May 2015 ~ manage kitchen

Leicht opens new Battersea showroom

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:35 PM

Kitchen designer Leicht has opened a new South-West London showroom in Battersea, which showcases six displays of German-designed kitchens.

The new showroom off Battersea Park Road covers 1,900sq m and employs five sales staff and kitchen designers, as well as 13 installation and admin staff. According to the company, contracts have already started coming in.

“As London’s housing market continues to grow there has been increased demand, especially in this South West corner, for high quality, bespoke yet competitively priced kitchens and we are fulfilling this demand,” said Liam Hopper, managing director of Leicht Sevenoaks in Kent, as well as the new showroom.

“Everyone wants their kitchen to be unique, functional and above all great looking and we at Leicht can provide this, complete with superb storage solutions, over 2,000 RAL or NCS colours and a huge range of textures,” he added.

Magnet Trade hosts Glasgow trade day

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:35 PM

Magnet Trade is hosting a trade day at its Glasgow Haggs store today for kitchen fitters, builders and tradespeople.

The Scottish-themed trade day will include a strongest man competition and a lunch box amnesty, in which visitors can swap their regular lunch for a Scottish-themed meal with Irn Bru and shortbread in a Magnet Trade lunch box, pictured.

The day will also feature a discount across seven best-selling Magnet Trade kitchen ranges, which will be available to purchase at around 70% off the published price list.

“We’re showing our support to our customers in the region by putting on a range of fun activities that we hope they’ll love,” said Joe Doherty, store manager at the Glasgow Magnet Trade store. “We’re encouraging kitchen fitters and builders from across the region to head down to our store to take part. We can’t wait to see who comes out tops in the test your strength competition – it’s sure to be a hotly fought contest!”

Gorenje used for Michelin-starred chef's cookery school

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:35 PM

Michelin-starred chef John Campbell has used Gorenje kitchen appliances in his new cookery school, the Woodspeen Cookery School in West Berkshire.

Gorenje has supplied 43 appliances to the new school – which was established as a joint venture between chef Campbell and food and hospitality business BaxterStorey – from its Gorenje+ built-in range.

The school is located next door to the Woodspeen Restaurant, which was launched in October last year. “We are delighted to be working with John Campbell on his new venture,” said Gorenje UK national sales manager Stuart Benson. “With the Woodspeen Restaurant already a success, the cookery school is set to be a fantastic location for delivering a broad range of courses.”

Chef Campbell added: “I am very impressed with the Gorenje+ appliance range. The appliances look great and provide us with all the must-have features we need to deliver the best cookery courses possible.”

Johnson Tiles launches CDW competition for Verve wall

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:35 PM

Johnson Tiles has launched a competition regarding its Verve wall at Clerkenwell Design Week – CDW – with the prize being an Apple Watch.

Visitors to the Design Factory area at CDW have been invited by Johnson Tiles to share their own images of the wall on social media with the hashtag #myverve to enter the competition.

Johnson Tiles created its 3D installation, entitled Verve, using 7,500 gloss and matte tiles from the company's Prismatics range.

The competition ends on Sunday 24 May. Entries can be viewed and voted for on Johnson Tiles' Facebook page.

Grohe embarks on UK roadshow

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

As part of its Europe-wide tour, Work Smarter, Grohe will be making several key stops in the UK until 29th May, including the Installer 2015 exhibition in Coventry and the Phex exhibition at Alexandra Palace in London.

The roadshow, which is designed to provide professional tradespeople with information on industry technology and news, will also visit Manchester, Burton, Newcastle and Northampton.

The mobile exhibition also acts as a training workshop and will allow visitors to take part in installation and product training.

As part of the roadshow, Grohe is also offering its Grohe Smart programme, which allows people to register as a 'Smart' member and use the app, pictured, to accumulate bonus points with purchases, which can be redeemed for rewards.

'Ask the Expert' session at Grand Designs Live a success, says KBSA Beko's new TV advertising campaign set to reach over 17 million people PWS' TradeZone gets new improved site Duravit joins European Water Label Crown Imperial launches colour explorer online tool

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

The Kitchen Bathroom & Bedroom Specialists Association – KBSA – has hailed this year's 'Ask the Expert' session at Grand Designs Live a success.

Industry expert Alan Stanford, on behalf of KBSA, met 80 consumers to review new project plans and give advice. Visitors received free copies of Specialist magazine and the KBSA showcase handbook.

Stanford noted that consumers were focused on turning kitchens into a family living space with modern appliances such as hot taps and island unit ceiling extractors.

