Dulux is celebrating two decades of Colour of the Year and has just launched its colour for 2023: Wild WonderTM - and four complementary, versatile colour palettes that can be used to create stunning spaces across all sectors.
Wild WonderTM - a soft gold with hints of green inspired by fresh seed pods and harvest grain – is Dulux’s Colour of the Year 2023. Its upbeat glow connects us with nature, creating a sense of energy and positivity.
As people search for support, connection, inspiration and balance in the world today, they’re diving into the wonders of the natural world to find it. Extensive research conducted by Dulux colour experts and international design professionals found that even with so many challenges ahead, there was hope at the heart of global social, design and consumer trends.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux UK, says: “Our relationship with the natural world feels more precious and precarious than ever. As well as understanding the value of nature more keenly, with climate change becoming a reality for all of us, we also feel the urgency of reconnecting with nature and the necessity of working with rather than against it.
“The earth and its materials have been inspiring humanity for centuries. Now is the time to put them centre stage and bring the outside, in.
“We’re re-evaluating our relationship with nature and sensing the importance of learning from it not just about it. We’re understanding afresh that nature is the source of everything, bringing us solace, inspiration, materials and a myriad of blueprints for living. That’s why, this year, we’ve put the wonder of nature at the heart of our colour story.”
“Wild WonderTM speaks to us in a language we instinctively understand,” says Heleen van Gent, Creative Director of AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Centre, which chooses the colour. “Nature is what inspires us and makes us feel better in our lives and in our homes. That’s why, for the first time in 20 years, our entire colour palette is inspired by the rhythms of nature.”
The name Wild WonderTM was created on the basis that ‘wild’ conjures up the freedom of nature and ‘wonder’ conveys the natural magic we see all around us. Wild WonderTM is a positive, natural tone that, by connecting us with the natural world, can help us feel better in our homes.
Four decorative paint colour palettes have been designed around Wild WonderTM:
Lisa Pilley, Dulux Trade Commercial Colour Consultant, adds: “Wild WonderTM and its four versatile colour palettes reflect the natural world and intuitively connect with nature’s supply of substrates and materials - whether structural or aesthetic. As the world strives to re-use, rescue and build sustainably within commercial design programmes, placing humanity and environment at the heart of design is becoming increasingly essential.
“Colour can be transformational and guide occupants’ feelings and emotions. This year’s Colour of the Year and associated palettes open opportunities to connect the natural world with our everyday lives in the built environment.”
The year 2023 brings two major milestones to the Global Aesthetic Centre. Its ColourFuturesTM trend forecast will celebrate its 20th anniversary, while the team also reaches three decades of trend analysis, colour research, colour design and art direction at AkzoNobel.
The launch of Wild WonderTM is supported by the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2023 Specifier brochure, designed to inspire commercial design professionals working in all sectors, from hospitality to healthcare.
This brochure is part of Dulux Trade’s ongoing dedication to supporting specifiers with their latest projects, and is part of a wider package of ColourFuturesTM content. The package includes design mood boards and advice videos that can be harnessed by professionals looking to create the perfect space – in any setting – using Wild WonderTM.
To download the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2023 Specifier Brochure and for more information visit www.duluxtrade.co.uk/COTY23 and follow #CF23 on social media.
About AkzoNobel
We supply the sustainable and innovative paints and coatings that our customers, communities – and the environment – are increasingly relying on. That’s why everything we do starts with People. Planet. Paint. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and have set our sights on becoming the global industry leader. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering paints company that’s committed to science-based targets and is taking genuine action to address globally relevant challenges and protect future generations.
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The UK’s market leader in luxury vinyl flooring, Karndean Designflooring, is giving designers greater flexibility to create engaging industrial interiors with the introduction of concrete design flooring in an extra-large tile size.
From 27th September, its popular LooseLay range will include three concrete designs in a larger 1000mm x 1000mm tile format, offering the ability to create an on-trend streamlined look quickly and with less environmental impact. A realistic alternative to poured and polished concrete, Karndean’s LooseLay range is designed to not only meet but exceed expectations in commercial spaces.
Expected to find favour in settings such as retail, hospitality and public sector spaces, the new tile size is ideal for laying in a grid pattern to create minimalist clean lines and an unbroken effect.
