Water closets


Water is the source of life and flows abundantly in our bathrooms. In the guise of sprays, cascades or baths, always a sheer delight…



Because Internet is increasingly present in our everyday lives… And because the bathroom has become a space in which to live with delectation, www. bainetspa.com is highly topical. This commercial website offers over 250 references, from self-standing bathtubs to handbasins via furnishings, mosaics, accessories… Bainetspa only proposes on-line products which observe traditional techniques. www.bainetspa.com

The showroom is huge (500 m2) and features everything that might be rated as indispensable and superfluous for bathrooms and sanitary fittings. Richardson, a firm founded in Marseille in the mid-19th century, has expanded over the decades and is now nicely established in south-eastern France. Last September, the Route de Turin welcomed this new space where product display gives a very precise idea of current trends. All the top brands are on show, from Duravit to Jacob Delafon to Allia to Villeroy & Boch for sanitary fittings, and from Hansgrohe to Dornbracht for taps and plumbing. The Balneo style bathtubs are by Teuco, the more innovative models by Aquamass and the shower panels by Duscholux. Here, customer advice is a must with specialists meeting each customer’s requirements with the best products. 70-72 route de Turin (04 97 08 83 89).

Before, there was a hand-basin and its corresponding unit. Now, there’s just one fixture, combining the two. Constructivism re-visited by Sopha Industries ! Designed by Francesco Rifé, the collection called “Ela” is thus comprised of a hand-basin or suspended washing surface with modular storage units. All made of Corian, glass or wood, and available in a wide choice of colours. <a href="http://www.sopha.fr/html/annonce.html">www.sopha.fr</a>

Riviera Carrelages et Bains is a company that specializes in ceramics and natural materials. In other words : if you’re looking for tiling or parquet for your floors, bathtubs or handbasins, faucets and fittings for your bathroom, this is the place to go. Marble quarry stone, terra cotta, slate… the choice is wide and follows trends. The same is true of the various types of parquet and glass mosaic. As for installation, the firm provides quality service and advice. A real professional takes the time to study projects from A to Z. 74 RN 7, Villeneuve-Loubet (04 93 73 60 88).

The father of Habitat : a real revolution in the ’sixties ! Terence Conran has also put his signature to some of the world’s finest hotels and written books now perused as references. Including “Bathrooms, just add water”. There’s something for everyone : those crazy about contemporary design, fans of yesteryear, happy owners of small, manageable spaces, fortunate owners of large residences, aficionados of all kinds of bubbles… Terence Conran shows that the room intended for ablutions has indeed changed. From floor to ceiling, not forgetting walls and windows, he draws up an inventory, taking professionalism to the point of including accessories. With this book, Conran will inevitably become a source of inspiration. French edition : “Salles de bains les plaisirs de l’eau”, Octopus, 224 pages, 38 euros.

With “Palidano”, the storage unit offers cheerful circles complimenting the round hand-basin. The low bathroom fixture echoes the eye-level shelf unit. Simple but very effective. Cheminées Philippe, 400 allée des Terriers Nord, Antibes (04 93 74 38 54).

“Tama” comes from the “Ovale” series which in turn completes the “Evolution” line. Made of Granicolor (polyester resin) carved out of a single block, it is available in several shades, plain, imitation stone, metal or slate. Pertosa, 39 rue de Marseille, Lyon (04 72 73 00 16).

Le Mas de Scabas. Bernard Gouchault has a real passion for slate. In plain black, shimmering black, plain or shimmering green, sometimes violine and oxidized, it is combined with pebbles for mutual enhancement. This confirmed professional also proposes a custom made service. Le Mas de Scabas (01 44 74 00 38).

DORNBRACHT. “eMote” is the first electronic designer faucet on the market. How does it work ? Quite simply, with a battery which only operates when the water’s actually running. Choose from chrome or matte platinum finishes. With “RainSky M”, getting natural rain water into your bathroom is no longer a Utopian dream ! Three modes can be selected (for the head, body or curtain-style), separately or combined. As for “Solitude”, it covers all the essential functions, from shower to hand-basin, mirror, lighting, electrical connection and accessories. Dornbracht (01 60 95 93 10).

