Award-winning kitchen designers, The Myers Touch are delighted to showcase their recent projects that enhance homeowners' sense of bringing the ‘outside in’ all year round.
Designer, Helena Myers explains “Homeowners want to engage with their outside environment in a greater way than ever before as it enhances positive emotions. By drawing in the sounds, smells and visual pleasures of their garden, they can fully enhance their sense of an indoor-outdoor lifestyle whilst being inside your kitchen.”
Renowned for creating kitchens with ‘Light, Space and Laughter’, The Myers Touch regularly collaborate with homeowners, architects and landscapers to not only create a kitchen-living space that looks and functions practically with a client’s outside space, but one that also provides a feeling of increased happiness and connectivity that allows families to eat, dine and relax together in one combined space.
By choosing complementary materials and tones from the outside, The Myers Touch designers regularly create harmonious interior schemes within kitchen design spaces that link both the inside and the outside. For example, blending natural, warm cabinetry, sleek worktops and a mix of materials such as slim wooden cladding merges seamlessly with the vibrant and natural colour tones of their outside. Designer, Keith Myers says “Enhancing the indoor-outdoor can be further achieved using textures that match the bricks of external walls. Using wood can elongate the space and timber brings warmth to cabinetry in cooler shades.”
The Myers Touch regularly work directly with homeowners who commission them to design a spacial remodel of their ground floor space so a larger, lighter and more family-focused kitchen-living area can be created which features a connection to their outside space. Designer Helena Myers explains; “We love to introduce the natural world into homes using a biophilic design approach in our kitchen designs. From large glass structural spaces to adding a feature glass window that reflects green foliage, herbs and plants in your garden to connect your kitchen with your outdoor space.”
About The Myers Touch
The Myers Touch specialises in the holistic design of luxury kitchens in the Winchester area, creating truly bespoke living spaces that offer far more than conventional cooking environments. Established in 2003 and based in Winchester, they enjoy long-standing partnerships with the iconic German manufacturer SieMatic and other leading brands including Gaggenau, Wolf, Sub-Zero, Miele and Siemens.
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Introducing the brand-new Cabinet Backplates from leading British manufacturer of the finest architectural hardware, Croft.
Further enhancing their established cabinet collection, a selection of designs can now be incorporated with a cabinet backplate.
Available in up to 5 sizes and over 25 luxury finishes and patinas, the slimline cabinet backplates have rounded corners and accentuate the designs within the cabinet collection.
About Croft
Croft are a leading British manufacturer of the finest architectural hardware. With a family heritage dating back to 1868, Croft remain a family run company manufacturing from their factory in the heart of England. Offering bespoke solutions as well as an extensive portfolio in a choice of 28 different finishes. The Croft range provides an impeccable selection of beautifully crafted, quality hardware to suit the most elegant of properties.
Visit 100 St John Street, London, during Clerkenwell Design Week from May 23 to 25 to see the latest bathroom and kitchen launches from RAK Ceramics.
On display at the Design Hub are new ranges of surfaces, brassware and sanitaryware, all designed to create luxurious yet highly practical modern living spaces.
One of the striking bathroom displays at the Hub showcases the RAK Ceramics Designer Collection by Patrick Norguet, RAK-Valet. This is a range composed of functional elements – available in matt and glossy finishes – that serve as veritable valets and hand us the objects of our daily wellbeing via functional surfaces and stylistic solutions of great visual impact: decorative forms with slender profiles for the washbasins, top-notch stylistic research for the bathtubs, elongated lines for the toilet bowls.
For the kitchen there is CookingRAK - a one-of-a-kind hidden induction cooking system, creating a stylish impression and professional results.
Designed to create a multi-functional kitchen space ideal for daily use, the system is integrated into the countertop, opening possibilities for users to prepare, cook and dine in the same space; a seamlessly designed kitchen top made for dining and entertaining. The technology combines the high-performance of RAK Ceramics porcelain slabs, with an innovative induction system that operates through a magnetic field. Porcelain has always been the ideal choice for kitchen countertops as they are made of a durable material resistant to heat, stain, and scratch. They are also resistant to moisture and do not easily stain, making them easier to clean.
CookingRAK is exclusively produced with RAK Ceramics porcelain slabs in 14.5mm thickness and 135.5x305 cm size. The slabs can withstand high temperatures and with a surface hardness that resists scratching and staining. They are also an ideal material for kitchen countertops as they are very hygienic, food-safe, and less likely to harbour moulds and bacteria. To conveniently locate the cooking zones on the countertop, the RAK Ceramics slabs can be customised to add special markings in six modifications that will suit any kitchen style.
