Leading tile and bathroom manufacturer RAK Ceramics, which has become the go-to partner for both large and small-scale projects, has helped Yellow Door Property realise its vision for Retreat Garden, a new and exclusive development in Suffolk.
Uniquely located within the walled kitchen gardens of Lakenheath Hall, Retreat Gardens is an ambitious new-build project that takes luxury, sustainable living to new heights. Created in collaboration with London practice, Works Architecture, it consists of two architecturally stunning properties that feature a naturally beautiful, modern aesthetic.
Specialist development company Yellow Door Property selected RAK Ceramics to supply the tiles as well as all the bathroom solutions for the properties following a visit to the inspirational 7,276 sq ft RAK Ceramics Design Hub in Clerkenwell.
Paul Ashley, owner of Yellow Door Property, said: “I’d heard great things about RAK Ceramics but even so, I was blown away by the London Design Hub. RAK Ceramics’ design team were very knowledgeable and incredibly helpful as was their specification department. The CGIs they created really helped us visualise the project.”
RAK Ceramics’ full service offering and comprehensive portfolio enabled Yellow Door Property to create beautifully cohesive designs that flowed throughout the two homes. This included freestanding RAK-Valet baths, which star in the spacious master bedroom en suites, illuminated mirrors and recessed shower niches. Vanity units, rimless wall-hung pans, basins, mixers and shower valves also feature. All the products were chosen for their quality, durability and ability to create luxurious, spa-like sanctuaries.
Also used in the bathrooms and throughout the interiors were RAK Ceramics’ Surface 2.0 concrete-effect porcelain floor tiles in Off White Matt and Cool Grey Matt. They cover around 1500sq ft of each property, which is approximately half the internal floor area. Surface 2.0 Grey Matt Outdoor tiles also feature externally, providing a visual link between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Paul Ashley continued: “Over the years, strategic partnerships have been key to Yellow Door Property’s development, and they’ve certainly helped us realise our vision for Retreat Gardens. I have nothing but praise for RAK Ceramics’ team and products.”
Utopia’s premium Lustre collection of glass-fronted, modular furniture has been significantly enhanced and extended with the introduction of two exciting new finishes, an update of an existing option and two additional handle inlays. The new additions take the number of possible finish and handle trim combinations from eight to 18, greatly increasing the versatility of the range.
The Lustre collection is based around the interplay of luxurious reflective surfaces and beautiful colours. New Rift Black is a rich woodgrain effect on the unit sides teamed with a gleaming plain black glass front for a darkly dramatic effect. Creating an entirely different look, new Sandy Ecru is a soothing shade with cream and beige tones for a sanctuary feel.
Both the new finishes can be combined with any of the three handle trims – original Chrome and the new Brushed Brass and Matt Black options. Existing unit finishes include Sea Green, Flat White/Everest White, Powder Grey and Indigo.
Commenting on the newly extended range, Helen Clark, head of marketing at Utopia, said “The definition of luxury, Lustre is one of our most popular modular collections. Refreshing the range for 2026 felt perfectly timed, and we are delighted with the new options and flexibility now offered to consumers.”
A domestic property in Alton, Staffordshire sits in an elevated position with driveway and compact stone garage beneath the level of the house. The laundry room is housed in the garage which presented a common but problematic drainage issue: no direct access to the drainage system.
Waste water needed to be pumped upwards to the existing soil stack. After a flood caused by an incorrectly specified macerator pump, homeowner Ed Shenton sought a purpose-built solution and turned to Saniflo’s Sanivite+ — a pump designed specifically to handle hot, soapy grey water from domestic appliances.
“The previous unit simply wasn’t designed for washing machine discharge,” says Shenton. “The Sanivite+ has been completely reliable since installation. It runs quietly and efficiently, and I was able to fit it myself with minimal changes to the existing pipework.”
