Diane, Author at Bathroom Review

Administrator Leonard Curtis has secured the sale of certain assets of one of Walsall’s oldest domestic bathroom manufacturers to IBC Products Limited after the company ceased trading.

Neil Bennett and Dane O’Hara of Leonard Curtis were appointed administrators of Imperial Bathrooms Limited on 31 January 2023 and immediately completed the asset sale to IBC Products Limited.

Imperial Bathrooms, founded in 1987, was a manufacturer and distributor of hand-crafted bathroom fixtures and fittings based in Aldridge, West Midlands – employing 37 members of staff.

Whilst the Company had ceased trading prior to the Administration, the sale of certain assets to IBC Products Limited has secured the future of this long-standing brand.

Dane O’Hara (pictured), one of the appointed administrators, commented: “Despite an accelerated but thorough M&A process, attracting in excess of 60 expressions of interest, we were sadly not able to identify a purchaser for the business and assets of the Company on a going concern basis.

“Traditional manufacturing businesses in the UK are faced with a host of difficulties in the current climate, competing on price with overseas manufacturers whilst trying to manage the ever-increasing overhead and energy costs.

“The Company was one of very few domestic manufacturers remaining in this sector, and despite the cessation of its manufacturing activities we are pleased that the sale of certain assets to IBC Products Limited will ensure that this prestigious brand continues into the future”.

Dane added: “We are continuing to liaise with all key stakeholders concerning the Administration process and anticipate substantial returns to the Company’s secured, preferential and secondary preferential creditors, as well as a potential return to unsecured creditors.”

KBBG expands bathroom offering with Utopia

The Kitchen Bathroom Buying Group (KBBG), part of DER KREIS, Europe’s leading kitchen and bathroom buying group, has extended its portfolio of bathroom suppliers with the addition of Utopia.

Based in the Midlands, Utopia has been at the forefront of the UK bathroom industry for over 30 years, manufacturing an extensive collection of bathroom furniture, worktops and mirrors. Utopia also offers a varied range of sanitaryware, brassware, baths, shower screens, accessories, and lighting, to complete the bathroom solution and add that extra special wow factor.

Every Utopia bathroom is hand-built in its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, in the UK, using the finest materials. Striving to engineer products with the longest possible lifespan, Utopia’s products are sustainably sourced and built to last. What’s more, for complete peace of mind for KBBG members and their customers, Utopia offers a five-year guarantee on all furniture, a 10-year guarantee on brassware, a 30-year guarantee with all baths and a lifetime guarantee on sanitaryware.

Bill Miller, managing director, KBBG, says: “We are pleased to welcome Utopia to the KBBG, enhancing the range of bathroom products available to our members. Utopia is a multi-award winning UK bathroom manufacturer, and its products are produced to exacting quality standards, so we are confident that our members will find Utopia a welcome addition.”

Ian Hall, Joint MD, Utopia, adds: “It’s exciting to be on-board with the KBBG and we are looking forward to introducing our collection of bathroom furniture products and solutions to members of the buying group. Our ethos is to offer creative and inspiring bathroom solutions, designed and manufactured here in the UK to the very best specifications. We are sure this principle will resonate closely with the independent bathroom retailers that are members of the KBBG.”

For more information on the KBBG, call Bill Miller on 07887 247811 or email b.miller@derkreis.co.uk. You can also visit the website at www.kbbg.co.uk.

Saniflo Sanispeed facilitates workshop change of use

DL Mechanical is a Nottingham-based business specialising in plumbing and pipe fitting engineering services. The company works with a broad portfolio of clients in the commercial and educational sectors designing, engineering and installing new pipework for water, steam & condense, oil and gas, soil and vent, rainwater among a range of other services.

An FE college in Nottinghamshire called on DL Mechanical’s expertise to advise on a change of use project that would improve the facilities for mechanics apprentices. Changing a classroom to a workshop required the installation of a wash down area. A site survey confirmed that no drains were in the immediate vicinity of the required area, so an alternative solution was found.

With advice from local plumbers’ merchant, Willbond, a Saniflo Sanispeed+ grey water lifting station was specified to discharge the water from the new washdown area. With its robust 400-watt motor and low activation level of 95mm, the unit was connected to a Zip water heater and the washdown areas to discharge hot and cold waste water through small bore pipework up 3m to an adjoining pipe. This ran by gravity to a soil and vent pipe some 60m away.

Terry Fisher, mechanical contracts manager at DL Mechanical, oversaw the project;

“The Sanispeed+ pretty much enabled the project to go ahead. Bar drilling a bore hole – which would have been prohibitively expensive – a pumped solution was the only way forward. The Saniflo unit is a simple plug and play solution, so proved easy to install and it has been working efficiently and effectively from day one.”

The Sanispeed+ is ideal for pumping waste water from appliances and sinks in light commercial applications and with four inlets it connects to a range of appliances. It has a working temperature of 35°C but can handle temperatures up to 75°C for short periods. It has a quiet motor and can be installed below counters or in cupboards out of sight if required.