For bathrooms, consumers largely questioned lighting features, wall coverings, whether to use panels or tiles. Popular trends discovered from the talks included greater use of freestanding baths and a decrease in the use of fitted furniture in bathrooms.

“It's always a good opportunity to get this type of feedback from this show, as it's a real-time snapshot of current trends in design for both bathrooms and kitchens,” said KBSA sales and marketing director Ruth Ward.

PWS' TradeZone gets new improved site

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

PWS has bolstered the offering of its online ordering site TradeZone by investing in and developing a new, improved site, the brand says.

According to PWS, the speed at which a customer can place an order has increased. The company also claims the new site works around 10 times faster when a user is browsing its catalogue of 8,000 products.

The product catalogue has also been improved with greater flexibility for product search, while users can now also compare products. The new site also features an electronic version of PWS' annual directory.

“We know the speed which you can browse products, coupled with intuitive ways of searching, are key to a positive user experience,” said PWS marketing manager Andrew Langford. “A lot of work has been carried out by our in-house IT department to deliver dramatic improvements in speed. We anticipate this will be a springboard for us to encourage more customers to place their orders on TradeZone and realise the many benefits of the enhanced site.”

Abode releases new kitchen tap brochure

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

Abode has released its latest kitchen tap brochure, which comprises 138 pages split into five sections.

Alongside the five style sections in the brochure - Distinctly Modern, Distinctly Traditional, Distinctly Classic, Distinctly Steel and Distinctly Filtered – there are also pages on accessories, warranties and product care.

Abode marketing manager Helen Clark said: “This new, inspirational coffee table brochure is the perfect guide for our retailers when helping their consumers choose which tap is right for them and outlines our full array of products from designer affordable taps to professional options as well those offering filtered water and anywhere in-between.”

The brochure is available both online and as a hard copy.

UK retail footfall drops in April

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

UK retail footfall in April experienced a 0.8% drop, down from the 0.2% rise experienced in March, according to the British Retail Consortium – BRC – Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor for April 2015.

While footfall in out-of-town locations actually saw a slight 0.5% increase, high street and shopping centre footfall dropped by 0.1% and 3% respectively. East of England, Northern Ireland, Greater London and Scotland all reported positive footfall growth above the UK average.

The national town centre vacancy rate dropped to 10.2% last month, from 10.4% reported in January. The vacancy rate improved in six out of the 10 areas across the UK.

“For everyone looking to secure a sustainable future for our high streets and town centres, the priority must be to drive shop vacancies down in order to see shopper numbers rise,” said BRC director general Helen Dickinson, pictured. “A good first step would be securing the reform of business rates and thereby removing one of the most significant barriers to re-opening abandoned shops.”

Retailers seeking out alternative brands, says Amica

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

Retailers are becoming more interested in stocking alternative appliance brands, forgoing the tradition of using only the biggest names in the industry, according to Amica.

Simon Freear, Amica's country manager for UK and Ireland, noted the increased interest in alternative brands at this year's CIH-Euronics Showcase. “Finally, we are seeing retailers, previously only committed to the major older brands, actually hunting out alternative brands,” he said. “Brands with products they can shape their future businesses around.”

Amica significantly increased investment in its stand at the CIH-Euronics Showcase this year. According to the company, around 400 retailers visited its 80sq m stand, which had a 'hot, cold, wet' theme and showcased new products including both freestanding and built-in collections.

“The CIH Showcase was the first chance we had to show off a good proportion of our new range of products for the built-in retail market,” said Freear. “We’ve plugged some gaps we had in the range and received some terrific feedback.”

Granite Transformations renovates Rise Hall kitchens

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

Granite Transformations has renovated two kitchens in Rise Hall, a 19th century manor house in Yorkshire.

The manor – which is owned and has been restored by TV presenter Sarah Beeny and her artist husband Graham Swift – saw Granite Transformations renovate the Butler's Pantry and an en suite installation in the hall managers’ live-in quarters.

In the manor's kitchens, Granite Transformations used its Sachi granite finish overlaid onto worktops and grease-resistant splashbacks and oven surrounds.

“We found working alongside Sarah and Graham most inspiring, since they explored fresh applications for our surface finishes,” said Granite Transformations' COO Danny Hanlon. “Even on this phase, they’ve managed to challenge us with an en suite kitchen and elegant upgrade of a classic butler’s pantry.”

The company has previously renovated Rise Hall's bathrooms, which had been styled by the couple and prompted Granite Transformations to branch into bathroom renovation alongside its core kitchen business.