Unlike standard macerator pumps designed for toilet waste, the Sanivite+ is engineered to handle the unique demands of grey water from washing machines, dishwashers, and sinks. The unit automatically detects incoming water and discharges it efficiently and quietly.
“This is exactly the type of situation the Sanivite+ was designed for,” says Amanda Mills, Marketing Manager at SFA Saniflo UK. “Many homeowners and installers don’t realise that using the wrong pump can lead to failures and flooding. The Sanivite+ is purpose-built for grey water applications, which is why it delivers reliable, long-term performance where other solutions fall short.”
With multiple inlets and the ability to pump up to 5 metres vertically or 50 metres horizontally — enough to reach drainage points in most domestic settings — the Sanivite+ also offers flexibility for future additions such as a utility sink or additional appliances.
Manufactured in France, the Sanivite+ is widely specified in utility rooms, kitchens, and garages where gravity drainage is not possible, making it ideal for conversions, extensions, and below-ground installations.
Click the link to read more about Saniflo and its latest drainage solutions.
When the world’s best female tennis players take to the clay courts in Stuttgart, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix becomes a stage for energy and emotion. This year Duravit is delighted to announce they are the new official main partner alongside the world’s elite tennis players and the iconic sports car. This sends a clear signal from the designer bathroom company as it further expands its commitment to world women’s tennis.
“I’m thrilled that we’re part of this unique tournament that brings together elite international athletes, fans, and partners. The sponsoring also gives Duravit the opportunity to present itself as a premium brand in a demanding, sports-oriented setting,” said Stephan Tahy, CEO of Duravit.
Magnet for the elite of women’s world tennis
From April 11 to 19, 2026 the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart will host world-class tennis. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious women’s tournaments of the WTA Tour and boasts a rich tradition. Since 1978, the WTA-500 event has been a by-word for world-class tennis with a host of top stars – regularly including several players with a top-ten ranking – and a unique brand experience.
“We’re delighted to have acquired Duravit as a new main partner for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – this is a perfect fit for our event and really enhances the tennis experience. Duravit represents established tradition, exacting precision, and premium quality – values that are closely aligned with elite sport,” said tournament director Markus Günthardt.
The next step in international elite sport
Last year Duravit announced its partnership with the Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk who boosted her world ranking from 26 to 20 by reaching the final in Brisbane at the start of the season.
Marta Kostyuk said about this: “The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix means a lot to me in sporting terms. The tournament is a key building block in my preparation for the French Open. At the same time, I’m impressed by the incredibly strong field every year. With almost all the top-ten players in one place, the standard is unprecedented. So, I’m all the more thrilled to see the strong, visible presence of my new sponsors at this tournament.”
Sanctuary Bathrooms is launching a freestanding bath for dogs in the UK – designed to meet the demand for pet-personalised spaces – particularly dog bathroom and wetrooms. In the UK – 120 people on average search monthly according to Google AdWords – Sanctuary Bathrooms have taken the plunge and added a dog freestanding bath.
This is especially beneficial for those smaller dogs that get nervous around larger bathtubs, or struggle with getting into basins and sinks. The Chien is exactly like a normal human bath – roll top edge, chrome feet, and traditional design – only much smaller at 800mm, requires no plumbing, and can be used indoors and outdoors. We all know someone who wants to give their dog a little extra pampering from time to time.
The Bathroom Association has opened nominations for its Thirty-under-Thirty Awards 2026, celebrating outstanding young professionals who are helping to drive progress, innovation and excellence across the bathroom industry.
The Awards are designed to do more than recognise individual achievement. They are a sector-wide statement that the bathroom industry is an exciting, ambitious and future-facing career choice, offering meaningful opportunities for young people to build rewarding careers in everything from manufacturing and engineering to design, digital, sustainability, sales, marketing, finance and leadership.
The bathroom is one of the most important spaces in any home, and the sector behind it is evolving quickly. New technologies, changing consumer expectations, water efficiency, product performance, supply chain resilience and skills development are all shaping a growing industry that needs bright minds and fresh thinking. The Thirty-under-Thirty Awards shine a light on the people who are already stepping up, delivering results, improving businesses, and raising standards.