Staying with surfaces, visitors to the Design Hub can also view the stunning Metamorfosi collection, a decorative porcelain surface that will make an eye-catching impression for any interior. Metamorfosi is a large-format surface, available in two sizes - 120x260cm and 120x120cm. Inspired by the colours and shapes found in nature and responding to this important interior design trend, Metamorfosi is highly durable and splash resistant, just as porcelain should be, yet visually striking in its appeal, with several design options to choose from
An important destination on the Clerkenwell Design Week tour, the RAK Ceramics Design Hub at 100 St John Street, Clerkenwell is one of the largest in the area, with 7,276 square feet over two floors. The space gives visitors to the area the opportunity to explore the possibilities of choosing RAK Ceramics for their projects.
Designed to be an interactive and immersive environment to inspire creativity, the Design Hub includes a working kitchen display, working tap display, Virtual Worlds 4D Theatre and a Grab and Go sample area. New product launches are given their debut at the Design Hub, the company’s Mega Slab Maximus surfaces are highlighted, along with inspiring bathroom displays. The Design Hub also hosts seminars and events throughout the year and offers meeting spaces for designers and architects.
About RAK Ceramics
RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramics’ brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and grès porcelain wall and floor tiles, tableware, sanitaryware and faucets, the company has the capacity to produce 123 million square metres of tiles, 5 million pieces of sanitaryware, 24 million pieces of porcelain tableware and 1 million pieces of faucets per year at its 22 state-of-the-art plants across the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh.
Patrick Norguet is an essential figure on the international design scene. Drawing inspiration from everything that surrounds him, Norguet does not follow trends but seeks to give shape to products whose relevance and modernity would withstand the test of time.
Nothing compares to water – the elixir of life. Whether it’s the soothing sounds, or the feel on the skin, through our experiences with water we can switch off from the noise of the outside world – to find peace for body, mind, and soul. Whether in people’s homes or hotel rooms, it is usually the bathroom that serves as a personal space of retreat. It’s the place for precious me-moments of indulgent bliss where we find hidden strength and new energy. The renaissance of the bathroom and its increasing significance as a zone of regeneration has been accompanied by heightened client expectations with regard to bathroom planning – for private houses as well as hospitality projects.
Guided by the underlying belief that water is the source of vital energy, GROHE, a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, has revitalized its GROHE SPA portfolio. The word SPA originates from the first letters of ‘Salus Per Aquam’, Latin for ‘Health Through Water’. This is the founding concept behind GROHE SPA. Transforming the bathroom into a home spa is not just about using individual products, but about creating holistic experiences that embrace the positive effects of water on the body and mind. GROHE SPA curates exclusive products to create unique luxurious wellbeing areas that allow the user to become immersed in soothing water rituals.
The broad GROHE SPA portfolio ranges from elaborate tap collections, customisable ceiling showers and intricate ceramics to complementary accessories. GROHE SPA redefines what is possible in terms of design, technology, and precision. Customers who wish to bring a new, bespoke kind of luxury to their private home spa will feel GROHE’s passion for water in every detail.
With GROHE SPA, architects, designers and planners now have the freedom to select from a carefully curated bathroom portfolio which offers customisable options to match customers' personal needs and their individuality. The brand-new GROHE Atrio and Allure Brilliant Private Collections allow a choice of different colour, material, finish, and handle options to help design one-of-a-kind bathroom pieces. In order to enable end-consumers to enjoy an authentic marble style with a high-quality finish, GROHE is partnering with Caesarstone, the global pioneer of premium countertop surfaces, to craft tap handles in the brand’s timeless and durable quartz designs. Caesarstone has a long-standing reputation for designing and producing high-end engineered surfaces, used in some of the most exclusive residential and commercial buildings around the world. Caesarstone surfaces can be combined with GROHE SPA Private Collections for a truly bespoke design.
Thanks to the GROHE SPA Aqua Rainshower Ceiling Shower Modules, the shower experience can also be tailored to the user’s personal preferences. In this way, unique spaces are created that stand out and bear the signature of the designer.
“The products sit at the intersection of premium quality, cutting-edge technology, unrivalled precision, and progressive design. We are driven by a spirit of redefining what is possible, leveraging industry-leading production techniques like 3D metal-printing, to create exclusive designs.