Karndean’s LooseLay flooring is designed to be easy to install, featuring a K-Wave friction grip backing that creates a strong bond to the subfloor using a combination of weight and friction. With just tackifier required in high traffic areas and at thresholds, Karndean’s water based tackifier offers twice as much coverage than standard adhesive which supports less waste and overall lowers the impact on the environment.
Rather than having to replace the entire floor in the event of damage, each tile or plank can be lifted individually, making it the perfect option for high footfall spaces. This also allows for simple access to underfloor services as required or for flooring to be reused in another setting.
With a subtle emboss and matt finish, the creamy-grey tones of Quebec, complex grey shades of Colorado and gunmetal grey mottled effect of Vermont offer a look that’s reminiscent of a concrete floor but without the cost or inconvenience. Unlike the real thing, these designs can be combined to incorporate effective wayfinding and zoning.
Fleur Carson, commercial sales director at Karndean Designflooring, said: “It’s easy to see why concrete flooring is a timeless choice when looking for a modern backdrop and industrial finish in commercial spaces. Providing a neutral grey background, our concrete designs look fantastic in conjunction with either the clean lines of a fresh white interior or with the calming earthy tones of a biophilic scheme. By adding resimercial elements, designers can create inspirational spaces which will enhance health and wellbeing.
“We see it as our responsibility to create the best arrangement of functional tones and textures with the lowest possible environmental impact. Our new 1000mm x 1000mm tiles are designed to offer outstanding aesthetic and technical performance and so enable the installation of a stunning floor quickly but without compromising on practicality. Designers can be confident that our flooring will provide a neutral canvas and perfect complement to lighting, furniture and other design elements as well as help meet sustainability targets.”
Karndean’s LooseLay flooring absorbs the impact of noise with strong acoustic credentials. An incorporated acoustic layer effectively reduces noise transfer to the floor below by 13dB and, for additional protection, tiles can be installed over Versilay InstaShield to achieve impact sound reduction of 17dB.
Naturally warmer and softer underfoot than concrete, Karndean flooring is also compatible with underfloor heating systems and is easier to keep hygienically clean, requiring no resealing or resurfacing.
To find out more about Karndean’s LooseLay collection and view its Environmental Product Declaration, visit karndean.com/commercial.
About Karndean Designflooring
Our design process begins with a meeting…with nature. We see flooring differently. Pushing the boundaries has to be an adventure of discovery. It’s why we travel the world for inspiration. From the ancient European woodlands to the Australian outback, we pack our bags and go there. Every time, we connect with something extraordinary that shapes our every step. It’s how we bring the unimaginable, inspired from the outdoors, indoors.
Ledbury Studio creates kitchens that are uniquely personal to every client – a point happily noted by the owners of this stunning home in Poole. “It was love at first sight when they saw the eclectic range of materials on show at our studio in Notting Hill,” says Ledbury Studio founder Charlie Smallbone. This, coupled with Ledbury Studio's skill for mixing and matching these beautiful materials to create truly bespoke designs was perfectly aligned with the clients vision for a contemporary kitchen that oozes wow factor.
Extensive building work was required to create the light-filled, open-plan space that now exists. To divide the large space into smaller areas of activity, Charlie designed a screen in black-stained oak and aged brass to frame the kitchen. From this vantage point, the eye is automatically drawn to the striking mirrored splashback embellished with aged copper. It provides a stunning backdrop to the island, another talking point thanks to the verdigris copper panels edged in black-stained oak on one side and the black-stained oak cupboard doors surrounded by aged brass on the other.
To pull the various metallic elements together, Ledbury Studio’s design included an aged-brass rack over the island. This creates a small space to display beautiful objects.
Injecting a neutral note is the poured concrete flooring and the base cupboards that run in an L-shaped configuration to the island. Made from oak and painted white to allow the beauty of the grain to shine through, the cupboards are topped with a pale quartz worktop and feature patinated brass surrounds and kickplates to coordinate with the other cupboards in the kitchen.
