Victoria and Albert, manufacturers of extremely desirable baths, were one of the sponsors of the recent Modenus BlogTour during London Design Festival. Bob Borson of Bernbaum-Magadini Architects, and author of the much celebrated and highly entertaining blog, ‘Life of an Architect’ , was one of the participants of the aforementioned adventure. So when we discovered that Bob is a fan of Victoria and Albert, having specified it for more than one of his recent projects, we thought it made sense to ask him about it.
The project in question is interesting for a number of reasons, not least because of what it reveals about Bob’s approach.
It all started when a client wanted a space for a grill, a bathroom with a shower and a seating area. And as the client started talking to Bob they found someone who was receptive to their ideas and encouraging their questions and visions.
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Some of us, no names mentioned, love to luxuriate in a well appointed bathroom. It helps when it is a bright, pleasing and well designed space rather than a utilitarian room full of sinks, tubs and showers. Ideally a spa-like space for relaxing and catering to our body’s well being. Laura Mannes of Laura Mannes Design is responsible for this transformation. She tells us she set about creating a clean and modern aesthetic that was also natural, warm and inviting.
The tub you are currently admiring is Napoli by Victoria + Albert with a Hansgrohe tub filler from the Axor Massaud collection. Victoria + Albert’s Englishcast bathtubs are made from natural volcanic limestone which has exceptional strength and heat insulating properties. We love Victoria + Albert, and not just because they are sponsoring Blogtour. Laura’s choice just shows that she is a designer with impeccable taste.
A quick word about what Laura has done with the windows. She has used a woven wood top down-bottom up shade which is transparent enough to allow light to filter through while still providing privacy. Inexpensive, works well and provides a good counter balance to the tub and tile .
And the tile? The large format wall tiles are from Laura’s favourite Porcelanosa. The floor tiles may look like concrete but are, in fact, porcelain. We agree with Laura who has a taste for fully tiled walls, much more common in Europe than the USA.
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Dwell on Design opened on June 24. In amongst the 200 exhibitors are a good many old friends and some new faces we feel the need to introduce you to. Here’s our top picks all in one place!
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Modwalls
Booth Number: 1030
www.modwalls.com
On Modenus
‘Making tile modern’, they say. Well they certainly make modern tiles. When you see their range, including their gorgeous glass tiles, a personal favourite, you can see why this is the name that springs to mind when so many designers look to source tile for client’s projects. We’ve heard rumours that they are bringing a couple of new lines with them to Dwell. Always good people to seek out. Say ‘hi’ from Modenus.
Native Trails
Booth Number: 220
www.nativetrails.net
A good tub is a guarantee of a place on any Modenus preview list. And this, my friends, is a very good tub from what appears to be a very good company. The tub is called Aspen and, like other Native Trails products, it is handcrafted using recycled material. I know I should be writing a little more about Native Trails here but, if it’s ok with you, lets just look at their lovely tub for a while instead. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Thank you.
Peter Francis
Booth Number: 715
peterfrancisdesign.com
According to the Dwell on Design website ‘Peter Francis furniture is designed by Peter Saloom’. So why isn’t it Peter Saloom furniture? If you go to the show you’ll have to ask. His, let’s just say Peter’s, furniture is made from solid Maple, it is uncompromisingly modern but has a simplicity and confidence about it which is appealing. Unmistakably American, there are traditional woodworking techniques deployed here.
This is the second of our Dwell On Design previews. Our top picks from the show out West. More soon.
How many times a day do I find myself yelling just that? Well let’s see…not enough it seems…not enough. You were all waiting for me to say three times a day, weren’t you? Don’t we all wish that were true! For some, a daily soak is sacrosanct; it’s the equivalent (almost) of a religious ritual – and I think we can all relate to the metaphorical cleansing of body and soul.
And if we pray at the altar of the daily soak aren’t we glad we live in a time where we have the freedom to choose our own mechanism? Okay – I’ve gone off on a tangent here. What I am trying to say is that bathing is a personal choice, as is the choice of tub. Materials, size, shape – these are the ingredients for ultimate bathing; not to be taken lightly.
