatrend family. Alno AG completes the next step of its repositioning Last Saturday, Alno AG took the next step in its repositioning and sold its subsidiary Impuls Kuchen GmbH (Brilon) to Steinhoff Furniture Holding GmbH (Austria). The change of ownership is scheduled to take place at the end of June 2015, subject to antitrust approval. Choose Arctic White for uber-cool kitchens and bathrooms
Lustrolite acrylic panels can be used for shower walls, bath panels, splashbacks - anywhere you lust after a stunning surface. Other fashionable colours in the range are Glacier, Blue Atoll, Rouge, Mocha, Safari, Forest, Titan and Carbon; they come in seven sizes. Prices start from £127.20. Blanco offers new kitchen storage solutions
The Select range is now being expanded to include four new models including the Blanco Select XL 60/3 Orga, which has three individual buckets and a convenient organiser drawer. Wall cabinets - Blum covers all options
The wide design of wall cabinets has been driven by market trends and is increasing year on year. The Aventos lift stay system is unmatched in terms of ease of use due to various features, and now covers all types and sizes of wall unit.
The Chao basin mixer creates a designer-style statement to any bathroom with its sweeping body design and single lever control for effortless single handed control and can be easily teamed with both conventional basins, as a deck mounted tap installation option, as well as at the side with deck mounted basins. A long-term contract from Leisure Sinks
There are five models available (LC42, LC105, LN105, LC106 and LN106), each made from 18/10 stainless steel. All sinks have two 31mm tap holes suitable for pillar or deck mixer taps, as well as a satin bowl and bright drainer. Plus, all Contract sinks boast a 10-year warranty. Cape Cod brings a touch of nature into the bathroom
With his new Cape Cod bathroom range, the French designer has reinvented the bathroom, removing the barriers between nature and the indoors. Nature becomes a permanent part of the bathroom, a place for rejuvenation and refreshment with aesthetically appealing materials and forms.
"Consumers are seeking stylish, technologically advanced gadgets in every area of their lives," comments Stuart Benson, national sales manager for Gorenje UK. British Ceramic Tile collaborates with Ted Baker to launch no ordinary designer tile range
A fashion forward selection of wall and floor tiles, the range blends British Ceramic Tile's unique manufacturing heritage with Ted's eye for detail and appreciation for a tile with style. Grohe launches complete cubic brassware range
Included is the Grohtherm Cube thermostat, which features precision-engineered Turbostat technology to deliver a safe and enjoyable showering experience. Gaia's Devimat: the perfect finishing touch for wet rooms
Not only does UFH create a warm, comfortable surface to walk on, it is also a more efficient way to heat a room than traditional wall-hung radiators. 'Devine' handpainted pantry with custom made, dark oak interiors
The pantry includes beautifully crafted custom made dark oak interiors with multiple dovetailed drawers, while both cupboard doors are fitted out with extensive walnut racks for storing spices and herbs. |
At first read, the Which? Report, which revealed last week that faulty household appliances caused nearly 12,000 fires in a little over three years, was somewhat damning for our industry, wasn’t it? That’s around 4,000 fires a year – almost 10 a day! It almost makes you want to return to cooking over an open fire and washing your clothes and bedding by hand and ditching the dishwasher for the kitchen sink, doesn’t it? Read into it though and the picture changes… the figures weren’t just about faulty appliances but also covered those that had been incorrectly installed or improperly maintained. That sheds a completely different light on things, doesn’t it? I installed my own washing machine several years ago (or thought I had) until the time I first used it and caused a flood. I suppose that had I not turned the water on, instead of a flood I might have had a fire to contend with. More recently, a builder friend connected all the electrical items in my kitchen – including the oven – to a string of three short extension leads. It was only when some failed and I called an electrician out, that we discovered just how dangerous my home had been. Neither of these situations had been down to the appliances; they were down to bad decisions and poor workmanship. Then of course there are those who run their obviously failing appliances way beyond their safe lifespan, or perhaps buy them from a questionable supplier. If you’ve yet to read the Which? Report, it revealed that washing machines (1,723, or 14% of fires), tumble dryers (1,456/12%) and dishwashers (1,324/11%) are the most likely items to cause fires. They are followed by cookers (1,080/9%), fridges/freezers (861/7%), central heating systems (606/5%), toasters/grills (495/4%), microwaves (427/4%), TVs (372/3%), washer dryers (225/2%) and irons (92/1%). The figures are based on government data and cover the period January 2011 to March 2014. It’s been widely reported that only a third of people register their electrical appliances – which means that an awful lot are unlikely to be aware that their potentially faulty items have been recalled. I used to be one of them but changed tack when I joined this industry and discovered why we need to update our suppliers, not only when we buy, but also if we move house. Yours,
 This Week's News
KBSA's CEO, Graham Ball, has retired
Tina Riley, KBSA National Chair said on Wednesday when the announcement was made: "It is with great sadness that we announce Graham's retirement, but I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Graham for all his hard work and tenacity. Tonic II Range makes a splash for Ideal Standard at London's iconic OXO Tower
BMA conference line-up is complete
Jonty Bloom heads the final list. The well-known and well-respected broadcaster and business correspondent, heard regularly on the radio, Jonty will be speaking about Britain's business relationship with Europe, particularly in the light of the UK government's renegotiations. Bathrooms and kitchens will be affected no matter what happens in the future and Jonty will have much to say of relevance to our industry. Mistral worksurfaces specified for new CDA showroom
Some questions answered as census reveals swing to renting began early this millennium?
The fact that the housing market stalled in recent years has been well documented - as has the increase in the number of career landlords or those using a rental property or two to fund their retirement income; but only for the past couple of years.
Industry leaders uniting to discuss future of construction, address issues of skills shortages Skills shortages, planning restrictions and the need for cultural change were the key topics arising from a high level debate attended by leading voices from around the industry, as UK Construction Week's expert advisory panel met for the first time recently. New Utopia brochure designed to reduce carbon footprint
KBSA Designer Awards - entries up on last year
The largest entry was, unsurprisingly, for kitchens, between the two categories: Kitchens over £25k and Kitchens under £25k, but again there has been more interest this year in the Kitchen Concept Award where entrants work from a common brief and then submit entries as CAD drawings. Welcome luxurious, sensual Rouge into your kitchen or bathroom and lead the catwalk!
Abacus Manufacturing Group helps bathroom installers become waterproof professionals
Double cavity cooking new for Amica
"Amica's core-competence is engineering cooking appliances, developing technologies with real environmental advantage," says Simon Freear, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland. Wall-hung made simple with Duplo from Roca
The KBzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The KBzine. If you would like to run a search of the The KBzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. News in Brief Congratulations to in-toto Exeter; shortlisted in the British Franchise Association’s 2015 Awards – T: 01392 824888 … Hi-Macs adds three slender, top-mounted basins (squared, rectangular, circular) to its standard bathroom range – W: www.himacs.eu/en ... AEG and Zanussi washing machines win Which? Best Buy status - T: 08445 611611 … Magnet says its Astral Blue Integra kitchen is perfect for bringing Summer indoors - www.magnettrade.co.uk How to contact us at The KBzine:
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