Also sharing the space is a bank of built-in tall cupboards illuminated by an LED surround. They incorporate a large larder for food storage, ovens and a fridge, and the cupboard fronts are made from liquid metal in a specialist shagreen finish. Aged-brass handles unify the look. "Every Ledbury Studio kitchen is truly unique and this one was no exception," says Charlie. "Our clients were thrilled with the result, and in particular, with the range of materials used."
Ledbury Studio kitchens start from £70,000.
About Ledbury Studio
Ledbury Studio is a new and exciting design studio, showcasing Charlie Smallbone’s latest kitchen designs. Small and personal, Ledbury Studio has been established to explore and develop the interface between kitchens to cook and work in, and kitchens to live in. The company offers something very different in the world of kitchen design, something not found elsewhere. Combining exquisite materials and artisan craftsmanship, the new kitchen collections are striking and innovative and the culmination of Charlie Smallbone’s history at the forefront of cutting edge kitchen design.
With the much-anticipated AW22 living and dining collection from Sofa.com that has launched on the 5th September, we have taken this opportunity to look back and share insight from the last 12 months. As we seek to identify trends spotted by our trade team, we can unveil the design and fabric preferences from their elite group of interior designer clientele.
The ever-popular collection of cotton matt and smart velvets has now been overtaken in sales volume by the brushed linen cottons - a collection made from 63% cotton and 37% linen offering a stylish and durable upholstery solution. The collection contains a mixture of neutrals and greys, blue and green fabrics with Taupe, Alabaster and Charcoal proving to be most popular.
Other recent launches have also captured the imagination with the Brushstroke fabric collection, already registering as our 8th bestselling line as the tactile nature of the fabric seems to be a requirement that many designers look for.
Our overall top sellers reflect a return to a pared back palette of neutrals. Overtaking the jewel toned velvets popular for the past few seasons are Pumice, Clay, Taupe, Alabaster and Armour.
Interestingly, the summer months have encouraged designers to opt for custom coverings with an increase in COM orders.
Upcoming fabric launches for AW22 include the Heathland Weaves collection as well as range extensions for Smart Velvets, Boucle, Vermeer Linen and Silky Jacquard Weaves. Available in a selection of neutrals, Heathland Weaves cater for a growing desire amongst designers to utilise greys and pared-back autumnal tones and fabric compositions that are as hard-w earing as they are stylish.
Delving deeper into the data the trade team have been able to identify the most popular pieces across the board. The modular Cohen has led the way for 2022, its contemporary styling and generous proportions proving popular across an array of design projects. Bluebell remains the perennial favourite, its timeless, classic design offers versatility for traditional and modern schemes.
Bestsellers in each category include the Izzy modular sofa, Alderney armchair, Thea bed, Arabella dining chairs, and Kingsley table.
Ever adapting to the needs of our designer clientele base, the sofa.com team are proud to be at the forefront of delivering the highest quality furniture, fulfilling each order to exacting specifications.
The trade team at sofa.com is on-hand to assist with any queries – please visit www.sofa.com/trade for more information.
About sofa.com
Passionate about outstanding interiors, sofa.com offers a diverse and design led collection of made-to-order sofas, armchairs, beds, footstools and home accessories. With an extensive range of styles and over 100 fabrics to choose from, as well as the option to upholster in your own fabric, the customisable nature of sofa.com’s products make each piece easily adaptable to any interior style – perfect for interior designers and specifiers looking for stand-out pieces for upcoming projects.
PwC, a renowned professional services provider, has made a significant investment in the city of Belfast by relocating its offices to Merchant Square. The move to the city centre comes from a desire to not only support the growth of the company, but to signal its confidence in the area and encourage other businesses to take a similar initiative.
The new workplace is spread across 200,000 sq ft over nine floors and provides the regional hub for around 3,000 employees. The building is an amalgamation of three existing structures with a dramatic feature staircase linking floors four, five and six. The hope is that the new office will help to increase employee numbers over the next few years, meaning the design needed to have versatility as well as longevity. To meet both of these requirements, a wide range of KI furniture was specified by the lead interior designer, BDP.
