An interior designer can bring a whole new vision to how your bathroom looks. Over the years we have built up close working relationships with a number of interior designers and we are constantly surprised by how they take our bathroom fittings and each create such a very different look.

Mark Lewis for instance has a strong urban industrial signature. For a recent project he mixed our Epoca cast iron bath and Tradition taps with salvaged furniture. Meanwhile Run For The Hills interior design chose our Rimini cast iron bath, Grid shower screen and Nero black taps to create an eclectic but inviting bathroom setting in Soho. We particularly liked how they used the Grid screens not just for the shower but to also create a room divide between the ensuite and master bedroom.

Scuffed brass, natural brass, polished brass, lacquered brass, antique brass, aged brass. Brass taps are increasingly popular in the bathroom and there are a variety of finishes to choose from, to help you select the right finish for your particular scheme here is what you need to know.

Patina is a natural tarnish that forms on the surface of brass and other metals. If you prefer to maintain the shine on your new brass taps they will need to be polished. However, where we used to do everything to keep our taps shiny, there is now an increasing demand for taps with a characterful surface patina, this will happen naturally resulting in an aged/antique finish. One of our clients recently replaced her brass taps and asked why the shiny new tap no longer matched other bathroom fittings, we were able to reassure her that the initial shine would soon mellow with everyday use.

Some polished brass taps are lacquered to help maintain the shine and should be cleaned carefully to avoid damaging the lacquer coating. We do not offer lacquered brass taps as once the lacquer begins to break down you are left with a finish which is neither one thing or the other. Our un-lacquered taps can be polished or not to provide you with the finish you want.

And finally, scuffed and brushed brass has a matt finish. This look was particularly popular last year and looks set to continue in popularity for 2018.

It’s 2018 and it looks set to be the ‘year of the bathroom’ with bold new bathroom fittings set to make this room the design centre of the home.

For many years chrome has been the finish of choice for bathroom taps and showers but brass is now the go to look. For the glamorous ensuite consider polished brass fittings, while a natural scuffed brass finish fits the urban warehouse look. Continuing this industrial theme, Crittall inspired shower screens are a must have alternative to the minimal clear glass shower panels of recent years and finally, if you are looking for the on-trend colour for 2018, Pantone predict Ultra Violet is going to be our shade of choice for the year. Don’t forget Aston Matthews’ cast iron baths are supplied with a primed exterior allowing you to paint the tub in this exciting shade.

Bathroom Trends 2018

Aston Matthews stocks the largest selection of new cast iron baths in the UK. The baths are all produced to a very high quality, unlike some of the cheaper and less reliable options on the market, and are supplied with a primed exterior allowing you to paint your tub to match your décor. So whether you prefer a traditional Victorian style on claw feet or a more contemporary floor standing model Aston Matthews has the cast iron bath for you.

Here are details of our three current favourites:

The Brunel cast iron bath measures1700mm x 700mm and features a handsome rivet detail. This deep bath is twin ended and fits well into the current industrial bathrooms trend.

The Hanover cast iron bath is a twin ended design with square ends and an extra deep tub. The bath measures a generous 1700mm by 810mm. The square ended bath sits on claw feet.

The Slipper a traditional roll top design, the Astonian Slipper bath from Aston Matthews is a single ended design measuring 1550mm x 765mm. Ideal for smaller spaces, the bath sits on ornate claw feet.

Text By Style Expert Elspeth Pridham

Crittall steel framed windows have been manufactured in the UK for over 160 years by the Crittall company founded in 1849 in Braintree, Essex. The style was particularly popular with the art Deco and modernist movements in the early 20^th century as the slim framed windows worked well with the architecture of the day.

That look is popular again now, with those creating an industrial or urban finish to their homes. Metal framed windows are still available from Crittall and for the bathroom Aston Matthews has taken inspiration from this timeless look to create the Grid shower panel, with invisible wall fixings and anti-limescale, 8mm toughened glass.  The decorative frame, applied to the external side only for easy cleaning, is manufactured from durable powder coated aluminium in a satin black finish, not screen printed onto the glass like some alternatives.

Text By Style Expert Elspeth Pridham

Once the shower is installed, the bath is in place, and the basin plumbed in, it is time to consider those finishing touches.

Attractive accessories are the final addition that will make your new bathroom scheme complete. Always match metal finishes, so if your taps are in polished chrome choose a polished chrome towel ring, liquid soap dispenser and toilet brush holder.

The Pico, Keto, Zen and Guest collections from Aston Matthews are all suitable. But if you have chosen brass taps then you will require matching brass bathroom accessories. Fortunately the handsome Tradition range, which includes a bath rack and extending shaving mirror, is available in brass and nickel as well as chrome.

The new Acme accessories feature the same wheel control and scuffed brass finish as the Acme taps. While the contemporary Urban range is perfect for those who have opted for brushed stainless steel taps and shower fittings.

The secret to a beautiful bathroom is often down to what goes on behind the scenes. In other words the concealed fixings and fittings that allow the bathroom to look sleek and uncluttered. Items such as a wall hung supports and concealed cisterns for wall hung toilets, or tanking kits for wet rooms are not as photogenic as the finished bathroom but they are essential.

Before buying new bathroom fittings talk to an independent bathroom expert, such as the experienced staff at Aston Matthews, to make sure you also add to your basket all those items that might never be seen but are essential for making your bathroom fully functional.

Text By Style Expert Elspeth Pridham

We thought we had all seen the last of brass taps back in the 1990s, when golden swans-neck taps epitomised OTT bathroom design.

But brass is most definitely back. The 2017 reincarnation, however, is a far more sophisticated and subtle look and it goes across both traditional and modern settings for basins and baths.

For the classic bathroom the Tradition range of shower fittings and taps with classic cross head controls are available in a subtle brass finish. For a contemporary look the new Acme range in scuffed living brass finish, features an industrial style complemented by the circular handles with a tactile knurled grip. We also have our Ambra collection of brass taps and bathroom fittings which are a minimal, lever operated design. Both collections can be polished to keep the shine or left alone to naturally patinate.

*Images courtesy of Bentley Hagen Hall Via Remodelista. Photographer: India Hobson

Text By Style Expert Elspeth Pridham

As summer approaches we tend to think less about a long leisurely soak in the bath and more about a quick refreshing drench under the shower. Many people are keeping a tub in the family bathroom but installing a spacious walk in shower in the ensuite. Instead of the cramped conditions of the old shower cubicle a walk in shower dispenses with a door to create more elbow room, the glass screen that protects the bathroom from splashes can then be specified to exactly suit the size of shower tray or wet-floor you have installed.

Minimal glass screens are the most popular with the least amount of visible fixings as these create a sense of space. Aston Matthews also offer a bespoke service allowing glass shower panels to be cut to fit awkward spaces.

Text By Style Expert Elspeth Pridham

One of the joys of a cast iron roll top bath is that you can paint the exterior to match your décor. So forget about gloomy grey and wishy washy white, let’s get colourful in the bathroom and transform the freestanding tub making it centre of attention this season.

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