Kitchen upgrades cut energy bills by half, says research

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

Modernising their kitchen can save consumers an average of 51% in kitchen-related energy bills compared with 15 years a go, according to research carried out by AppliancesDirect.co.uk.

Freezers and combination fridge-freezers have seen the biggest decrease in energy usage over the last 15 years, according to the appliance e-retailer, with a 73% reduction.

Manufacturers have also reduced the energy consumption of tumble dryers by 61% and refrigerators by 59%, while washing machines have seen a 45% reduction.

“It’s amazing how much the efficiency of kitchen appliances has improved,” said AppliancesDirect.co.uk marketing manager Mark Kelly. “Over the average lifespan of a kitchen, you could save hundreds of pounds on energy bills when you come to upgrade, as well as reducing your impact on the environment.”

Rixonway receives sixth gold safety award

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

Rixonway Kitchens is set to receive its sixth consecutive gold medal award for health and safety practices from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – RoSPA.

The social and affordable housing kitchen manufacturer will be presented with the award on 14 July at a ceremony in the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel.

“The RoSPA Awards encourage improvement in occupational health and safety management,” said RoSPA awards manager David Rawlins. “Organisations that gain recognition for their health and safety management systems, such as Rixonway Kitchens, contribute to raising standards overall and we congratulate them.”

According to Rixonway, it has invested around £1,000 in a defibrillator and has trained staff in how to respond in an emergency situation. The company also holds regular health and safety events for staff.

“We are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our employees at Rixonway and are delighted to be recognised for this with our sixth consecutive Gold Award,” said Rixonway sales and marketing director David Anderson.

Rixonway offers management training to staff

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:34 PM

Social and affordable housing kitchen supplier Rixonway Kitchens provided a management training programme to 25 members of its 500-strong staff.

The manufacturer partnered with Yorkshire-based Selection Training to offer the Institute of Leadership and Management Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills to its employees across 20 one-day sessions.

The training was designed to give Rixonway team leaders and chargehands from the factory shop floor the chance to further develop their career progression and improve workforce motivation.

“This training gave all of us an opportunity to pinpoint areas of improvement and really work on our own management skills to provide better and more efficient ways of working for all employees,” said Rixonway warehouse team leader Steve Bond.

The company plans on rolling out more training programmes – including customer services, estimating, buying, transport and administration – across different departments later this year.

Leicht hits £1m of contracts after one year's operation NDBA's Alumni Collective returns to May Design Series Dream Doors opens further three showrooms Liebherr appoints divisional manager Poggenpohl supplies kitchens for Tante Marie Culinary Academy

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:33 PM

Leicht Contracts has reached the milestone of £1m of kitchen contracts, having been in operation for almost a year.

The company's biggest contract win to date has been to supply 93 kitchens for St George's Reach Battersea, a new residential development by the Berkeley Group at Battersea Reach. Leicht is also supplying a total of 79 kitchens for two new developments by Regal Homes in Hackney.

Other contracts include supplying handleless kitchens to developments in St Ives and Polzeath in Cornwall as well as in Bristol; 41 apartments in Staines; and 10 kitchens for the America Square development on Fenchurch.

Leicht Contracts managing director Liam Hopper said: “We hit the ground running when we formed this company last year and have liaised closely with upmarket developers who want chic, contemporary kitchens in the latest finishes and colours that fit in with today’s modern urban living.”

YTM Group to host next SBID CPD seminar General election 2015: what it means for the industry NDBA's Alumni Collective returns to May Design Series Dream Doors opens further three showrooms Coram's Impey receives RIBA CPD accreditation

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:33 PM

YTM Group, a contract furniture manufacturer for the care, hotel and education sectors, is hosting the next Society of British and Independent Design – SBID – CPD seminar, which will be presented by Jacqui Smith of HomeSmiths, a Sussex-based interior design company that specialises in residential, show home and healthcare design.

The main focus of the seminar will be on what to consider when designing for visually impaired people, specifically for care home design, and will include lighting, colour and contrast.

It it set to take place at 6pm-8pm on Thursday 21st May at YTM's office, located in Willowbridge Way in Castleford.

SBID is currently taking submissions for its 2015 International Design Awards, which will have Lewis Carnie – who is BBC Radio 2 and 6 head of programmes – and London Natural History Museum director Sir Michael Dixon on the judging panel.

TTA Awards winners announced Half of all home improvement projects have problems, reveals Which? survey NDBA's Alumni Collective returns to May Design Series Dream Doors opens further three showrooms Coram's Impey receives RIBA CPD accreditation

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:33 PM

The Tile Association – TTA – Awards took place in Solihull last month for its 15th anniversary, with TV personality Emma Jesson once again hosting the awards.