On four of the levels, KI’s Colonnade system is being used to create user-controlled, open-plan spaces which the teams can quickly customise depending on the immediate need. Each Colonnade comprises 800 Series cupboard and drawer units integrated with 800 Series Shelving. Semi-sheer Kvadrat Acoustic Drops curtains feature on each open side of the structure and divide up the space for meeting or work settings. To maximise the system’s flexibility, Colonnade Cube stools were also chosen as they can be neatly stored away within the unit’s structure. The stools are upholstered in a variety of fabrics and colours to best complement the Colonnade units.
Moveable easels hook over the overhead gantry rails at any point and these are accessorised with magnetic backed whiteboards which also store away neatly in the open shelving when they are not being used.
Two different colour schemes were specified for the Colonnade systems, one of which uses vibrant colours that echo the shipbuilding heritage of Belfast. Bright yellow powder coated easels pay homage to the nearby Harland and Wolff cranes, whilst bright blue and red powder coats emulate well-established maritime engineering colour schemes.
Annabelle Hadlow, project architect at BDP, said: “Materials and furniture specification is always important to PwC. We have a fantastic understanding of its design aspirations and how the offices reflect the cities in which they are located whilst providing functional and flexible spaces. For Merchant Square, the furniture was crucial in achieving the right, characteristic design and the right levels of adaptability across all floors.”
Throughout the office space, a variety of other KI designs provide seating and tables to support both the impromptu and more focused work practices that are required. These include Zig poseur height tables and Work2.1 Sit-Stand tables in a variety of finishes such as graphite Fenix tops on raw steel, black and yellow under-structures. These tables provide ideal settings for dropdown work and casual collaboration.
KI’s Take5 high back armchairs adorn multiple areas and are upholstered in a variety of fabrics and colours. Ruckus chairs on castors are located around collaboration tables and inside the Colonnades. The innovative design of the Ruckus is also ideal for sit-stand tables, allowing a person to either sit in the chair or perch on its backrest, depending on the height setting of the table.
Throughout the building are 800 Series personal lockers fitted with RFID wireless lock technology which can be remotely monitored and controlled by the facility management teams. Some larger versions are also located in the basement area to provide cloak and leisure storage. Other specifications of matching 800 Series cabinets, recycling units, and tambour cupboards - a PwC standard - can also be found in the back office service areas.
About KI
KI’s furniture helps the world’s leading organisations create happy, healthy, high performing working and learning environments. Bringing together good design, advanced engineering and sustainable resources, KI’s products are durable, flexible and offer excellent value.
GRAFF’s founder and CEO, Ziggy Kulig, who is a highly skilled engineer, moved to the U.S. from Europe in the 1970s. With a passion for design innovation and an emphasis on high quality materials and precision, Ziggy had recognised the origin of the hand crafting and specialised artistic manufacturing and in 1990 he acquired the factory where GRAFF has been produced ever since. These values continue to underpin the GRAFF ART of Bath philosophy.
The factory is in Central Europe and it was founded in 1922. In 2002, GRAFF’s first design collection, Targa, debuted. Collections that followed, such as Luna, Ametis, Harley, and Vintage, along with the many architectural and design awards they have won represent GRAFF’s ability to continually raise the design bar.
We are honoured to work closely with extremely talented interior designers on a range of luxury projects around the world, from concept to finish. We organise samples necessary for client meetings, alternative finishes for the mood boards, finalising detailed specifications with a technical pack to serve further down the line towards project build and completion. We value our relationships with the interior designers, as well as their creativity, skill, and insights, our collaboration carries on from product customisation to creating bespoke bath spaces for clients in private residences, hotels, resorts, yachts, and private planes.
GRAFF is offering lunch and learn sessions for all interior design studios that are keen to find out about our products and the ways we can support them with their work. We encourage both existing and new practices to take this unique opportunity and reach out whenever our assistance is required.
Interior designers are drawn to GRAFF’s award-winning products, created by top designers in the industry. They include the renowned Swiss designer, Davide Oppizzi, who created the Ametis Collection, while the celebrated Milan-based duo of Matteo Nespoli and Alberto Novara designed the Dressage Collection. GRAFF’s own innovative G+ Design Studio designed the MOD+ Collection.