Villeroy & Boch launches bathroom competition

Villeroy & Boch invites architects, designers and retailers to submit a photo to the Subway 3.0 competition, to be in with a chance of winning an experience voucher worth £1,000.

Villeroy & Boch’s Subway 3.0 is the ideal collection for designing a timeless family bathroom. Having won your customers’ hearts, you now have the chance to win a prize from the Villeroy & Boch judges.

To take part in the competition, simply submit a photo of your 3D design or a completed bathroom project to the Villeroy & Boch website. Your entry must include which least one Villeroy & Boch Subway 3.0 product.

The top two runner’s up will each be rewarded with an iconic La Boule.

To take part in the competition, submit your entry here. Entries close on Saturday 15^th April 2023.

Houzz announces Best of Houzz 2023 winners

The annual people’s choice award recognises professionals among the Houzz community who stand out in both talent and customer service

Houzz Inc., the leading platform for home renovation and design, including the all-in-one software solution for industry professionals, today announced the Houzz community’s choices for Best of Houzz 2023, a homeowner-to-homeowner guide to the most outstanding professionals across the globe, including top architects, interior designers, kitchen and bathroom designers, garden designers and other residential design and renovation professionals on Houzz. This exclusive award recognises just 3% of the more than 3 million home professionals and interior and architectural photographers on the Houzz platform.

“We are thrilled to highlight incredibly talented and customer-driven pros from the Houzz community through the Best of Houzz awards,” said Andrew Small, managing director for Industry Solutions for Houzz. “At Houzz, we strive to support professionals from building their brands and attracting clients, to managing their business efficiently and profitably, and collaborating with clients. The Best of Houzz awards provide a distinctive mark of credibility for homeowners looking for pros on Houzz. We congratulate all the winners for everything they’ve accomplished in 2022 and look forward to seeing their work and positive reviews in the year ahead.”

Best of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Design awards honour professionals whose work was the most popular among the Houzz community. Customer Service honours are based on several factors, including a professional’s overall rating on Houzz and client reviews for projects completed in 2022. Photography badges are awarded to architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular.

A “Best of Houzz 2023” badge, specifying the category won, appears on winners’ profiles to help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals on Houzz locally and around the world. Houzz Pro members can also add the ‘Best of Houzz’ standout tag to their profile, which will appear in their directory listing and improve credibility. Winners have been announced globally.

For residential professionals interested in learning more about the Best of Houzz programme, visit houzz.co.uk/best-of-houzz.

To see the most popular home designs visit: houzz.co.uk/best-of-houzz-2023.

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Duravit is ready for ISH trade fair in Frankfurt this March

The complete bathroom manufacturer has a few things in store for the international audience at its booth, which can be found covering an area of over 1,000 sqm at the usual location in Hall 3.1/B99: under the slogan of “Extra colours. Extra materials. Extraordinary design.”

In addition to the innovations and new products, the Duravit team are looking forward to face-to-face
discussions with customers, dealers, and tradesmen, as Duravit CEO Stephan Tahy confirmed: “We look forward to being able to present our innovations in this inspiring environment and to be able to talk to our customers. ISH knows how to gather our key target groups of fitters and architects together at an international event for the sanitaryware and heating industry.

“This is unique in Europe. Our teams are preparing for the fair at full steam to guarantee some very special Duravit fireworks!”

Duravit will create a unique trade-fair presence that perfectly showcases this year’s product innovations for an extraordinary visitor experience – to upgrade every day in the bathroom.

CTD Tiles Ltd. acquires 13 branches from Tile Giant

CTD Tiles Limited (CTD), part of the AURELIUS Group, has announced the acquisition of 13 UK branches, from Tile Giant. The existing team members will become part of CTD.

The transaction will expand CTD’s nationwide network of branches and bolster its commitment to being one of the UK’s leading omni-channel specialist tile distributors.

Katie Clapham, CTD’s HR & marketing director welcomes the new colleagues to CTD: “We want all of our CTD colleagues, to feel part of our growth story and provide them the possibility to actively engage in delivering success. We are looking forward to welcoming our new team members”.

Shaun Mason – CTD’s head of commercial & supply chain commented: “We want to drive forward our vision of CTD and we will continue to look for further opportunities to grow both organically and through acquisitions”.

CTD’s core philosophy of placing exceptional customer service at the centre of its business will be extended to these new branches and will serve to provide a vital service to the local tiling, bathroom and construction industry in the respective areas. We plan to manage the transition in ownership and rebranding with minimal disruption to customers.

WRAS welcomes Hansgrohe, R-Tech and IMA Dresden to list of recognised labs

WRAS welcomes Hansgrohe, R-Tech and IMA Dresden to list of recognised labs, the recognition of European testing laboratories means more capacity for manufacturers seeking approval.

R Tech and IMA Dresden provide laboratory testing to many of the world’s most innovative companies These new additions reflect WRAS’s commitment to increasing choice for manufacturers seeking a WRAS approval. Greater testing capacity should help reduce test waiting times for everyone.