This year, three of the awards were chosen through a wider voting range, with the Tile Fixer of the Year category open to votes from both the public and TTA members, while Wall Tile of the Year and Floor Tile of the Year were opened up to TTA members.

According to TTA, more than 400 online votes were received and the event saw a 48% increase in award nominations compared with last year.

Overall, the awards saw 74 finalists across its 18 categories, with winners including Dave Rowley of Building Adhesives, who won Outstanding Contribution to Industry; TileStyle, Tile Choice and Minoli within the retail and distribution category; and Johnson Tiles Prismatics for the product awards.

“I’m delighted that once again the annual TTA Awards have been a great success, and I’d like to congratulate all those who were finalists this year,” said TTA chairman Ian Kershaw. “You are all winners and your achievement makes our industry proud. In particular, of course, very well done to those individuals and those companies who came away with the Gold rosettes in the various categories.

“I must also extend a big vote of thanks to all our sponsors, without whom these awards would not be possible,” he added.

The gold sponsors of the awards were Mapei, Shackerley, Fila, Norcros Adhesives, Schluter Systems, Bellota, Lithofin and Tilemaster Adhesives.

Roman invests £250,000 in production Coram's Impey receives RIBA CPD accreditation Toto washlets installed in Schloss Elmau hotel Abacus Manufacturing Group staff take on Yorkshire Warrior course Bathrooms.com searches for duckling bath tester

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:32 PM

British shower enclosure manufacturer Roman has invested £250,000 in its production facility over the last 12 months, including a new line, a weigh bridge and a 3D printer.

The manufacturer has added a new manufacturing line with a camera, designed to help with the increased volume of products in production, according to the company. The camera takes a picture of each product in its box before the lid goes on, along with screw packs and instruction manuals.

Roman has also invested in a weigh bridge, which has been introduced to the factory line to scan the label on packaging to make sure the weight relates to the correct product in the box.

A 3D printer has also been introduced to Roman's production facilities. It is used to develop internal packaging mouldings and components to help keep the glass in place when the products are in transit.

Each line in the Roman factory is now also set up with new software for real-time production statistics. The monitoring screens are on every line in the factory and display statistics for production targets and whether or not they have been achieved.

Lastly, the company has invested in new, bespoke packaging, which is designed to be thicker and stronger for increased durability and protection of a product in the delivery process. Roman's new packaging machine is designed to create bespoke boxes that fit tightly around a product.

“We are constantly improving our product quality checks and manufacturing processes and our investment of £250,000 has ensured our quality levels have been further enhanced to deal with our increased volumes,” said Roman managing director David Osborne. “Our substantial investment has and will continue to improve our service, efficiency and quality.”

Amica unveils new range at CIH

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:32 PM

Amica unveiled its new range of built-in products at the CIH showcase last week, including gas-on-glass hobs, high-power flexizone induction hobs, compacts and new double cavity cooking products.

Its showcase at the event marked Amica's fifth year exhibiting at CIH. The brand's stand measured 10 by 8 metres.

Amica used the exhibition to market its new range to Euronics retailers, predominantly those interested in selling built-in into the replacement market.

The new range is available from this month.

“The CIH Showcase was the first chance we had to show off a complete range of products for the kitchen retail market,” said country manager Simon Freear. “We’ve plugged some gaps we had in the range and received some terrific feedback. CIH retailers are embracing the opportunities for built-in and Amica gives them a protected brand and the reassurance of a two-year guarantee.”

Toto washlets installed in Schloss Elmau hotel

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:32 PM

Alpine luxury hotel Schloss Elmau, located in the Ferchenbach Valley in Germany, has selected Japanese bathroom manufacturer Toto to provide washlets for all 47 of its suites and rooms.

The 24 sq m bathrooms located in the 11 tower and centre suites at the resort include the Toto Neorest Washlet, which features a sensor-activated lid, heated seat and adjustable wand jet.

The 36 junior suites and double rooms at the hotel feature the EK Washlet, which has a side control panel to operate its various features in place of the remote control.

Hotelier Dietmar Müller-Elmau explained the reason for his choice: “The shower toilets from Japan are the best on the market. Their timelessly modern design and outstanding comfort make them the perfect complement to our interior style.”

Bathrooms.com searches for duckling bath tester

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:31 PM

Bathrooms.com has put a job advertisement for a duckling to be its 'Official Bath Tester' in the Metro newspaper.