Design excellence in the luxury bathroom brassware sector is key to adding value to the interior design industry. Through design excellence and innovation, GRAFF transforms the bath space beyond the quotidian, enhancing the physical, emotional, and aesthetic experience. We have 23 complete collections starting from the hand-crafted basin mixers, showers, and bath mixers to delicately designed accessories to match each range. At GRAFF every product is carefully produced from casting to hand polishing and elegant finishes.
We are a truly vertically integrated company, with 100% in-house production, assuring meticulous quality control and always conscious with regards to sustainability and green values.
At GRAFF, we design for timeless appeal, and for harmony with a broad range of interior and architectural styles. Our collections represent 3 design trends: contemporary, traditional as well as transitional. Interior designers can enhance their projects with our 20 finishes such as bronze, brass, 24K gold, architectural black, satin nickel, etc. Our new Vignola Collection, for instance, gives interior designers options for different combinations of handles, including a choice of three different Tuscan marble handle inserts. Our shower systems offer state-of-the-art technology, such as chromotherapy, hydrotherapy, and music therapy, adding a spa-like dimension to the bath space.
The trends we’re seeing focus on wellness, luxury, sustainability, and personalisation/customization. For instance, luxury multi-function showerheads geared to wellness are popular, such as those we offer with a variety of spray patterns and massage intensities. Technology drives current trends in exciting ways that make the bathing experience more spa-like.
Our digital controls for showers enhance the sense of ease and luxury, and LED lights conveniently indicate water temperature changes by changing colours. Our thermostatic shower systems control the water temperature, for the ultimate in comfort. The advanced technology of our Aqua-Sense and Ametis shower systems allows consumers to luxuriously immerse themselves in chromotherapy and sound.
Personalisation is one of the biggest aesthetic trends, and our collections offer boundless choices to meet that demand. Our designs complement and elevate bath spaces whether in historic mansions, seaside villas, country homes, or contemporary penthouses.
While the preference for wall mounted basin mixers continues, our collections offer the deck mounted versions as well, especially in the more classical styles such as Camden or Topaz Collections.
Sustainability is another important aspect and one on which GRAFF has long been ahead. GRAFF products have automatically included a water-saving device since 2012. We are ISO 14001 certified, meaning our products are designed to preserve energy and resources and lessen the impact on the environment. In our manufacturing, we have implemented zero-waste policies and adhere to strict international conservation, health, and safety standards. We also work with partners committed to such environmental and ethical practices, creating sustainable luxury bathroom products.
Questions answered by Delia Lakwera, UK Project Specifications Manager, GRAFF.
Considering the fact that carbon emissions from buildings and construction constitute almost 40 percent of global carbon emissions, knowledge of a building’s environmental impact is becoming key to enable the construction industry to work towards the necessary green transformation. Accordingly, a number of states have already established national lifecycle carbon limits for new or public buildings. Some states require carbon reporting as a minimum standard, while others have generally enacted more stringent requirements for new construction projects.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are considered by the European Commission as a suitable means of evaluating the sustainability of a building since the materials and products used in it significantly determine a building’s impact on the environment. In order to provide its customers with transparency regarding the ecological footprint of its products, the sanitary brand GROHE will release EPDs for 18 product groups that cover more than 600 single products by the end of October. The first batch, published at the end of July 2022, includes basin and kitchen mixers, thermostats, and shower rail sets. A second wave will follow by the end of October 2022 and will comprise special fittings, hand showers, installation systems and flush plates.
“With the launch of EPDs for a wide range of our portfolio, we offer our customers easy orientation and transparent comparison options with regard to the life cycle assessment of our products. On this basis, they can make informed statements about the environmental impact of buildings, which is often a cornerstone for sustainability certifications such as DGNB, LEED or BREEAM, or even a prerequisite for new building permits in many European cities. With increasing pressure on the construction industry to make buildings ever more sustainable, information of this kind will be a selection criterion for products in the future, on a level with price, design or quality,” says Jonas Brennwald, Leader, LIXIL EMENA.