Hansgrohe have invested to introduce their own ISO 17025 accredited test facility to test their own products. This is a great option to streamline the WRAS approval process, for larger manufacturers who already have in-house testing as part of their capability.

Ian Hughes, approvals manager for WRAS said: “Sixty-two per cent of trade buyers say they would pay a premium for a plumbing product that had a WRAS approval, which brings clear commercial opportunities for manufacturers and retailers.

“With that in mind, WRAS is committed to helping to make testing as accessible and speedy as possible for manufacturers. Adding Hansgrohe, R-Tech and IMA Dresden to the list of WRAS approved laboratories is another step on that ongoing journey.”

“A WRAS approval provides independent assurance that products are a suitable quality and standard as required by the water fittings regulations.

“The water fittings regulations protect drinking water supplies within plumbing systems in homes, businesses and other properties.”

IMA Dresden is pleased to have become a WRAS recognised lab, adding: “A WRAS approval signals sustainability and it shows customers that the products they are purchasing protect water, nature and humans from pollution and leakage. Due to climate change, this topic has become of utmost importance.”

Hangrohe is excited that their testing times will be slashed by the approval process, claiming: “Our highest goal at Hansgrohe is to improve the time to reach market process for our products.

“If we carry out the required tests in our internal accredited Hansgrohe Lab, we are able to reduce the turnaround time of the approval process.”

Bette at ISH with new products & time-saving installation solutions

Bette will be presenting its new bathroom products at the ISH in Frankfurt/Main in Hall 3.1 Stand C 99. The German specialist in glazed titanium bathroom products will be focusing on products that deliver design freedom, as well as simple, time-saving installation solutions. It will also be providing information on its sustainability measures.

BetteBalance is a new washbasin series that offers a simple planning concept and good value for money. In addition, the company is expanding the BetteAir shower tray range to include XXL formats, that take the trend towards large walk-in showers and translate it into elegant, floor-integrated design. For bathroom planners who want more colour design freedom, Bette offers new possibilities in the design of bath wastes and overflows with BetteMono.

With a shortage of skilled workers in many countries, installers who are interested in time-saving and easy-to-use solutions will find real problem-solvers in the technical area of the Bette stand. Bette is launching an innovative, self-locking foot system, called BetteLevel, which will make the installation of shower trays easier and faster than ever before. Bette’s research found that the innovative solution can save around 90 per cent of the time taken to install a shower tray. Valuable time can also be saved during the installation of shower trays and baths with a new sealing tape that can be applied from a roll, without having to be cut to size.

Sven Rensinghoff, Head of Marketing & Product Management at Bette: “The modern premium bathroom is characterised by good design, environmental awareness and simple installation – and must be experienced with all the senses. That’s why we invite trade visitors from Germany and the rest of the world to come and see for themselves our new products for bathroom design and installation at the ISH.”

Livestreams

Those who do not have the opportunity to attend can follow Bette’s livestreams in German and English on the first two days of the fair. The exact times and the link will be communicated, in good time, via Bette’s LinkedIn channel.

‘Dark and moody’ and ‘Industry meets luxury’ among 2023 bathroom trends

February 13, 2023

Dark and rich colour schemes and the inclusion of industrial textures such as concrete and metal, look set to be among the most popular bathroom trends requested of retailers and installers this year, according to bathroom wall panel specialist, Mermaid.

Based on research from the brand’s team of bathroom design experts, Mermaid’s guide to 2023 bathroom trends taps into the continued preference and rise of hybrid working. With many homeowners now spending increasingly more time at home, the interest in cost-effective, streamlined methods to create a place of sanctuary has spiked.

Dark and rich colour schemes are becoming an increasingly popular way to create a visually striking space and can allow for homeowners to experiment with contrasting hues and materials. Pairing deeper walls with marble, metallic or wood accents ensures dusky bathrooms don’t need to be dull.

Taking inspiration from urban cities, industrial décor, which was once optimised by high-ceiling lofts, can now be brought into any bathroom. However, it is a look that has often required expensive materials, such as marble to be paired with concrete or metal, which can be hard to replicate on a budget. Marble effect bathroom wall panels are a fraction of the price of the equivalent raw material but emulates the same look, while offering a simpler installation process.

“A beautifully designed bathroom can act as a home sanctuary; a place that helps you wake up in the morning; and lets you wind down at night,” commented Helen Ray-Dennett, Senior Marketing Communications Manager at Mermaid, “With trends forever evolving, using bathroom panelling can help achieve a look that’s not only for the moment but that stands the test of time too.

“Bathroom wall panelling, such as the Mermaid Elite range, can mimic finishes such as stone and wood or provide vibrant hues to create a range of trendy looks. Maintenance is easy with our interlocking tongue-and-groove panel joining system which creates a watertight seal preventing water build up which could lead to mould.”

For top tips on how to recreate key 2023 trends with bathroom wall panelling click here.