A Splash of Roman Colour

I took advantage last week of an invitation to a trade viewing of new displays and a range of designer paints at the British Bathroom Centre HQ at Staples Corner, North London. We get many such invitations in the post and most are filed in the dustbin on the other side of the design room. I decided to go to this one as I had bumped into owner Paul Bitton back in November last year. I was intrigued as much as anything to see what he was up to. For the record, his new Ella Jade Interiors kitchen display is impressive in my view. As a design team we tend to stick to “safe” colours when choosing paints, allowing the furniture and flooring to make the statement. Future projects may just be a bit more colourful after my visit to Paul’s three floor showroom. On display were stunning designer paints brought in from Italy and by a company called UCIC (www.ucic.it). Some of the finishes have been available for years but the range of colours and effects available from UCIC is staggering. The colours are so rich that they ooze opulence, particularly the metallic finishes. I was put in mind of the gold Courtauld bathroom at Eltham Palace. These paints really must be seen to be appreciated, although even for me some of the colours are a bit too bold. Paul Bitton was ever the genial host. He seemed quietly confident that the UCIC paints would become a firm favourite with his clients. Always one to back his ideas with cash, Paul was at pains to explain his commitment to this new range, with investment in training for his staff and a strong investment in stock. It is heartening to see that new products continue to be sourced from abroad and from the UK by enterprising individuals.

Bowled Over

The glass is dead. Long live the glass ! Or to clarify, the penchant for glass bowls in UK bathrooms has thankfully dried up. Now glass is back with a vengeance but in the guise of mirrors, dividers, and enclosures. Of course it never really went away, but the current popularity of the material must have buoyed the glass industry in these troubled economic times. Ten years ago glass bowls were all the rage, either perched precariously on stainless steel brackets, or balanced on chrome collars on any available flat surface. They were novel, they looked great, and they were totally . . . impractical. They were not stable, not durable, and they showed watermarks. Infamously, they were an accident waiting to happen if children were around. And there was always an issue with hot water. This glass was not Pyrex yet users filled them with water hot enough to take the skin off a rhino. Not surprisingly, some cracked. This no doubt resulted in blazing rows and court cases in bathroom centres up and down the country. And all as a result of a fad. What silly people we are sometimes. Sadly when the next fad trundles along, we will be just as gullible and just as forthcoming with our hard-earned cash. As a race, our ability not to learn from our errors is nothing short of staggering.