Daphne Doody-Green, CEO of the Bathroom Association, said: “Our industry is full of opportunity, and it deserves to be seen as a place where talented young people can build brilliant careers. Thirty-under-Thirty is about celebrating those who are already making a difference and showing the next generation that the bathroom sector is a dynamic part of the UK economy with real pathways to success.
“By highlighting success stories from member businesses, the awards aim to raise the industry’s profile as a place where young professionals can progress quickly. We believe it is our collective responsibility to showcase the next generation, demonstrating that our sector offers great opportunities and the chance to work with people and projects that genuinely improve everyday life.”
The Awards also provide an opportunity for the wider industry to celebrate the teamwork behind great performance; the managers who mentor and develop people, the businesses that invest in skills, and the colleagues and customers who recognise rising stars. In a competitive jobs market, recognising success publicly sends a clear message: the bathroom industry values ambition, invests in people, and offers careers with momentum.
Entry details
Nominations are open to all Bathroom Association member companies, including affiliates and partners, and there are just three key rules for eligibility:
Nominees must be 29 years old or under on 8 October 2026.
A statement (of up to 500 words) must be provided detailing why the nominee should be considered.
Nominations must be received by the end of business on Friday, July 17, 2026.
An independent judging panel will score entries based on:
The nominee’s growth within the business, including work achievements
Their future potential and attitude to work and personal development
Recognition among peers (testimonials from customers and colleagues are welcome)
The winners will be announced on Thursday, 8 October 2026, at the Bathroom Association Annual Conference Gala Dinner, taking place at the Grand Hotel, Birmingham. New for this year, the Association will also recognise an outstanding achiever from the 2026 cohort with a special award.
Italian luxury hospitality brand The M Legacy is redefining mountain living in Breuil-Cervinia with a strong focus on spa-inspired bathrooms, wellness-led interiors and immersive alpine relaxation.
Owned by hospitality company Them and founded by Davide Odisio and Fabrizio Pacini, The M Legacy brings a refined, Italian approach to high-altitude hospitality, where bathrooms and wellness spaces are treated as central design features rather than secondary amenities. Across its portfolio, generously proportioned bathrooms, private spa facilities and calming material palettes are designed to help guests slow down, recover and reconnect with their surroundings.
Located at 2,050 metres above sea level at the foot of the Matterhorn, The M Legacy comprises Hotel Principe delle Nevi, Hotel Europa and a curated collection of luxury chalets, including Chalet Breithorn, Chalet Cime Bianche, Chalet Il Gufo, Chalet Snøstorm and Chalet La Fenice. All properties are owned or managed directly by the Group, ensuring a consistent design and service philosophy throughout.
Each hotel and chalet enjoys a prime ski-in, ski-out position, with immediate access to Breuil-Cervinia’s extensive ski area, which spans 360km of slopes and 53 lifts, with direct links to Zermatt and proximity to the Monterosa ski area. The destination’s long season, running from October to May, is complemented by summer hiking, mountain biking and wellness-focused retreats, reinforcing Cervinia’s appeal as a year-round spa and lifestyle destination.
Design across The M Legacy balances essential alpine architecture with refined Italian detailing. Bathrooms play a key role in this experience, offering guests private sanctuaries that echo the surrounding landscape while delivering five-star comfort and performance.
The brand name itself reflects its ethos. The “M” stands for Mountain, placing nature at the heart of the experience; Management, highlighting the Group’s operational expertise; and Made in Italy, rooted in three generations of hospitality heritage that combine design, craftsmanship and service.
The Group’s business model integrates hotel management, real estate ownership and destination development, supported by investment in people, digital tools, locally sensitive architecture and strategic partnerships. As co-founder Davide Odisio explains: “Our approach is about creating long-term value through thoughtful design, personalised management and experiences that respect both the guest and the destination.”