An EPD is a comprehensive, independently verified, and registered product pass. It reports transparent and comparable data on the environmental impact of a product’s life cycle (Life Cycle Assessment). The life cycle is considered from the extraction of raw materials through to production then the use phase to disposal, including the impact of the individual transport routes. Tomas Kvillström, Leader, Commercial Regulation, LIXIL EMENA underlines how important it is to analyze a product’s entire life cycle: “We also looked at the usage phase, which has sometimes been neglected by the industry in the past. The long use phase of our products is the main driver for water and energy consumption and therefore a crucial piece of information for building management companies and hotel operators in particular. However, this knowledge is not only elementary for our customers, but also a good benchmark for us to further increase the sustainability of our value chain and products.”
Environmental Declarations are based on the international standard ISO 14025, and with regard to the construction industry EPDs are particularly based on EN 15804 for construction products, services and processes.
Today, the focus for sustainable product requirements is primarily on Global Warming Potential (GWP). Through the collection and validation of EPD-relevant data, GROHE is striving to develop increasingly low-emission product strategies in the long term while continuously improving its own carbon footprint. Potential for improvement could be identified, for example, in aspects such as sourcing materials closer to the plant or strengthening GROHE’s approach to green transportation. Since 2020 all eight LIXIL fittings plants, including the plants in Hemer, Lahr, Porta Westfalica (all Germany), Albergaria (Portugal) and Klaeng (Thailand), along with Jiangmen
(China), Danang (Vietnam) and Monterrey (Mexico), where GROHE products are also manufactured, as well as the German logistics centres, are CO2-neutral. In 2021, the European outbound logistics became CO2-neutral. All fittings plants and German distribution centers have switched to green energy. The collected EPD data shows CO2 peaks and can therefore support the goal of further avoiding and reducing emissions, and also in turn minimize the share of compensation to be paid. As a brand in the LIXIL portfolio, which is a Japanese manufacturer of pioneering water and housing products, GROHE’s efforts contribute to the corporation’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “To preserve our planet, we need to change the way we create our built environment. We welcome EPD as the industry's 'new normal' to foster the transformation towards low environmental impact and low energy consumption projects. They are the prerequisite for sustainable, future-ready building concepts,” says Jonas Brennwald.
Cover image: GROHE Eurosmart Kitchen - Cradle-to-Cradle Certified Gold Level
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.
Focus SB, a leading international premium electrical accessories brand presents its debut collection of innovative traditional style control switches, featuring low voltage technology.
Developed to meet demand from luxury smart home integrators and IoT technology and design consultants, the attractive push button Control switches by Focus SB can be configured in a variety of ways to suit functions required, whether programmed for lighting and shading controls or used with inline dimming packs, and can be finished to match across one of the widest ranges of electrical wiring accessories available in the luxury construction markets in UK, China and the Middle East today.
Designed to allow space for several switches on one faceplate, the ‘Control switches by Focus SB’ collection, handcrafted and finished in the UK, offers a proprietary system interface solution with a traditional aesthetic. Compatible with inline dimmers, lighting controls and home automation, with the advantage of providing a low voltage option available in component form and LED indicator switch options, Focus SB’s control switches offer flexibility and style for multi-function programming including audio, selection of lighting scenes, turning lights on and off when entering or leaving a property, raising or dimming lights, opening and closing blinds, curtains and shutters.
Available as complete products or in button, grid and plate component form, with the option to include LED switch functionality and custom text via the company’s in-house bespoke laser marking service, designers can choose up to four circular or square buttons on a single and a maximum of eight buttons on twin vertical or horizontal plates, offering a simple to use smart solution with the convenience of configuration flexibility paired with a superior finish.
Showcasing unparalleled craftsmanship, Focus SB’s modern control switches are manufactured from high quality metal base materials and offer the same functionality solutions as the company’s innovative retractive (momentary action) switches. The control switches can be finished to match across the company's electrical accessories products enabling designers to complement metal accents and hardware throughout an interior scheme.
Offered with Classic and True Edge faceplate styles as standard, this latest collection from Focus SB features smaller terminals better suited to low voltage control cables, with LED indicator programmable options in red, green and blue that work independently from the switches, and a voltage (V) terminal to enable selection of the system voltage with OFF (20-48V) and ON (5-20V).
Unique to the Focus SB luxury brand every component is designed, manufactured, tested, finished and hand assembled in-house by the company’s experienced engineers and artisans in East Sussex, UK.
