Last week we took a road trip to County Meath as we were invited to Versatile’s show room in Navan, the home town of Pierce Brosnan. There was no sign of Pierce, but we were given the warmest welcome from the folk at Versatile, whose show window KLD will be designing over the coming weeks.
Before we ventured around the showroom, we took in presentations on sanitary wear and on tiles presentation from commercial managers Mike Kelly and Audrey Flanagan.
It was illuminating to learn all about new developments in sanitary ware. The rise of the home sauna is a recent trend afforded by developments in technologies and the internet. Rain fall showers run on sensors certainly impressed.
As did the various bathroom heaters in their different shapes sizes and functions, other than just heating. Some can be pretty and some can be functional and some lucky ones can be both.
What particularly caught our attention on the day though was the Toto Washlet and Glazed Steel sinks.
Toto Washlet
It was incredibly interesting to learn Japanese toilet makers Toto and their Washlet invention. The Toto Washlet, for those of you that don’t know, is a shower toilet that was originally designed by Toto, but has been copied many times since. Essentially a bidet and toilet in one. The toilet has a wand that extends and cleans with powerful jets of water. This is worked by controls attached to the wall beside you. Have a look following video which illustrates who the Washlet works.
Versatile actually have a washlet at the showroom, and of course this writer had to give it a test run. I was very impressed. The seat opens on your arrival and is heated, the controls beside the toilet worked perfectly, the wash was powerful and accurate and was followed neatly by the drying. Very impressive toilet technology that will perhaps in time catch on further as prices decrease.
A point to note is that the washlet is also extremely beneficial for older users and users with curtailed abilities.
Glazed Steel
The lesson in Glazed Steel was definitely intriguing. Glazed steel is a composite material made of a steel body that is both robust and light at the same time. With a high-quality homogenous glass surface. At 830°C the glaze that has been applied melts and becomes glazed steel. What is impressive about products made of glazed steel is the precision in terms of their surfaces, edges, cut-out sections and basic geometric forms, making it extremely versatile and durable.
The benefits of glazed steel:
- Impact and scratch resistant
- Colourfast, long lasting surfaces
- Totally hygienic with anti-bacterial properties
- Can be individually altered for special designs
- Optimum noise reduction thanks to quality soundproofing system
- Lightweight, can go be parcel delivery
- Product is 100% recyclable
- Acid and heat resistant
So if you are looking to do up your bathroom and you are looking for the latest then you should research the Toto Washlet and Glazed Steel and see if they are the right fit for you and your home.
Keep an eye out next week as we look further into tiles, ask why they remain so popular, and look at new trends and developments in their manufacture . Tiletastic!