Our Apprentices First KBB Visit - March 2012

Our First KBB Experience

After a 100 mile drive to Birmingham we arrived at the NEC at 11am. We braved the windy weather and took the shuttle bus to the KBB entrance where we received our lanyards and then sold our souls to the barcode zapper lady.  First stop was Vanity Hall, where a wide range of furniture options left us feeling inspired by the limitless possibilities we could achieve in a bathroom.  Zapped once again, we were informed by a sales rep of the new designs they were offering.  This was interesting because it gave us an opportunity to learn more about one of Soak's preferred brands.

           The Vanity hall display showed us a stunning trough double basin which was very eye-catching         

When he had finished explaining the new designs, we moved on to Crosswater, which had a large floor space to exhibit Crosswater, Bauhaus and Simpsons.  They infact had the largest display of the whole show in the bathroom sector. There were some innovative ideas here and again it was fantastic to see so much on display to get real feel for everything they can provide.

After this there were plenty of smaller displays, some of which were not at our market level but still very interesting to see.

A truly inspiring stand was by the Mosaic bath company with free standing baths such as Victoria and Albert which had been completely covered on the outside with beautiful Mosaics.

 

The Mosaic Bath Company had some beautiful baths on display, including a Victoria and Albert bath which we sell

Geberit’s stand stood out from the crowd with demonstrational videos, grouped displays and simple product presentation.  A wall of flush plates showed the different options available as well as an amazing new LED lit, infra-red flush plate.  You don’t touch it, and it learns from the environment when one is hand waving to tell it to flush so doors opening etc would not set it off.

As the day went by we wondered past a lot of displays, and we were personally intrigued by the Thomas Crapper & Company display.  These products were beyond traditional, aiming to replicate what bathroom products were like in 1880’s-1900’s.  One particular design that caught our eye was the toilet seat, which despite being on a rounded w/c was more of a square shape with rounded corners. These are known as throne seats.  There was also a low level cistern which had the flush handle in the middle of the cistern as opposed to on the side.  This is known as the beer-engine handle, and was something we had never seen before.

We then moved on and took a look at some CAD suppliers, talking to Virtual Worlds who are the programe we use and had a little glance at some kitchen displays before calling it a day.

We really enjoyed our day at KBB finding it very insightful to see the different ranges that companies do, especially ones that we do not tend to deal with. We got the chance to see the kind of products that we do not sell, and understand why we choose certain companies over others.  It also gave us the opportunity to see different ranges of products to what we have on display in the showroom, which was really useful.

Over the course of the day, we would say we were most impressed by Vanity Hall.  Although the products on display at the Mosaic bath company were breathtaking, and Thomas Crapper + Company’s display was truly inspiring, we felt that the number of different innovative designs on offer at Vanity Hall topped them.  They had a new range of contemporary units which were very sleek in design, and a wooden range which was also very well designed.  We quickly learnt that Vanity Hall would make any size that was required, and could produce a unit for almost any basin, which is a very helpful feature.

It is such a shame that more of our suppliers chose not to display at KBB, instead using the European exhibitions to launch new product.  For us it would be a great opportunity to see more of our suppliers' products in the flesh which would otherwise prove difficult to do, and without seeing things it can be a challenge to always sell on to our clients. But we're not ones to shy away from a challenge...

This fabulous Jena Showerbath by Marmorin is the winner of a Red Dot design award

Kristel & Rob - The Soak in Style Apprentices

Stylish Bathrooms

 Contemporary Style

Puravida by Duravit + Hansgrohe, available from Soak in Style

Puravida is on display in the Soak in Style showroom

The sleek contemporary lines of the PuraVida range from Duravit is accompanied by taps and showers from Hansgrohe.

Country Living

Victoria + Albert Cheshire bath with silver nickel feet which is on display in the Soak showroom

Sbordoni available from Soak in Style

Sbordoni - available from Soak in Style

The ever-popular Country look is a great favourite featuring traditional baths so have a good soak in.

Period Living

Sbordoni Mirror, WC and bidet available from Soak in Style

The Grand Tour available from Soak in Style

St James Collection, available to see in the Soak in Style showroom

A look that never dates from classic black and white floor tiling to wooden - or wooden style (check out the Piemme wood-effect tiles in our showroom).

Traditional Living

Rustic from Grand Tour available from Soak in Style

Pavia Basin Mixer in Tuscan Brass by Grand Tour available from Soak in Style

St James Collection available from Soak in Style

Gloria by Burgbad available from Soak in Style

Burgbad's Gloria Collection available from Soak in Style

St James Collection available from Soak in Style

From stunning wooden basin units to gleaming white ceramics,  with immaculate traditional lines, all a must for the older home.

Vintage Living

Romance tiles by Valentino-Piemme

Valentino Tresor tiles - on display in the Soak in Style showroom

Palazzo from Grand Tour

The Palazzo Collection by Grand Tour available from Soak in Style

Part of the Grand Tour Collection - Decorative Ceramics

Daphne from the Grand Tour Collection

The Grand Tour Collection - Foglia d'Oro Damask

Diva by Burgbad

The Diva Collection by Burgbad available from Soak in Style

Stunning Bisazza mosaics

Add a bit of glamour or divine decadence to your bathroom.

All available from Soak in Style.

Bette wins Interior Innovation Award 2012

The German Design Council awarded a design prize Interior innovation Award for 2012 to Bette for two of their high quality steel baths: 

Firstly the BetteHome Oval Silhouette BiColour

BetteHome Oval Silhouette BiColour - Interior Innovation Award Winner

a smoothly shaped bath that looks stunning in the black and white colourway

Secondly the BetteOne Relax

BetteOne Relax

BetteOne Relax - Interior Innovation Award Winner

Fabulously smooth sleek lines with a relaxing incline giving a truly comfortable bathing experience.

