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KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-newssince 2002
18th January 2019

 

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International News
Products

Swiss Krono's CamuStyleTX wins prestigious German Design Award

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CamuStyleTX, the latest collection from global decorative panel specialist Swiss Krono, has won the award for Excellent Product Design in the Material and Surfaces category of the prestigious German Design Awards 2019.
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Gorenje joins Hisense family

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Gorenje, the global Slovenian-based home electronics manufacturer, has joined the Hisense family of consumer electronics brands. The Gorenje brand will continue to operate in the UK, with both sales and support continuing.
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Minimalist vanity basin, WC & electronic-flush urinal for Istanbul

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The Istanbul collection designed for VitrA by Ross Lovegrove has been an international success since it was first launched in 2004. The sanitaryware and furniture collection draws its inspiration from the organic shapes found in nature and the fluidity of water.
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Keller's chic Chelsea kitchen: vintage style with a modern twist

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Keller's new Chelsea kitchen reflects a vintage style; with a modern twist.
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Fashionable tap for modern kitchens

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The beautiful, angular shape of Blanco's fashionable Luper tap brings a modern design to all kitchens. The cross-shaped mixer tap has ceramic disc control and provides a high-pressure water flow with a minimum of 0.5 bar pressure.
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Quartz in a quarter of the time (and cost)

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Hardwearing, good looking and easy to care for quartz worksurfaces are growing in popularity. The downside with most quartz tops is that they cannot be fabricated on site, which causes delay and extra cost.
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KBBG introduces a supplier of kitchen bar stools

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The Kitchen & Bathroom Buying Group, welcomes DF Sales as a new supplier of bar stools available to its members.
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Welcome to the

KBzine 

 

Fatbergs have been in the news again lately with a 64-metre growth having been discovered just after Christmas in the sewers serving Sidmouth in Devon. My links with the cleaning industry have led to some interesting debates about the various causes of these disgusting blockages and as well as the obvious culprits, such as careless householders and businesses emptying fats, oils and food debris into the sink and flushing wet wipes down the toilet, the finger was pointed at the design of sinks, toilets and flushing systems as well as our industry's drive to create products that use less water.

Clearly we need to continue to cut the volume of water we use wherever possible and I'm surprised that in my years in the KBB industry I've seen so little of systems that use greywater. The basins which empty into the toilet cistern, which I used to see a decade ago and thought were a wonderful idea, don't seem to have caught on as I expected them to. Likewise I can recall writing with enthusiasm about a shower that used filtered, recycled water but have never learnt of any that have actually been installed.

Is work still being done on this type of product or has the expense of research and the likely costs potential buyers would face in acquiring and fitting such new technology, deterred designers from pursuing this solution to conserving our precious water supplies?

Are retailers instructing customers to take care with the disposal of fats and oils, and warning that even if the wet wipe box says the wipes can be flushed, it's a silly thing to do? Are retailers offering fat traps with any sinks they sell and telling buyers or kitchens and bathrooms how to keep their pipework free flowing?

If you've never seen a fatberg in situ, here's a link to a short video. Does it make you want to take action and do whatever you can to prevent their formation? I'd love to know: www.bbc.co.uk

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Yours,

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Jan Hobbs

 

 


This Week's News

Soapbox: Brexit needs a swift resolution to bring back stability

* Soapbox-Yvonne.jpgBathroom Manufacturers Association CEO Yvonne Orgill calls for a swift cross-party solution to bring an end to the Brexit uncertainty, as Theresa May enters into talks to find a deal that Parliament will support.

"Unprecedented is a word that has been used a lot over the last weeks concerning Brexit. It seems that each new day in politics brings more unprecedented events, with the latest being the huge rejection of Theresa May's Brexit deal, followed by the no confidence vote which the government survived.
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British Ceramic Tile crowned 'Made in Britain Member of the Year' 2018

* BCT-Made-in-Britain.jpgCongratulations to British Ceramic Tile, chosen as the 'Made in Britain Member of the Year 2018'.

The tile manufacturing business joined the Made in Britain network in 2017, and since then has delivered a series of initiatives with MiB and its members to champion British manufacturing and share best practice.
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First in Danby's UK range arrived - and it's a Red Dot Award winner!

* Danby-Red-Dot-Winner.jpgDanby Appliances, Canada's principal household appliance manufacturer which announced its expansion to Europe in October, has revealed the first of its products to become available through distributors Exertis.co.uk.

This Danby compact under-counter refrigerator is the first product from an initial line-up that will include compact cooling, freezing and wine coolers. John Welbourn, who is leading the Danby launch into the UK explains: "These appliances are all the product of Danby's own manufacturing. So, the design, style, features and benefits are exclusive to the Danby brand."
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CRL Stone launches six new colours of Ceralsio ceramic

* Calacatta_1.jpgWith the trend for nature-inspired materials, industrial lines and neutral colour palettes set to be strong in 2019, CRL Stone has added six new colours to its Ceralsio ceramic surface collection.