Contact Focus SB for more information, request 2022 brochures, or to enquire about the company's bespoke product presentation and project support services.
About Focus SB
Focus SB® is an award winning innovative British manufacturer renowned for the design, development and specialist hand finishing of premium electrical wiring accessories, blending traditional artisan techniques with the latest technology; specified for world class hospitality and leisure resorts, prime residential developments, heritage buildings, royal residences, superyachts and commercial projects both domestically and internationally.
From the unprecedented collaboration of Patrick Norguet with RAK Ceramics comes a stunning bathroom project: RAK-Valet. It is the embodiment of a unique talent for understanding a need and creating a functional, long-lasting solution that fits in perfectly with the context. A cluster of visions, drawings, exclusive shapes and a fast-paced rhythm leading to unexpected solutions: this is what the French designer brings to each of his new creations.
RAK-Valet expresses the creative genius of Norguet together with the undivided attention devoted by RAK Ceramics to production quality and project completeness. A special project, attesting a new concept of living and a new way to use domestic space, which becomes free of constraints, permeable, osmotic, and innovative. Whether it be contemporary or traditional.
Norguet puts on stage a dialogue between light and shadow, between volumes and lines, between elements, forms and materials. A delicate balance that is never disrupted, as each element becomes functional to the user in this ongoing, harmonious exchange. Everything is in the service of the person who experiences the space, everything centres around the dialogue, bearing witness to something magical and unique.
The RAK-Valet collection is 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, and elongated lines for the toilet bowls.
RAK-Valet is a project that comes to meet a need in interior design, leaving out any unnecessary shape or detail while the expression of the real is reduced to its pure, bare form.
RAK-Valet goes well with some of the most successful collections proposed by RAK Ceramics, such as their brand-new bathroom fittings and RAK-Joy Uno mirrors. It is rounded off by a rich choice of accessories, such as legs and towel holders made of metal, or the practical but extremely elegant ceramic surfaces also designed by Patrick Norguet.
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.
Three distinct furniture styles, seventeen colour choices, three vanity basins and two brassware styles make the new Root range by VitrA one of the most flexible and customisable collections on the market.
Root is a complete bathroom solution with furniture, basins, taps, showers and storage units all within the range. With three different design options as well as various textures, colours and sizes, Root allows for a truly personalised bathroom experience.
Root furniture is available in a choice of three different designs: flat, groove and classic. Flat – a simple style for those with a minimalist taste; Groove – a contemporary option with a panelled style; and Classic – a modern take on shaker design.
Interior designers can choose from seventeen assorted colours, including retro green, dark blue, pearl grey and walnut in three types of finish – gloss, matt, or wood. The matt colours have a PVC finish which is highly durable with a water absorption rate of 0.5%. The gloss and wood colours have a PET finish which is a sustainable material produced by 100% recycled plastic and is both heat and moisture resistant.
Handle options include matt black, chrome and matt white, with two distinct styles to suit the different furniture designs.
A choice of three washbasins - Integra, Integra Classic and Zentrum – provide further flexibility. Integra washbasins have a deep basin with flat edges, Integra Classic has a short upstand at the back, creating a more traditional look, and Zentrum basins have a more geometrical outer with a rounded internal basin shape.
The brassware is available in two styles, Root Round and Root Square, and in five colours, chrome, brushed nickel, copper, matt black and gold, across the array of basin, bath, and shower mixers.
To help designers in their bathroom design journey, VitrA has developed the Root Configurator. This online tool allows users to experiment with the various styles, colour finishes and sizes to find the perfect bathroom design. In addition to the washbasin units, the tool includes the taps and additional storage units available to enable users to design their whole bathroom space.
Find out more about Root, by downloading the brochure or by visiting the microsite.
About VitrA
VitrA is recognised for beautiful products that consumers love to use, aspire to own and are proud to have in their homes. As part of the Eczacıbaşı Group, VitrA draws on a century of captivating design, genuine innovation, and eco-conservation to produce outstanding bathroom products. Working with globally renowned designers such as Tom Dixon, Sebastian Conran and Ross Lovegrove, VitrA has created a ground-breaking, inclusive portfolio of award-winning products to suit all.
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