Addressing the rising macro trend for Health & Wellbeing, GROHE SPA is designed to enable architects, designers, and planners to create the ultimate water experience for their bathrooms and spas”, explains Patrick Speck, Leader LIXIL Global Design, EMENA.
In addition to this versatile but coordinated product portfolio, GROHE offers expert consultation to guide architects, designers and specifiers, as well as project developers, through the whole process.
Architects and designers can experience GROHE SPA first-hand at Milan Design Week, taking place from 18th - 23rd April 2023. Located in the Brera district, GROHE SPA will be showcased by way of a water surface installation – designed by the in-house design & brand identity team LIXIL Global Design – which will reflect the stunning architecture of one of the world’s most prestigious art museums, the Pinacoteca di Brera, while expressing the overall GROHE SPA Health Through Water concept. The exhibition will be complemented by outstanding bathroom designs occupying four immersive cubes nestled within the space, each expressing one of our four tiers: exclusive 3D metal-printed products, the new bespoke Atrio and Allure Brilliant Private Collections, trend-leading GROHE Colours, and a multi-sensory experience for the brand’s modular shower solutions.
The installation will be open to the public on
About GROHE
GROHE is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings. In order to offer "Pure Freude an Wasser", every GROHE product is based on the brand values of quality, technology, design and sustainability. Focused on customer needs, GROHE thus creates intelligent, life-enhancing and sustainable product solutions that offer relevant added value – and bear the "Made in Germany" seal of quality: R&D and design are firmly anchored as an integrated process in Germany. GROHE takes its corporate responsibility very seriously and focuses on a resource-saving value chain. Since April 2020, the sanitary brand has been producing CO2-neutral* worldwide. GROHE has also set itself the goal of using plastic-free product packaging by 2021.
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The flowing yet puristic design of MEM from Dornbracht is reminiscent of the most natural and original form of water presentation: spring. The fitting takes a deliberate step back, and by doing so, is fully taken up by the individual ambience of the architecture. The series stands for clarity, reduction, and balance, and thanks to the extensive enhancement, it now offers an even greater variety of design options.
Dornbracht provides several new variants for the washing area: The washbasin fitting is now also available as a single-lever basin mixer and a three-hole mixer with a flat spout. Joining the wall-mounted fittings line-up, are a single-lever mixer, a three-hole mixer, and a monobloc single-lever mixer. The latter is a totally new product type. All five of the new products have one thing in common – they are perfect for small bathrooms and have an aesthetic impact there. Another impressive new highlight is the slender, freestanding single-lever bath mixer which can be positioned anywhere in the room, as the main attraction.
MEM is impressive, not just for this great product variety, but also for its wide choice of surface finishes. From now on, the series, which was created by Sieger Design, will also be available in Dark Chrome, Champagne (22kt Gold) and Brushed Champagne (22kt Gold). While the Dark Chrome represents subtle elegance, the warm golden hue of the two Champagne finishes sets a refined tone.
New textured handles complete the series enhancements. These are produced by the so-called hammering technique, a traditional and skilled manual working method that creates decorative surface finishes. The indentations and projections formed by hammering reflect instant light, creating glossy and matt areas. This gives the handle a unique texture that is pleasant to touch. Its complex nature stands in fascinating contrast to the strict form of the MEM handle geometry. This elaborate manufacturing process makes every handle unique.
Both the new products and the MEM variants that have been available in the market for 20 years, prove to be unobtrusive and visible at the same time. A spout with a 180-degree bend, an invisibly integrated jet regulator and minimalist handles, the series embodies a basic aesthetic appeal that intentionally avoids any extrovert elements. Conceived according to the Dornbracht design principles – proportion, precision, progressiveness, performance, and personality – MEM conforms directly to the Dornbracht claim of creating “Leading Designs for Architecture”.
More information can be found at www.dornbracht.com/mem
About Dornbracht UK & Ireland
Based in Iserlohn, Dornbracht is the leading specialist supplier of superior designer fittings and accessories for bathroom, spa and kitchen. The company was founded in 1950 and is represented by a portfolio of products on more than 125 markets worldwide. With clearly-defined design principles for a lasting product design and a consistent focus on user needs, Dornbracht has transformed the bathroom and kitchen into living spaces – and in so doing, continues to set new standards. The premium manufacturer is famous worldwide for its design and architectural expertise and quality of manufacture at the highest level and underlines its leadership aspirations with the brand claim “Leading Designs for Architecture”.