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In honor of the upcoming nuptials (and I think we all know of whom we speak), our gift to the soon-to-be royal couple might be something with as much historical relevance as Buckingham Palace (okay almost as much.) But really – since 1898, the Barber brothers have been crafting brass works – or plumbing fixtures as they are now known, with an eye towards longevity – literally crafting history. Continue Reading…
I happened upon a discussion on Twitter the other day that was lead by Cindy Frewen Wuellner @Urbanverse who had asked about the purpose of design. My immediate reply was the creation of serenity, a space that is a refuge from noise, both physical and emotional, that allows us to rest and gather energy to face our daily tasks with renewed vigor. As with all things design related my interpretation of calm and serene is likely to differ from other tastes and styles and I welcome your input via comments or you can send us images (talktous@modenus.com) of interiors that to you are the most peaceful, relaxing, soothing or just the opposite, invigorating and inspiring. But for now please forgive this personal indulgence while I explore wood and water. Continue Reading…
This is a small corner of a bathroom made over by Ann Stockard of Normandy Builders. The client wanted much larger and luxurious shower. That meant rearranging plumbing points . The shower was moved to the far end of the bathroom, a wood window was replaced with a vinyl window encased with tile making it impervious to water. The toilet was relocated to allow room for the soaking tub. In order to achieve this, the plumbing points were rearranged to provide a floor plan to suite her clients’ needs. Innovative touches were added to make the space special. For example, the counter top extends into the shower acting as a shelf. The knee wall on the other side of the shower is capped off with the same counter top material and extends into the shower. This allows both the husband and wife to have their own shelf. The warm cherry cabinetry contrasts the slate colored ceramic tile. Pictures of the completed bathroom follow. So why are we focusing on this one corner here? Maybe because that’s the corner we have before and after pictures of! Please send yours to beforeandafter@modenus.com.
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In a recent conversation with the US president of Lefroy Brooks, Warren Pearl, we learned much about the company’s distinctive design philosophy and vision that has made them so sought after by interior designers charged with sophisticated projects of demanding high end clients and luxury hotel groups.
Warren explained that interior design has shifted its emphasis away from the search for originality, the craving for the unique, to a desire for authenticity. He believes that clients are now looking for a coherence within design so that it is true to a style and the time from which the style derives. So an Edwardian themed bedroom needs an Edwardian themed bathroom. And an Edwardian themed bathroom is going to suffer badly from a 1970’s shower fitment.
Warren sums up the Lefroy Brooks range as ‘authentic classics’ during our chat he also referred to his work as ‘jewelry for the bathroom’ and it is hard to disagree. The Zen Bath shown above, is from their contemporary XO range.
The tub filler above is from the 1950′s inspired Bel Aire range, an at once playful and distinctly glamorous reference to the sense of luxury and optimism of the time.
Designers who chose Lefroy Brooks are clearly making a conscious choice. Although the company aims to be as competitive as possible on large contract jobs such as high-end hotels, for individual clients this is clearly the luxury end of the market. People buy Lefroy Brooks because that is exactly what they want. The ‘Rolls Royce’ approach extends to the company’s customer service as well. Designers are given a named contact who will guide them through the complex and, lets be honest, disaster prone process of specifying high-end plumbing. Warren tells me that they are happy to advise on the interface between their own products and fixtures from other manufacturers, and even give clients the heads up about elements which do not, strictly speaking, involve Lefroy Books components.
His tales of tipping people off about non pressure balanced showers, inappropriate overflow systems and common mixing bath filler issues were beyond my level of expertise but the consequences of getting it wrong were clearly horrendous. Even experienced specifiers must surely appreciate an experienced second set of eyes.
We talked a little about Christo Lefroy Brooks about whom the usually forthright, Warren Pearl spoke in almost reverential terms. Cristo, he says, is ahead of his time in his thinking about what happens next in the world of bathroom fixtures.
Christo believes that the ‘Century of Taps’ is nearing an end. He foresees a near future when the water in bathrooms will be controlled by electronics as it is in dishwashers and washing machines. We will be fumbling for remote controls or stabbing at, presumably steamy, touch sensitive screens.
That’s why Lefroy brooks has undertaken the job of researching and recreating the styles of the past decades, not just the taps or faucets, of course, but everything that goes with them.
There is no doubt that Lefroy Brooks are serious about bathrooms and we fully appreciate why they are the choice for designers for whom exceptional bathroom designs are crucial.
Before we agree to putting someones products onto Modenus we give them the once over. We operate a door policy, if you like. Designers don’t want to trawl through acres of mediocre furniture before they find that special something and, let’s face it, manufacturers don’t want to be be sitting shoulder to shoulder with products that belong on the pages of eBay. So, when we are talking to someone about being on Modenus we have a good look at their products. Sometimes we look more than once, hand the pictures around the office, tell all our friends and think seriously about remodeling our homes to make way for our latest objects of desire. Welcome to Diamond Spas.
This is their Regal bath. Made from stainless steel with a double wall and absolutely stunning. It measures 36” x 72” x 25”. Continue Reading…
