GUEST ARTICLE: Style with substance in interior design

This article sees Chris Tranter, senior product manager for specification at Bristan, look at how developers can marry substance and style without compromise.

As the nation’s homes become smaller, a key trend in bathroom design is slimline bathroom fixtures, and getting these fittings right can make all the difference in swaying prospective buyers.

But while stylish fittings will be the ones that capture a buyer’s imagination, housebuilders will always lean towards fixtures that are practical, easy to fit and built to last.

The specification of kitchen and bathroom fixtures is a major concern in any new build or refurbishment property, and one which is worth spending the time to get right.

It’s worth remembering that taps are one of very few elements in a home that prospective buyers can physically interact with in a show home or viewing. If the taps are very basic, clunky to use or look and feel cheap, it could be an instant turn off for many buyers.

With careful specification of the fixtures and fittings, it’s possible to add the wow factor that buyers are looking for, without breaking the bank or compromising on quality, safety, efficiency or ease of installation.

Fuss-free fitting

Following feedback from the industry, manufacturers are increasingly looking to create pioneering, new product designs that meet the need for quick and easy installation.

The objective is to reduce the time it takes to install kitchens and bathrooms in new builds, and the number of hours installers need to be on-site.

Equally, ease of installation is crucial in keeping to a build schedule, keeping labour costs to a minimum, and getting homes finished on time.

Thankfully, the functionality that ‘easy to fit’ products offer doesn’t necessarily mean that style is compromised.

For instance, some sink ranges have a unique base already pre-installed along with pre-fitted flexi tails.

This means that the tap body can be fixed to the sink with minimum fuss – simply hook up the hose tails, push on the tap and tighten the grub screw. This mechanism also offers an upgrade opportunity, as the tap body can be swapped in minutes.

Safety first

Stylish products can also be safe products. Many fixtures and fittings now come with thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs).

Thermostatic technology can maintain the desired water temperature even when the incoming water pressures/flow rates change, and will automatically shut off if there is a failure in the hot or cold water supply to reduce the risk of scalding.

Quality assured

Buying a home is a big commitment and potential buyers want to be sure that what they are buying is robust and built to last. Before specifying a fixture or fitting, it’s worth finding out how it has been tested to ensure it is reliable and durable.

At Bristan, we’ve been making bathroom and kitchen fixtures for over 40 years, helping housebuilders meet the dreams and aspirations of homebuyers with exactly the right choice of taps and showers.

But we know that product specification goes beyond a product’s aesthetics, which is why we pack our fixtures with features that make life easier for housebuilders and developers.

Quality, safety, value for money and easy installation need not come at the expense of aesthetics, developers can have it all.