Inspired by the lean towards raw materials in interior design, the new collection from Ceralsio includes Ferro Vecchio, (pictured in the reception desk, below) a ceramic surface that adopts the appearance of poured concrete. A softer alternative to industrial designs, this hard-wearing surface will be a stand-out feature whether combined with neutral shades or used as a contrast to bold colours.
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Splash up colour schemes with Lustrolite panels

* Splash-up-colour.jpgLustrolite's acrylic panels are one of the most suitable materials for bathroom and kitchen splashbacks. Not only do they have a sleek, modern look and finish; they are incredibly easy to clean and maintain. The panels are highly-resistant to harsh chemicals and can be cleaned with just warm water and a soft microfibre cloth.

The non-stick surface prevents the growth of mould and bacteria as well as soap or calcium build-up; perfect for the home.
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4D technology could signal the end to buyer's remorse

* 4D-technology.jpgWith recent research (carried out by Terry's Fabrics) suggesting that more than a third (35%) of UK homeowners experience buyer's remorse when it comes to home improvements, 2019 looks set to be the year that the latest 4D technology really takes off for kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design.

The survey revealed that 39% of Brits admitting that the kitchen is the room most in need of a revamp, yet for almost half (42%) of those asked, it can take up to five years to be completely satisfied with the state of their home.
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Abacus transforms four-star hotel bathrooms

* Abacus-transforms-4-star-hotel.jpgThe Ryles Arms, a four-star hotel in Sutton, Macclesfield, has transformed the bathrooms of its guest rooms with a range of products from Abacus Bathrooms, one of the UK's leading designers and manufacturers of beautiful bathroom and wetroom products.

The hotel specified top quality products that could be delivered within the limited time frame from trusted supplier, Town Bathrooms. Abacus Bathrooms was chosen over other manufacturers due to the high quality, design and versatility of the products.
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BMA signs up global bathroom brand Jaquar as new member

* BMA-Jaquar.jpgThe Bathroom Manufacturers Association has announced that global bathroom brand Jaquar is the latest company to join the association. Jaquar is a premium bathroom supplier with presence in over 45 countries across Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the SAARC region. Products are manufactured in six state-of-the-art manufacturing units in India and one in South Korea.

"We are delighted to welcome Jaquar to the BMA," says BMA CEO Yvonne Orgill. "The company is a relative newcomer to the UK market but well established internationally as one of the largest bathroom manufacturers in the world.
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Spring cleaning in store with The Signature Collection

* Signature.jpgIf clearing the clutter and transforming the kitchen into a minimal oasis is on the home improvement checklist this Spring, then investing in some clever storage solutions is the perfect way to achieve it, courtesy of The Signature Collection by Masterclass Kitchens.

Keen cooks can ensure a myriad of ingredients are always to hand with a pantry system. The Lansbury corner pantry maximises on space in the smaller kitchen, while The Hathaway offers endless storage possibilities that can be personalised to cater for differing needs.
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treat your showroom to a British-made coffee knock out drawer

* treat-your-showroom.jpgUK manufacturer Pland Stainless, celebrating a centenary this year, has developed a new Coffee Knock Out Drawer that's proving to be as popular for KBB retailer showrooms as the local barista cafe bars.

The Narino coffee knock out drawer is made from 304 grade stainless steel with replacement polyurethane knock out bar to protect the coffee holder from damage.
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Bespoke concrete solutions from The Poured Project

* Bespoke-concrete-solutions.jpgWe'll be hearing a lot more about the 'The Poured Project' in future as KBB specialist The Lenny Agency has just been awarded the PR contract.

Lenny tells us that the Poured Project, based in Yorkshire, is the shared passion of a small team of experts in concrete production which creates exceptional concrete pieces for residential and commercial interiors.
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How to contact us at The KBzine:
Jan Hobbs
Publishing Editor
Email:[email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)1372 811 307 
Mobile: 07980 288 373

 

 

 

 

John Austen
Publishing Director
Email:[email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)1580 755 863
Mobile: 07766 707 888
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Recent News

New award is essential part of strategy to promote compliance, says BMA

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A new industry award which was won for the first time by Roman is an essential part of a strategy to raise awareness of the dangers of using non-compliant bathroom products, says Bathroom Manufacturers Association CEO Yvonne Orgill.
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Nuance secures Professional Builder 'Top Product' Award

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Professional Builder Magazine, one of the leading titles in the building sector, has recognised Bushboard Nuance bathroom wall panelling as a Product of The Year for 2018. This is quite an accolade as the Award was voted for by the readers...
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2019 Conference set to be "extraordinary"

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The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) has this week confirmed that it will be holding its Annual Conference at The Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 30th January 2019.
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Sleep + Eat Success for VitrA

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VitrA has reported that the new look Sleep + Eat 2018 was a great success for the international bathroom company. The exhibition formed part of a series of high-profile events for VitrA during 2018 that has included designjunction and the RIBA + VitrA Talks series.
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