Page 32 - HW May 2021

wet areas
Be safe and in control – Englefield’s new Studio Thermostatic Bath/Shower Mixer combines control, safety and performance in a simple and easy to use unit. Designed to reduce the risk of scalding and uncomfortable temperature fluctuations, the unit’s thermostatic temperature control can be set from 43°C to 49°C and is suitable for both mains and low pressure applications.
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“People just seem to want generously sized showers.”
Joneen Rodgers of Hello Home in Wellington agrees: “With showers, it’s a case of the bigger the better. We use Atlantis a lot for the variety of sizes and wall finishes. A 1200 x 900 walk-in is popular.
“People are loving the rainhead situation with a standard slider and are asking for double shower heads. You’d be surprised by some of the requests that come through.”
NEW TWISTS ON TECH FRONT
In-shower technology has advanced to the point where you
can now specify four-way shower function with shower towers delivering an all-in-one massage unit with body jets, overhead rainfall function, waterfall outlet, and a hand shower and holder.
Luciana Borges further points to automated showers with “thermostat, water flow adjustment, pause features, timers, and even colour therapy.”
“Smart home tech is evolving all the time,” adds Melanie Sa’u.
“It enables the creation of pre-set moods. In a bathroom context, someone might have a ‘wake-up’ preset that is as simple as turning on some lighting for when they get up and jump in the shower.”
Margaret Young points out that Häfele has made available in New Zealand a mirror range with touch keys which operate defogging, light and sound functions. The multi-dimensional mirror comes fully assembled and unites the functions of make-up light, room lighting, mood lighting, mirror defogger and Bluetooth capable sound system in an elegant design.
Karen Candy highlights PDL by Schneider’s motion-activated night lights and switch ranges that integrate a USB port in their
power outlets. “This can be useful for charging a phone or even a razor. I also like to specify 12V IP55 heated towel rails as they allow you to reduce the distance from the shower head to where the rail is mounted, making it easier to reach the towel. And underfloor heating remains a given with my clients.”
Of course, lighting is an important client conversation, and Melanie Sa’u says that if you light the bathroom well and have good feature lighting, you can dramatically improve the overall look of any bathroom.
“I like to incorporate downlighting, LED lighting behind a mirror to create ambience, feature pendants or wall lights to dress a room, and warm white light remains popular.”
Karen Candy says she also tends to specify LED-lit mirrors “because they are so flattering. People expect that now.”
Karen is another designer to look beyond just task lighting, say a strip of LEDs running under a floating vanity and an accent light beside the vanity.
With the task lighting on a different switch, she will often also incorporate a small motion-activated “funky and stylish” inlaid light down low to the floor beside the toilet.
COPING WITH LONGER LEAD TIMES
All good so far but, with apologies for sounding like a broken record, in respect of the limping supply chain, all the designers spoken to agreed that, in the current environment, they have had to ramp up forward ordering of appliances, tiles and tapware to cope with longer lead times.
“With the supply chain struggling,” says Melanie Sa’u, “it’s important to get a client on board before a new build has gone in for consent; we try to give them select choices to avoid confusing matters.”
“12–14-week lead times from
Europe are now 16 weeks and longer for some products”
Debra DeLorenzo sums up the current supply chain situation as pretty crazy: “Everything has been affected. Our strategy is to buy and hold tiles and plumbing gear in particular.”
And, with her preferred joiner booked up several months in advance, Debra’s project timelines are lengthening.
“Product supply is problematic,” concludes Joneen Rodgers, “and none more so than tiles and stone out of Europe.”
As a result, Hello Home is “trying our best to be upfront
with clients and keep expectations real. That means greater communication with suppliers and extra stock level monitoring.”
Joneen’s tried and tested formula for project planning and product ordering simply doesn’t work anymore.
“We’ve had to increase the regularity of contact with suppliers and put contingency plans in place. If clients have the garage space,
30 NZHJ | MAY 2021
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