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RAK Ceramics PJSC (Ticker: RAKCEC: Abu Dhabi), one of the leading ceramics brands in the world, announced today a USD 14 million investment in its sanitaryware production line in the UAE, upgrading the facility with the latest cutting-edge technology kilns and elevating sustainably the company’s sanitaryware operating model.
RAK Ceramics aims to begin installation of the new machinery in 2023, with the aim of going online in the first half of 2024. The investment will allow the sanitaryware line to incorporate latest technology into the heat exchanger system of kilns, with the capability for future conversion to hydrogen fuel and waste heat recycling given advanced features. Once operational, the Company will be able to maximize and optimize efficiency during production, enabling the realization of significant savings in both energy consumption and carbon emissions. Additionally, the process allows for an enhanced yield during production, reducing as such waste and increasing capacity utilization.
Commenting on the investment, Abdallah Massaad, Group CEO, RAK Ceramics said:
“As a responsible manufacturer and as the fourth largest ceramics player in the world, we have an important role to play on the global stage to make the industry more sustainable. This investment and the launch of this project in our sanitaryware business truly anchors our commitment to sustainability and our drive to long-term value for our stakeholders.”
“For this year, we aim to stimulate sustainability further through our functions and businesses, as we established a clear commitment to prioritize and support sustainable investments, and we are currently working alongside experts in the field to help us in our sustainability journey.”
Over the years, RAK Ceramics' emphasis on sustainable production has expanded as the demand for distinctive and sustainable ceramic items develops and as the Company continues to reap the benefits of sustainable long-term investments on the environmental front, especially in terms of energy conservation and waste management.
The Company has outlined in its 2023 Priorities that it is working on defining and implementing a sustainability strategy for the short-to-medium term, incorporating further ESG practices and initiatives and adopting it across all its operations.
Sylan Mirror Box Units are an expression of innovation, design and function. They are the complete package combining space saving concealed storage and minimalistic, stylish design to create the perfect final touch to any washroom. The inside boasts a fully customisable behind the mirror accessory system along with a full range of configurable accessories which can be adapted to clients’ requirements or to complement the project environment.
Designed with elegance, safety and sustainability in mind, the minimalist mirror panel design with polished mirror glass and back lit lighting reflect the aesthetics of contemporary styling of today’s washroom interiors.
To find out more visit our website or contact our Sylan team on 01763 276200 who will be happy to help.
About Sylan
A Sylan washroom is the ultimate expression of precision. This is because we are obsessive about detail. Every Sylan washroom we create is a luxuriously crafted, beautifully engineered product. But more than that, every one is bespoke built and individually customised around your needs. Your Sylan journey will start with our Project Managers and stay with you for years to come. It will be so well built, so precision crafted and so detailed in its design that we are fully confident to offer a 10 year guarantee across the whole range.
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No bathroom is complete without a mirror, and RAK Ceramics ensures that including this essential accessory as part of a purchase is no hard sale, with several new additions to its collection.
In a choice of stylish finishes to combine seamlessly with any décor, the new RAK-Art and RAK-Picture mirrors come with Chrome, Matt Black, Brushed Nickel and Brushed Gold. This enables them to be chosen to match the bathroom’s brassware, extending the sale and ensuring retailers can value up.
Both ranges feature four shapes – Round, Square, Soft and Oval – and have LED lighting, a demister pad and touch sensor activation, bringing the latest bathroom technology into the home in a seamless way.
Also new to the RAK Ceramics mirrors collection is RAK-Ornate, available in the same choice of finishes and with the same technological features. The RAK-Ornate mirror has an integrated shelf for handy storage of bathroom essentials, making it the perfect addition to a master ensuite for a hotel-inspired look.
RAK Ceramics is one of the largest ceramics’ brands in the world. Specialising in ceramic and grès porcelain wall and floor tiles, tableware, sanitaryware and faucets, the company has the capacity to produce 123 million square metres of tiles, 5 million pieces of sanitaryware, 24 million pieces of porcelain tableware and 1 million pieces of faucets per year at its 22 state-of-the-art plants across the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, RAK Ceramics serves clients in more than 150 countries through its network of operational hubs in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, North and South America and Australia.
This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a kitchen renovation design by 2022 SBID Awards Finalist, Celia Visser Design.
SBID Awards Category: KBB Design
Practice: Celia Visser Design
Project: Oriental Industrial
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
The expat owners of this 1990s architecturally designed home returned to New Zealand for their retirement and called upon the designer to renovate their kitchen living area. They wanted to ensure it would fit with the home’s existing architecture and, as avid cooks, needed a much larger space to comfortably use. The wanted to enhance the harbour views the room enjoyed which was constrained by walls on entering the space.
