KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
28th January 2021
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kbb LDN
Karonia
The Karonia stand was continually busy with visitors admiring the flexibility of design possible with Mistral counter tops. Seamless joins and a perfectly smooth finish are readily achievable - even if using contrasting colours to create that something special for the homeowner. Our photo shows some of the specially designed shaping tools in the foreground while an installer discusses possibilities with stand staff.
Wex Trade
Wex Trade specialise in nothing less than 100% solid wood kitchens and worktops. The company's strong environmental policy ensures that timber is sustainably sourced and features a diverse colection of species - the largest in the UK they say. Classic timbers mingle with the exotic and dramatic, from oak and beech to zebrano and wenge.
Cebien
Richard Baylie (pictured left, above) used kbb LDN to introduce the new range of bright and colourful Korean-made Cebien shower furniture to the UK.
www.cebien.com
Festool
We don't usually expect to see machine tools being domonstrated at a designer-orientated show, but the idea didn't stop Festool from showing - and they appeared to have pulled quite a bit of interest from the installers who were there on the Sunday. The Festool range includes not just tools for sawing, routing, planing, drilling, sanding and polishing, but also a wide range of components and system accessories specially developed for specific Festool power tools and pneumatic tools to guarantee optimum interaction and a long service life.
Zhejiang FangYuan Import & Export Trading
This company from the East China Sea was showing, among other products, a toilet system that not only warms the seat for you, but also washes and blow dries!
Manufactured to ISO9001 Quality standard, the company also has ACS (France), KTW (German), DVGW (Geraman), as well as WRAS (UK) and CE accreditation.
Arredo3
The stylish kitchen installation on the Arredo3 stand brought us on to meet Gianluigi Moretti who told us that the name came about through three friends who founded the company in 1984. From modest beginnings, the company has grown to fill a sizeable 57,000 sq m over a huge area of 140,000 sq m - so still more room to grow! Producing 150 kitchens and shipping 3,000 separate packages each day, the Arredo3 business is not based on numbers of course, but Italian style, as our photo shows.
Baumatic
Joanne Griffin showed us around the Baumatic stand that featured not only their new retro range that made a colourful display, but also new coloured steel ranges including gold to mark their one millionth oven being sold! The company is making great efforts to bring their customers designer touches combined with value for money.
Woodland
County Antrim, Northern Ireland-based Woodland, caught our attention with their line up of green cabinets. Manufacturers direct to the trade of precision made cabinets to any height, depth or width, and in 35 stock colours, on this occasion they were mainly on the lookout for new distributors for their own Livin brand Kitchens.
Euroline
Flavia Medeiros showed us their new range of hoods from Italy.
Virtual Worlds by Logicom
Virtual Worlds 3D software enables designers to exploit their ideas and excite clients. The new website is under construct but you can contact Director of Sales & Marketing Mike Vinten (pictured above, left) via [email protected]
Kitchen Door Workshop
Having extended its product offering with the launch of a replacement bedroom door and drawer range in addition to its range of kitchen replacement doors, the company was exhibiting for the first time to a trade audience. the Kitchen Door Workshop was established in 1996 supplying replacement kitchen doors in Maresfield, East Sussex. Over the years it has grown in to one of the leading nationwide suppliers of replacement kitchen cabinet doors. It now prides itself on being hard to beat on service, speed and price. Its extensive range of replacement doors has been expanded to include options for the bedroom and bathroom, in addition to the kitchen. Robert Clarke (pictured above) told us that the dedicated new TradeZone is now open which gives expert advice and support to those in the trade.
Salice
Automatic concealed furniture hinges specialist Salice has been in the UK market for 25 years. Branch Director Walter Gosling showed us the new range of coloured cabinet hinges that are worlds apart from the standard polished steel versions that we see everywhere. Available in a wide range of finishes these hinges are a great complement to quality cabinet finishes and materials.
Fisher & Paykel
Since being founded in New Zealand in 1934 Fisher & Paykel has grown into a global design-led company employing more than 3000 people. One of their newest employees, Claire Mansfield, we met on the stand at kbb LDN having joined the marketing department only two weeks before! Talk about in at the deep end!
KitchenEx
KitchenEx is a brand new company but with many years experience. Led by Vicky and Jason Harris (pictured) KitchenEx is an exclusive import agent for Faber hoods.
Abode
New Marketing Manager Helen Clark took us around the Abode stand which featured affordable style in droves! From co-ordinated tap ranges to redesigned handles and waterfall showers there was lots to see. A major feature was the new Tempeau thermostatic valve that was shortlisted for the innovation award.
The concept of Tempeau (love the play on words) was born partially from legislation changes to thermostatic bathing safety in Part G building regulations and partly from on-going conversations with the public and installers. Tempeau is a UK designed product for UK style deck mounted baths, for UK water pressure and meeting UK building regulations.
We also spoke to Darren Holliday who told us that exhibiting at kbb LDN was a great opportunity to talk to London-based designers and specifiers responsible for large developments and who would not be likely to travel up to the industry's main event at the NEC in Birmingham.
29th May 2013