Co-founder Fabrizio Pacini adds: “Cervinia offers exceptional mountain experiences in every season. Our goal is to enhance that potential through hospitality that feels authentic, immersive and deeply connected to place.”
Quiet luxury is not a trend to make a brash entrance, but rather it enters slowly, quietly winning you over. No elaborate productions, the focus is on an aesthetic that exudes calmness and longevity creating a bathroom that will retain its allure for many years to come.
The space is brought alive by an enduring design that opens up space for refuge and wellbeing. It is against this backdrop that the Studio F. A. Porsche Collection from Duravit makes its impact, combining minimalist design with the highest quality to create rooms that will outlast shortlived trends.
“Nowadays we no longer understand luxury to be about outward representation, but rather treating ourselves well. The Studio F. A. Porsche Collection creates a personal place of retreat that fosters wellbeing and turns the bathroom into the most private area of the house,” explained Henning Rieseler, design director at Studio F. A. Porsche.
The Studio F. A. Porsche Collection – a bathroom range that creates benefits
The bathroom range from Duravit combines sleek lines with functional sophistication and an ageless design language. The products are characterised by sculptural precision, balanced proportions, and a minimalist aesthetic.
However, the collection’s approach to design goes way beyond pure aesthetics. “With the Studio F. A. Porsche Collection, we adopted the approach that our founder Ferdinand Alexander Porsche took when designing the legendary 911. It’s an iconic design that’s the product of rigorous simplicity, which gives rise to a sensual design language that can be experienced with the emotions,” explained Rieseler.
The range additionally represents a conscious investment in quality and durability. With durability being an essential factor, especially in the bathroom a space that is used frequently over a period of many years and also represents a contribution to sustainability. The Studio F. A. Porsche Collection creates rooms that are functional, have an emotional impact and outlast short-lived trends.
Luxury that quietly wins us over, guarantees long-term enjoyment, and creates genuine benefits thanks to its longevity. Two-bathroom installations that have an immediate impact show the Studio F. A. Porsche Collection blending harmoniously into a calm interior:
Clarity that creates a sense of calm – bathroom 1
This bathroom interior (pictured top) is brought alive by a calm underlying approach that consciously leaves room for individual personalities. Clean lines and elegant design touches add structure, which is offset by gentle accents.
The centerpiece is the washing area which makes a bold statement with its clear design language and interplay of white and anthracite. An anthracite coloured niche cuts between the generously proportioned ceramic washbasin and white drawers to lend the ensemble depth and character. The illuminated mirrored cabinet and the tall cabinet with case door follow this logic consistently: on the inside they keep things tidy, while a vertical niche in anthracite on the outside sets a clear tonal contrast.
The design of the wall-mounted toilet is restrained, blending with the calm lines of the room. A half-open wall surrounds the bathtub offering space for essential items on its surface.
Semi-transparent curtains gently filter the light to create an airy ambience. Sinks and accessories with a matt stainless steel surface underscore the design. The elegant, brushed effect lends the metal a striking artisanal note. The end result – a room that is brought alive by elegant contrasts and impresses with its calm, sensual charm.
Colour harmony with perceptible depth – bathroom 2
Gentle beige, sand, and taupe shades dictate the atmosphere of this bathroom and lend it a calm, warm depth. Details in black create clear graphical accents and add structure to the interior without disrupting its harmony.
The muted centerpiece is the gently shaped above-counter basin – sensual in its contours, reserved in its expression. The floating, monochrome vanity unit creates visual calmness and functional clarity. The mirror element with its open shelf and integrated lighting rounds off the ensemble around the washing area. The tall cabinet blends in elegantly to the side, offering space for personal items in the integrated niche.
Positioned in front of a half-open wall, the bathtub continues the gentle formal language of the washbasin and creates a silent connection in the room. Black taps and accessories create a continuous contrast that follows through to the toilet flush plate.
