WASHROOM HYGIENE
Style choices in washroom design
Tina Bowden, Sales Manager at Dudley Industries, delves into style choices within the washroom domain, exploring emerging trends and design preferences. welds have become especially popular.
When designing washroom equipment, function and practical concerns must always come first. Whatever their budgets, customers will always demand good value for money, and that need can only be satisfied by offering products that are robust, reliable and fit for purpose.
Good product design will also ensure better long-term value by helping to minimise the costs of cleaning, refilling, repairs and maintenance – costs that will often be more significant than the price of the dispensers themselves.
These are all important considerations, and manufacturers and specifiers will invariably devote considerable time and attention to them. However, while there is no doubting the primacy of function, there will always be some projects for which aesthetics are almost equally important.
Design conscious
Following the global challenges faced recently, productivity slowed in many major economies and inflation rose sharply. Nevertheless, amidst increasing cost pressures, washroom specifiers have demonstrated resilience against short-term thinking or solely prioritising price when selecting products. By and large, they have continued to choose systems on the basis of ‘whole lifecycle costs’ rather than on the initial purchase price alone, factoring in the savings that typically accrue from using fittings that are durable, dependable and easy to maintain.
Not only are specifiers prepared to invest in higher quality, longer-lasting systems, many of them are also keen to invest in sleek, modern-looking products that say something positive about their organisations’ brands.
One notable trend highlighted through our specification data has been the rising popularity of sleek, seamless dispensers; products with no obvious joints. Recessed locks are part of this same preference for clean lines and minimalism. These effects can be achieved with plastics, of course, but stainless-steel products with continuous seam
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Sleek, simple and precisely angled, they suit brands and environments that put an emphasis on high standards and modernity. Furthermore, the full seams not only enhance strength but also improve hygiene – a double advantage.
Black is the new black
Brushed stainless steel looks bright, clean and elegant, so it’s a fitting material for many brands. It’s likely to remain one of the sector’s favourites along with classic white, but hot on its heels is black as a colour choice.
In particular, washroom designers are most often specifying black for matching suites of washroom dispensers. Black is a contemporary choice, widely associated with sophistication, and it will typically work well with most brand identities and colourways. Our own customers are specifying black more and more as a result – we have made it the standard colour for our seamless, stainless steel Plasma range.
Black is only one option, of course: good manufacturers will typically be able to supply products in a wide range of colours. Some even offer colour-matching to suit established brands, and/or the option to incorporate logos and company names within a product’s finish.
Whatever the colour choice, the surface finish should also be given proper consideration. Some high-gloss finishes may readily show up fingerprints, dirt and other marks that can quickly undermine the sense of style and quality intended by the designer. By the same token, grease or oily deposits can become very obvious on some flat, matte finishes.
Consequently, it’s important to talk to the manufacturer – and ideally, to obtain samples – before making any final choice. The performance of the powder coating in real- world conditions can be as important as the chosen colour.
www.dudleyindustries.com
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