KBB 2012

The Soak staff attended KBB on Monday and Tuesday (5 and 6 March 2012).  The show was smaller than it used to be pre-the-downturn, but size isn't everything .. now where have we heard that before!  There was a buzz and feeling of optimism about - certainly the day after the Awards, and that was despite any late nights people may have had. 

Highlights for us from our existing suppliers included fab new colours from Vanity Hall;

Natura in Anthracite by Vanity Hall

including High Gloss White, HG Black, HG Lime, HG Grey, HG Red, HG Cappuccino, HG Orange and HG Cream, and Anthracite, Cream and Smoked Trout.

Plus eyeleds from TLW which look amazing and can make a huge impact in a bathroom bringing a calmer and soothing atmosphere - ideal when having a relaxing bath after a stressed day.

Eyeleds available from Soak in Style

Also from TLW are the new TapTile Touch Sensors.

TapTile Touch Sensors available from Soak in Style

The easy to install Taptile Touch Sensor is simply embedded behind a tile or other flat surface in your bathroom and is connected by wireless to your existing or new lights - no more external switches or pull cords. These won a prestigious Gold Award for bathroom innovation at the Designer Awards 2011.

Also from Geberit is The Monolith (soon to be on display in black in the Soak showroom), 

Geberit Monolith for Wall Hung WC available in Black, White and Mint

Ideal for converting a floor-standing WC to a wall-hung version, the Geberit Monolith is a slimline sanitary module with integrated cistern that can be connected to existing plumbing work just as easily as a close-coupled toilet, without the need for chiselling or re-tiling. With its slim profile the Geberit Monolith doesn’t impinge on space, while its clear, simple lines and high-quality materials make it an attractive alternative to conventional visible cisterns.

Also from Geberit

Geberit Sigma60

the new Sigma60 concealed flush plate - that is ... completely flush!  

Plus what our Designer immediately insisted we have for display .. the Geberit Sigma80 coloured flush plate which effortlessly combines design, hygiene and comfort in the bathroom.

Geberit Sigma80 coloured plate - shortly on display in the Soak in Style Showroom

The Sigma80 is activated as soon as movement is detected. Simply wave your hand in front of the shorter light for a single flush and longer light for a full flush. After giving visual feedback in the form of the coloured light effect when the toilet is flushed, the plate automatically returns to standby mode when the user leaves the room.

Featuring the very latest touch-free dual flush technology, the Sigma80 has a self-learning sensor that recognises how users use the WC and learns about its surroundings. Its touch-less operation makes it supremely hygienic and its striking good looks are never spoilt by unsightly fingermarks.

The Geberit Sigma80 is available in either mirror glass or black and comes in five different design options. The light behind the glass can be changed in colour to tone with the bathroom to dramatic effect. 

Introducing The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour

 During the 17th and 18th Century it became popular for young men to undertake a journey of exploration of historical culture and classical antiquity.  The Grand Tour provided a journey of exploration, a true celebration of European society, historical culture and, of course, classical antiquity. Though Paris was often the first destination, it was the ancient Italian cities of Turin, Florence, Padua, Bologna, Venice, Naples and, central to the entire experience, Rome which played host to these Grand Tourists over centuries of summers …

 

Drawing on this heritage some of The Grand Tour Collection from Alchemy Design Award is now available from Soak in Style. 

The Jubilaeum vanity unit adds a touch of traditional glamour to the bathroom. Measuring 1100 x 620mm, it has a black lacquer finish which emphasises its curves, and Swarovski crystal ‘string of pearl’ handles.

Jubilaeum Vanity Unit by Alchemy Design Award

Also in the collection are back-to-wall and wall-hung bidets and WCs which use an eco-friendly 2.7 litres of water compared to the industry standard six litres.

Jubilaeum by Alchemy Design Award

Jubilaeum

Classic Sanitaryware is available for those who prefer a wall-hung option - but still in the traditional style ..

An elegant basin on versatile chrome legs is also available, giving a choice of traditional with a twist or stylish glamour.

Jubilaeum Console Unit by Alchemy Design Award

 

Luxury and opulence are to the fore with this gold-coloured basin and decorated vanity, available through Soak in Style.

 

Hand-painted in glazed gold, both basin and countertop are in ceramic, and the counter can be created in any motif to suit, in any size and in a variety of metallic finishes.

The Grand Tour on display in the Soak in Style showroom .. 

The Grand Tour on display

This stylish yet practical furniture is available in a range of colours; Avorio, Bianco, Cappucchino, Lino, Nero, Rosso Ekalea and a wood finish Emperador Dark.

Going wild in the jungle!

As always at Cersaie you see everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, colours and designs that either to dazzle or assault you!

The perennial fashion favourite of animal print or snakeskin has long since made it's way into the bathroom, mainly in tiles which have been a favourite wow element for a while.

We saw a collection of sanitaryware which has a fabulous tactile texture and was showing in crocodile and snakeskin patterns some of which did look stunning.

Jungle from Ceramica Cielo

First introduced at Cersaie in 2008 a new addition to the Jungle range appears each Autumn / Winter.  This certainly makes an impression, so for those that are looking for that little bit more that is just the thing to match their accessories could consider the Jungle range from Ceramica Cielo.

However for those who want to let their imagination run wild, either a feature or whole bathroom of animal inspired designs can make an ordinary bathroom into a statement designer bathroom.

Urban Safari by Bisazza available from Soak in Style

Trend Grand 2 Wallpaper Collection available from Soak in Style

Soak in Style have samples on display in their Maidenhead showroom.