It stated that it was searching for 'a discerning duck to be an Official Bath Tester' in Watford, where the company is headquartered. Requirements to be a successful applicant include being comfortable in water with a two-metre swimming certificate, inquisitive and a self-starter.

The idea came from Bathrooms.com's CEO Ian Monk, who has pet ducks himself. “First and foremost I can confirm we’re not going quackers!” he said. “The idea started a few months ago when I was watching my pet ducks in the garden and noticed how much they love swimming, and thought they’d be perfect testers for our baths. We’re looking forward to receiving submissions and a new member joining the team very soon.”

“We want a wide range of ducklings to apply for the job, and are aiming this at duck owners that submit their pets,” said a Bathrooms.com spokesperson.

Bathrooms.com plans on shortlisting candidates 'who fit the bill' and holding interviews in the week of 11th May, with applications closing on 12th May.

This isn't the first time Bathrooms.com has pulled off such a campaign. The brand has previously created an entire bathroom suite out of chocolate to help confusion over the spelling of 'suites' and has also had an 'annual budget roll' to shed light on the value of loo roll, a spokesperson for Bathrooms.com said.

Franke introduces Greenline standard for energy-efficient hoods

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:31 PM

Franke has introduced a new Greenline energy-efficiency standard for its brushless motor extractor hoods.

The Greenline standard is designed to provide a quick and easy visual guide for retailers and consumers to identify the brand's most energy-efficient models.

Four existing and five new Franke kitchen extractor hoods, which launched on 1 April, feature brushless motors and LED lighting, earning them Franke’s Greenline status.

According to the company, its brushless motors provide an 85% energy saving compared with a standard motor. Franke's Greenline extractor hood range includes the new Maris Plus 60, 80 and 90 hoods, which are all rated A+ for energy efficiency, as well as the existing Sinos hoods and the new Maris T-Shape anti-condensation wall and island hoods, all of which are A-rated.

“Consumers looking to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as saving money, are now prioritising energy efficiency,” said Franke communications manager Jeanette Ward. “We have responded by introducing brushless motor technology into our extractor hoods and we will continue to increase our portfolio of A+ and A-rated models."

“By introducing our Greenline standard, we are giving retailers and consumers an immediate benchmark to judge and decide on the brands they have confidence in for energy efficiency, as well as for quality,” added Ward.

AEG enters hot water tap market

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:31 PM

Appliance brand AEG has entered the kitchen tap market with the introduction of its new hot water tap, AEG ProSource, which dispenses hot water at a temperature of 98°C.

The AEG ProSource is described as a 'three-in-one' offering, being able to dispense purified, near-boiling water at 98°C, as well as hot and cold water.

According to the company, the new tap uses around 50% less energy to reach the near-boiling temperature than an electric kettle and could mean consumers use up to 85% less water – based on a family of four people.

The tank is made from titanium and is designed to fit underneath a kitchen sink. It is also fitted with a filtration system that needs replacing every 12 months. The tap has an insulated spout, as well as child-safety functions to prevent accidental hot water activation.

“Consumers are looking for premium taps that help reduce clutter in the kitchen and also add value by integrating several functions,” said Jason Turze, product manager for AEG Home Comfort UK & Ireland. “There is also the increased satisfaction of instant boiling water – whether it is for cooking or making a hot drink.”

The AEG ProSource is available in two finishes – stainless steel or chrome – as well as five ring colour options and two spout designs – square or round. There are two tank capacities on offer, four or eight litres. The AEG ProSource will be available from July this year.

Magnet Trade launches 'In Stock Guarantee' offer

Posted by Dien Nguyen on 2:31 PM

Magnet Trade has launched several Spring offers for customers, including an 'In Stock Guarantee' offer in which customers will receive kitchen units from selected kitchen ranges free of charge if the products aren't in stock when they place their order.

The ‘In Stock Guarantee’ applies to seven of Magnet Trade's kitchen ranges, including the Hero Kitchen Ranges. The ranges are all available at around 70% off the published list price.

The premise behind the offer is to highlight Magnet Trade's pledge to always have the ranges in stock, for them to always be on display and always available at a reduced price. Magnet Trade claims that its aim is to reduce waiting times and costs for busy tradespeople.

Further Spring offers include cuts on Magnet Trade’s Everyday Essential range. Magnet Trade marketing manager Alison Coleman said: “We know how important it is for our customers to get the products they need straight away, and at low trade prices. The Hero range is our solution to that – a guarantee that Magnet Trade can offer quality kitchens at unmatchable prices and a fast, hassle-free service to tradespeople.”

Pictured: Nova White kitchen range

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