How significant are taps when it comes to the purchase of a bathroom, are they simply an add-on to a suite?
Where once taps were seen as a purely functional purchase they are now an important part of the overall bathroom design. Rather than being an after-thought once the sanitaryware has been chosen, taps are now being selected at the same time as the suite or even in some cases chosen first, with the rest of the bathroom being designed around the brassware.
What are the most popular styles of taps for basins and baths? (one-hole, wall-mounted etc)
Mono basin mixers are becoming increasingly popular, as consumers look to achieve a simple, uncluttered style. For the bath, wall-mounted bath shower mixers are popular, enabling the sanitaryware to flow freely without any interruptions. Croydex is able to offer its customers both options, through Danish brassware manufacturer Damixa.
How important is it for taps to be water-saving?
Water-saving is now much higher on the consumer’s agenda, partly due to people becoming more eco conscious and partly down to the ever rising utility bills and homeowners wanting to save money where they can. However, consumers want to feel that they are in control of how much water they use and don’t want the overall performance of their brassware to be reduced, so taps that can be fitted with simple water-saving devices and offer the user the choice over how much water is used are becoming increasingly popular.
Recent changes to Part G of the Building Regulations mean that there is now a cap on how much water can be used per household per day in new build properties and we predict that this will be extended to refurbishment properties in the future. Damixa taps have several water saving features that can help to significantly reduce the amount of water wasted by households while not compromising on performance. The Regul8 device regulates the flow of water to a maximum of 8 litres while the Eco-klik feature offers a physical resistance to full water flow that can be simply clicked past if full flow is required, leaving the end user in complete control.
How significant is the introduction of digital technology in tap design?
While the design of the tap is developing and becoming much more important, just as much emphasis is now being placed on what is happening inside the tap, with digital controls and thermostatic devices set to revolutionise the way we think about tap design.
With a move towards more classical styling in the home, can we expect to see contemporary bathroom taps shunned in favour of more traditional designs?
On the contrary, contemporary style brassware is often specified for the more classic bathroom, to add a modern twist. There is definitely room for both styles within the brassware market and Damixa will continue to offer both classic and modern ranges to appeal to a wide variety of consumer tastes.
Is chrome still king in bathroom tap sales, or should designers and retailers embrace more unusual finishes such as gold and white?
Chrome is still the finish of choice in bathroom brassware, but consumers are increasingly looking for something a little different, in order to create interest in an otherwise minimalist space. Our Arc basin mixer, for example, offers the homeowner a choice of coloured accents in black, red or white which can be easily interchanged to suit the mood.
How can designers and specifiers encourage their clients to trade up in tap sales?
With water saving becoming much more of a priority consumers can be encouraged to trade up to brassware that can help them reduce their water consumption, especially if you have a few facts and figures to back up the argument, not only in terms of how much water can be saved but also what that could mean to them in monetary terms. The design of the bathroom has become all-important as people look to add value to their homes in this difficult economic climate and consumers are increasingly willing to put quality over cost, making trading up a very real possibility.
Featuring a multi-functional design, the Arc mono basin mixer from Damixa is available with optional coloured accents in black, red and white and offers infinite spout movements to enable water to reach every corner of the basin. The Arc range also includes a thermostatic shower and a wall-mounted bath shower mixer, all of which can be colour co-ordinated along with the basin tap.
The Clover basin mixer from Damixa is elegant on the outside yet full of function internally. The tap features Eco-save, a built-in water saving device that can save up to 25% of water and can also be fitted with Damixa’s innovative Regul8 device, which regulates the flow of water to a maximum of 8 litres per minute without compromising on the tap’s performance. Clover also feature X-Change, enabling the look of the tap to updated in a matter of seconds to suit the design of the room.