The Clients brief & the house architecture. The home had quite industrial and native NZ timber features, especially the open stairwell which can be seen from the front and larder.
The clients had lived in a lot of Asian & Arab countries & had brought back a lot of treasures and special objects they had collected on their travels and wanted them to be displayed in the kitchen. The open shelves were designed to match the stairs, like a commercial kitchen having all products on display.
The colour Palette was chosen to blend all these elements together.
One of the main challenges for this project was that the kitchen’s size in proportion to the house size and function was very small. There was also an unused room behind the existing kitchen that could be incorporated, but the three dividing wall and posts were a major structural support for the three-storied home.
The removal of the structural and supporting walls was a big undertaking, this meant employing an engineer to redesign the house foundations and constructing new supporting steel beams.
The highlight was viewing the opened kitchen to the adjacent room for the first time. This increased the space to double in size while exposing the beautiful harbour views which had been hidden from many areas of the entrance & living room. It was a very special moment when the client saw what a difference the larger space would have on their lives & especially being able to see the harbour from all angles while she cooked – a moment to remember.
I entered and won the SBID award KBB category in 2018 & love that these Awards have grown to be such a force globally & I feel they are so prestigious and recognised now. It helps my credibility as a designer both in New Zealand & Internationally. I can market my award as being at the top of my career globally so it’s a very special award for me.
If I have a great project I want to enter for the recognition it gives, even to be a finalist is a great accolade.
Questions answered by Celia Visser, FNKBA, CKD/CBDNZ PDINZ, Celia Visser Design.
We hope you feel inspired by this week's design!
If you missed the last instalment of Project of the Week, featuring a modern residential development design by Yuan-Art, click here to read it.
Multi-disciplinary architectural practice, Studio Power has specified Cosentino’s Silestone® in Arcilla Red from the carbon neutral Sunlit Days collection for a freestanding island and matching flooring at its Salford studio. Dekton® Eter has also been selected for the kitchen area worksurfaces and splashback.
“We explored various materials during the design process and felt that the warmth, earthiness and calmness of the Arcilla Red Silestone® was perfect for the studio island unit. We have always aspired to have a sculptural installation and Arcilla Red Silestone® has done just that! Meanwhile, Dekton® Eter has been perfectly combined with the matt charcoal grey kitchen units to achieve a coherent monochromatic backdrop, which acts as a shadow to showcase the Arcilla Red Silestone® installation to its fullest potential,” says Jyh Lee, Architect at Studio Power.
Studio Power specified Silestone® in Arcilla Red for both the kitchen island and flooring. The island is designed in a 12mm thickness and the flooring, 20mm. This carbon neutral material is made from 20% recycled materials and is a fully sustainable choice. Part of the Sunlit Days collection, it’s a deep and earthy red that adds warmth and a statement look to the open-plan space. A hybrid surface of premium minerals, quartz and recycled materials, Silestone® ’s innovative HybriQ+ technology ensures it is also low maintenance with a high resistance to scratches and stains, making it the perfect choice for this busy working studio.
Dekton® Eter in a 12mm thickness was then selected for the kitchen area worksurfaces with an 8mm thickness for the splashbacks. Fabricated by Bolton-based Signature Splashbacks, this innovative ultracompact surface is made from a mix of porcelain, glass and quartz. It’s extremely scratch resistant, stain resistant, fire and heat resistant with high strength and versatility in its application. Along with residential projects of any size, whether kitchen or bathroom worktops and wall cladding, it can also be used for residential building facades, flooring, furniture and shower trays.
Just like Silestone® ’s Sunlit Days collection, Dekton® is also carbon neutral and combines sustainability with safety and energy efficiency. Dekton® has LEED and BREEAM certifications in environmental and sustainable design along with the highest classification in fire resistance. Part of Dekton®’s Natural collection, Eter is a dramatic black and grey-toned surface material with a contemporary look ideal for Studio Power’s kitchen area.
About Cosentino
Cosentino Group is a global, Spanish, family-owned company that produces and distributes high value innovative surfaces for the world of design and architecture. It works together with its clients and partners to provide with solutions that offer design and value, and inspire the life of many people. Dekton is Cosentino's innovative, ultra-compact and high-performance surface that offers endless design possibilities for outdoor and indoor spaces.
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