The shower area opens to the side, shielded by a wall that exudes structural stability and expansiveness. A strip made of glass bricks allows light and transparency without compromising privacy. Airy curtains gently diffuse the light for an intimate effect. The varying textures of fabrics and carefully positioned accessories lend the room depth, material presence, and a gentle sensuality.
Tissino has expanded its nationwide delivery operation with the two new vans, marking a further step in the brand’s ongoing investment in customer service, logistics, and day-to-day operational performance.
The vans have been introduced to support growing demand across both independent and national retailers, allowing Tissino to increase delivery frequency on established routes while extending reach into areas where flexibility and reliability are most critical. For customers, this translates into more consistent lead times, greater delivery capacity during peak trading periods, and improved support for tailored order requirements across the company’s product portfolio.
This latest investment reflects Tissino’s wider approach to growth, where operational improvements are made with long-term service quality firmly in mind. By strengthening its in-house delivery capability, the business is better positioned to respond quickly to changing schedules and the practical realities faced by showroom partners on the ground.
Alongside operational expansion, Tissino continues to progress its environmental commitments. Through the brand’s reforestation programme, 312 trees have now been planted, contributing to an estimated 34 tonnes of CO₂ absorption over their lifetime. The initiative has also supported four local workdays and helped reforest approximately 2,081 square metres of land.
Helen Ray-Dennett, Head of Marketing at Tissino, says: “Growth only works when the foundations beneath it are strong, and for us that means delivery, reliability, and trust. As Tissino continues to expand across the UK, it is essential that our logistics keep pace in a way that genuinely supports our customers rather than placing pressure on them. Adding two new vans gives us greater control over our delivery schedules, more responsiveness at busy times, and the ability to maintain the service standards our retail partners rely on day to day. Importantly, we are also mindful that operational growth comes with responsibility, which is why our environmental work continues alongside these investments, ensuring progress is balanced and purposeful.”
The new vans are already operational and will support increased delivery volumes as the business moves into 2026.
PJH has supplied the Plumbing and Bathroom Faculty of Dumfries and Galloway College with a range of its Bathrooms2GO basins with pedestals and WCs, supporting the College’s continued investment in high-quality, practical training for plumbing and bathroom students.
The donation forms part of the College’s wider workshop reconfiguration project and reflects PJH’s commitment, as a proud BIFIS Corporate Sponsor, to supporting education, training and the development of future installers across the KBB sector. The upgraded facilities are designed to ensure students are learning with modern, industry-standard products that mirror those they will encounter in real-world installations.
The updated facilities will support students across a range of plumbing and heating qualifications and apprenticeship pathways, helping them build practical trade skills alongside classroom learning.
Sally Hough, multi-channel marketing manager at PJH, said: “We are delighted to support Dumfries and Galloway College as it continues to invest in high-quality training for the plumbing and bathroom sector. Practical, hands-on experience is essential in helping students develop confidence and competence, and we’re pleased that our own Bathrooms2GO products will play a role in that journey.
“As a leading UK supplier and a BIFIS Corporate Sponsor, we recognise the importance of working closely with education providers to support standards, professionalism and long-term career pathways within the industry. Installation plays a vital role in the overall customer experience, and this partnership helps strengthen the link between training and real-world practice.”
Keith Davidson, Plumbing Lecturer within Sustainable Construction at Dumfries and Galloway College, said: “We are extremely grateful for PJH’s support. Having access to the latest bathroom products makes a real difference to our students, allowing them to train with equipment that reflects what they will encounter in industry. It’s a valuable addition to our workshops and enhances the quality of training we can provide.”
PJH looks forward to seeing the refreshed workshop in use and to supporting further initiatives that help equip the next generation of plumbing and bathroom professionals.
For further PJH information or to order Bathrooms2GO products, visit the PJH Partners Portal, www.partners.pjh.uk, or contact the PJH Sales Team at sales@pjh.uk / T: 0345 450 8932.
