Bathrooms & Washrooms

LAUFEN CHOSEN FOR LUXURY DEVELOPMENT IN HISTORIC YORK

Swiss bathroom manufacturer Laufen was chosen as the brand of choice for the luxury bathrooms in an exceptional new development of one of York’s famous landmarks.

The Old Fire Station, located in York’s historic Clifford Street has recently undergone a dramatic transformation. Dating back to 1938, the fire station has been thoughtfully restored to retain its historic character while offering stylish contemporary living.

Character restoration specialists, London Ebor Developments PLC redeveloped the spectacular site into 7 luxurious apartments and 7 deluxe town houses, to create a luxurious place to live, in the heart of the city, complete with high-specification interiors.

Bathroom manufacturer Laufen was chosen to provide luxurious, contemporary sanitaryware for a range of family bathrooms, en-suites and cloakrooms within the building.

London Ebor Developments selected Laufen for the project due to its reputation for exceptional quality products and expertise in the luxury residential market.

Having worked with the brand previously, the developers knew Laufen’s products were the perfect fit for this unique project. The carefully chosen products for the project were from a range of Laufen collections, each chosen specifically for the individual properties within the development.

Laufen’s VAL basins and BASE vanity units were chosen for their exceptionally high quality and timeless, minimalist look, in the best Swiss design tradition. The VAL collection, designed by German designer Konstantin Grcic skilfully uses the creative possibilities of LAUFEN’s SaphirKeramik to its advantage, resulting in elegant and almost weightless pieces with simple lines and elegant yet extremely stable walls. Paired with Laufen’s efficient BASE vanity units, which provide easily accessible and tidy storage space, the duo is a practical statement piece that will withstand the test of time.

In addition, Laufen’s more classically traditional collection, ‘Palace’ was selected for the WCs. Impressing with its ergonomic design and concealed fixtures, the Palace WCs add a timeless classic touch, in keeping with the building’s history.

Laufen’s iconic Kartell by Laufen collection was also used for various elements. The stylish collection’s chic basin and bath disc mixers with their colourful, changeable discs are perfect for holding bathroom toiletries or products. In addition, the solid surface Kartell by Laufen bath made from Sentec was specifically chosen for its durable, creative design to withstand the test of time.

Laufen’s rain showerheads and MyCity handshowers were also installed for an opulent finishing touch at the highest standard for this prestigious development.

These stunning new apartments and town houses are a cut above the rest with unrivalled views of York’s iconic Clifford’s Tower and southerly views across the River Ouse.

For more information on Laufen visit: www.laufen.co.uk/en

Bathrooms & Washrooms 49 Nuance Bushboard’s patented and award-winning bathroom wall panelling celebrated its tenth birthday during this years KBB, Birmingham.

The Nuance range has changed the face of surfacing in bathrooms, washrooms and ensuites offering a striking, enduring, cost-effective and labour saving alternative to ceramic tiling.

The Bushboard Nuance collection is unique for its post-formed, virtually seamless design that does not require unsightly edging strips. In essence, marble decors are book-matched to give a continuous and authentic look.

Acrylic Nuance

Real marble is a handsome stone but hard to work with. Nuance’s realistic marble slab designs in the new acrylic collection, reflect the natural beauty of authentic marble without the timeconsuming cutting and installation problems. Cararra Marble Slab (pictured) offers book-matched panels which when side by side, like the pages of an open book, are mirror images. The contrasting veining linesup to create one stunning, unbroken pattern. This large-scale symmetrical look creates maximum visual impact without a high-end price or offsite cutting or the time or mess of ceramic tiling. There are three new marble designs within the acrylic collection plus enticingly exotic Moroccan prints and subtle Hexagon Marble and Natural Finestra. Acrylic panels are just 4mm thick and have a sleek, reflective gloss finish, and like all Nuance panels, they are installed without joining strips or trims.

Nuance Designer Collection

The new Designer Collection will be a firm favourite for those who like the look of stripped brick and natural stone. There are eight designs in the range including washed brick, herringbone woods, fossil stone and washed timber.

About Bushboard Nuance

Nuance is a unique, patented, trim-free system. Manufactured in the UK, the large format panels have a post formed outer edge that means there is no need to use trims for finishing – giving a streamlined, sleek look that suits all sizes and styles of bathroom. The tongue and groove panels can be jointed using Nuance bespoke adhesive. This makes joints which are 100% watertight and virtually invisible to the eye. The new brochure is packed with design ideas on how to use the panels to create stunning and stylish bathrooms.

