As we move into 2023, what are the key kitchen and bathroom trends we can expect to see in the coming months? In an article taken from the January edition of PBM, Chris Tranter, Senior Product Manager at Bristan, shares his thoughts on what the new year could hold for kitchen and bathroom design – and how merchants can best advise their customers.
When it comes to colours, mixed metallic finishes are predicted to be big in 2023. This can involve combining different metallics across taps, door handles or kitchen accessories, using one colour as the main base. Gold and antique brassware remain popular colours for tapware, and copper and gold tones are an effective way to add warmth to a space.
Meanwhile, darker and more dramatic colour palettes have continued to be popular choices this year in both kitchen and bathroom tapware, and we can expect matte black finishes to remain so throughout next year. Indeed, swapping out an old kitchen or bathroom tap for a new one is an easy way to make a real impact, with black taps against a white ceramic basin providing a striking contrast.
Elsewhere in the bathroom and kitchen, green and dusky pinks are both predicted to be popular colours in the kitchen and bathroom in the year ahead.
Sustainable choices
Water saving remains a subject of intense discussion, and both merchants and installers have a role to play in helping educate on water-saving products. Fitting flow limiters to taps or on shower handsets or hoses, for example, are an effective way to deliver some water savings.
This aerator is a small attachment that fits onto the outlet of the tap, cleverly controlling the amount of water flowing through while not affecting the feel of the water flow. We have recently upgraded our existing range of basin mixer taps to include Neoperl 5ltr/min aerators, reducing waste without affecting the feel of the water flow.
Making life easier
Homeowners are increasingly turning to products that put convenience front and centre, and we’re seeing increased demand for our range of boiling water taps. Removing the need for a kettle, the 4-in-1 tap delivers hot, cold, boiling, and filtered water from a single unit.
If your customer is looking to purchase a boiling water tap, make sure that they consider a brand that has a good filter — if they’re installing in a hard water area, it’s likely that, without the right filter, it will limescale up in a matter of weeks. We recently upgraded our boiling water tap ranges to incorporate a new and improved filter to ensure the best possible protection against this.
Easier installs
Convenience is important for your installer customers, too. Our smart Easyfit technology, for instance, was introduced to make kitchen taps easy to fit and change — and work out to be 70% quicker than a standard ‘c’ plate install.
Another way you can help advise installers on ways to save time and work more efficiently is showers — namely, replacing showers (not the quickest of jobs). All showers from our core range come with our fast-fix Wallmount 12, giving installers a quick and easy way to isolate the water supply at the wall.
In addition, it provides the option of installing the mount on first fix and then adding the bar shower itself on second fix. This is perfect not only for jobs where you want to protect the whole bar shower whilst other bathroom work takes place, but also on larger commercial projects or new build projects.
Overall, taking the time to understand the trends set to influence your customers’ purchasing decisions can help boost your business and reputation — and ensure you remain a step ahead of the competition.
Click here for more information on Bristan’s range of products and support services for merchants.
Reflecting a number the trends set out above, Bristan expanded its product portfolio last year with the launch of a new product range and the addition of black finishes and accessories across a selection of its existing products.
The Mila range of contemporary bathroom taps is available in both Chrome and Black finish options and incorporates an elongated angled sprout design with easy-to-use lever. The range features Bristan’s precision glide and secure fix components, and all come with the manufacturer’s 10-year guarantee and three years on finishes.
In addition to the Mila range, the supplier also introduced a choice of Black finishes across some of its existing taps and bathroom accessories. Its Cobalt and Hourglass bathroom tap ranges will now include the option of both Chrome and Black finishes, with matching wastes, and round and square bathroom accessories for the perfect finishing touches. It also introduced three new black kitchen sink mixer taps in this durable modern finish.
All feature Bristan’s patented Easyfit technology kit for ease and quick installation from the top of the sink, whilst the company’s kitchen and bathroom taps are also all WRAS approved.