Nuance bathroom panelling from Bushboard is the market-leading alternative to ceramic tiling for bathrooms. Available in a range of decors and textures, Nuance panels are post formed and 100% waterproof – there is no need for unsightly trims. As a result, the finished installation is often mistaken for real stone, marble or wood. Nuance features on ArtiCad and if installed using Bushboard’s own BB Complete superior adhesive is guaranteed for a full 15 years. Bushboard also offers a trial room service for qualifying customers.

www.bushboard.co.uk 01933 2322422

Bathrooms & Washrooms

VitrA Identifies Seven Bathroom Trends for 2020

Spring is just around the corner, so it’s prime time to focus on home improvements and with the bathroom being on the hit list for many VitrA has identified seven emerging trends for the roaring ‘20s.

Margaret Talbot, marketing manager for VitrA, explains, “Making a trip to the bathroom must be an experience, whether that’s simply washing hands or having a long soak in the bath. Sustainability is moving up the hit list for consumers with wellness, luxury, designer trends remaining key for those looking to add tangible life enhancements and value to their homes.”

Wellness

Wellness is a concept thoroughly embraced by consumers who enjoy taking on the role of interior designer. The bathroom is a perfect space to promote wellbeing and health. Inspired by organic shapes and warm colour palettes, the wellness trend encourages reflectiveness, peace and socialisation. VitrA’s Plural collection, designed by Terri Pecora, makes the bathroom the heart of the home; based on creating warmth and domesticity, ideal for promoting wellness. Choosing a double basin over a single basin unit encourages the bathroom to become a social space where loved ones can spend more time together.

Sustainability

Homeowners are increasingly aware of their carbon footprint and becoming more environmentally conscious. Investing in sustainable bathroom ware is a great way to start making the home greener and conserve water. Sustainability is an integral part of VitrA’s design process, with all products made in line with their Blue Life Pledge.

VitrA’s innovative water- saving features, such as adjustable cartridges, limit the heat and flow from the tap and are available in a range of brassware styles and colours, for a sustainable, stylish bathroom.

Biophilia

With studies proving that nature reduces stress levels and boosts mood, indoor plants are returning to popularity, and a bathroom can be the perfect place to nurture all kinds of ferns, succulents, tropical and citrus plants.

By introducing biophilic influences into the bathroom, such as wooden surfaces, natural shapes and moisture, heat and steam friendly plants, it’s easy to transform a bathroom into a tranquil space. With no restrictions on colour palette, biophilic design is easy to personalise and creates an ultra-modern aesthetic when paired with black or grey bathroom ware.

Luxury/Spa

Everyone loves a hotel or spa bathroom. Creating that look at home remains a key influence for today’s bathroom consumers. Designing a beautiful spa-like bathroom is a way to keep self-care as a top priority. Luxury fittings like rainfall showerheads, mood lighting and soft colour palettes can quickly transform a bathroom into a serene space that instantly relaxes.

Picture: VitrA Origin shower head in Chrome £160 and Origin hand shower unit in Chrome £174 with Equal Washbasin Unit with Asymmetric Washbasin and Shelf in Patterned Black Oak £946.

Technology

As the digital home continues to evolve with more and more smart home systems, introducing technology into the bathroom can increase hygiene and efficiency. The VitrA Smart Panel’s sleek, glossy black design combines style with intelligence that does more than just flush. With the ability to sync to the user’s mobile (through the V-Care app), households can flush their WCs remotely and receive usage data which helps identify excessive water use. With settings such as a periodic flush that regularly washes out the bowl, its futuristic design is a must for all modern bathroom design. The flush plate is compatible with VitrA concealed cisterns.

Designer Luxury

A designer name on homeware and art is always a talking point – and a trend adopted by boutique hotels and trendy Airbnbs when creating beautiful insta-ready bathrooms. Statement art, dark colour palettes, standout brassware and soft furnishings are a must for this trend with a free-standing bath being a key feature. Exclusively designed by Matteo Thun and Partners, the Water Jewels bathtub is a stylish take on the classic free-standing design. Contemporary in its structure, the single matt black panel curves around the bath exuding modernity, while its roll-top design retains a traditional feel. Matched with statement gold brassware, time in the bathroom becomes an experience rather than a necessity.

Country Chic

Country chic has made a timely return in the early 2020s – timeless; the trend is an excellent investment for both modern and traditional homes. Country chic is all about vanity units, panelling and classic design; VitrA’s Valarte collection delivers character based on the popular shaker design with a modern twist. Available in Matt Ivory, Matt Grey and Matt White, it’s easy to personalise with bright brassware, traditional bathroom tiles or a monochrome palette for a more contemporary feel.

www.VitrA.co.uk