Leda. No way can one neglect the shower in a bathroom ! “Mimesis” is right at home in all configurations. Discreet, it plays on new materials, colourful and satiny, in opaline. With its straight or curvy lines (rectangular or quarter-circle), it comes in three hydro versions. Leda, 01 60 71 65 65.

Porcelanosa. In yellow, blue, orange and green (plus white for a softer touch), “Satin” brings the shower stall right up-to-date. Gone are all those metallic finishes, the bathroom opts for cheerfulness. High-tech too, with hydro-massage ducts, a fixed large-format shower head and hand-held mini-shower. Porcelanosa (01 69 75 40 00).

Kinedo. This mini hand-held shower is both “design” and practical. Its flexible 1.5-metre pipe makes for autonomy of movement. Offering a wide-diameter shower head and two ducts for spraying the face and shoulders, it is part of the new “Aquateck” hydromassage column. Kinedo, ZI Athelia III, La Ciotat (04 42 71 56 00).

DURAVIT. Everything’s been said about Duravit : he’s a genius, amazing, inventive. He’s also the guy who designed “Axor Starck X”, a collection where nothing is conventional or run-of-the-mill. Neither the rectangular ceramic blocks, nor the overflowing bath, certainly not the water gushing from the sculptural rectilinear faucet. The aim is to turn the bathroom into a haven of tranquillity where the user is enveloped in purity. Also and especially symbolized by water and the “Waterwall” shower system. Practical and pleasing to the eye, it gives priority to comfort with a plethora of integrated elements. Salica, 19 rue Beaumont, Nice (04 97 12 18 10).

Aquamass. The encounter between much talked-about Belgian designer Xavier Lust and Jean-Pol Piron, founder of Aquamass, has been described as a “séquence passion”. The outcome is a tub in anodized aluminium. A great success, for both user and designer. With "Navale", you'll step into a world of dreamy silence… JCD Créations, 127 rue d’Antibes, Cannes (04 93 39 23 24).

De Tonge. This bathroom offers real timelessness as well as top-notch materials. De Tonge fittings come in solid oak but hide their massiveness behind a patina in soft shades. No straight lines, but sensual curves and appealing roundness. De Tonge, 810 route de la Valmasque, Valbonne (04 93 95 80 00).

Kubic. This example of sweet simplicity comes in several versions such as opaque lacquer or a satiny sheen. You can choose from the forty colours available or opt for natural pine or tinted wengé. Various finishes are also proposed for the counter. Lines and hues blend together for real orthogonality. Kubic, chez Cattelan Interni, 30-32 Corso Matuzia, San Remo, Italie (00 39 0184 668 318).

ARTHUR BONNET. “Glamour” is a line which plays on multiple facets. Surfaces, for example, come in oak veneer, matte or shiny lacquer with streamlined handles to give a clear sense of identity. Idem for the bowls, softly rounded, in transparent glass or built into a counter in white marmorise. Round or rectangular, the mirror has a luminous rim to enhance the effect of the shiny surfaces. Finally, accessories in satiny stainless steel of evident sobriety foretell of bathrooms of the future. Arthur Bonnet, Cuisines Tendance Arthur Bonnet, 31 rue Benoît-Bunico, Nice (04 93 13 90 83). L’Ameublerie, 29 avenue Robert-Soleau, Antibes (04 93 34 66 54).

Grandform. Did you know that this brand’s baths were made of an exclusive non-slip material that is soft to the touch and retains the heat ? It’s called Biocryl. And it’s exemplified by the “Concerto 190”. Grandform (0 800 05 15 25). Balitrand, gare Saint-Roch, Nice (04 93 89 98 98). Point P, 225 avenue du Général Brosset, Toulon (04 94 24 30 01).

“My life”, the ideal synthesis for simplicity, beauty and enjoyment in one and the same place. Installed at the centre of the room, the bathtub becomes its star feature. “My life” is available with or without “Hydrosonic”. With it, you’ll discover hydromassage with ultrasound. Ultra enjoyable ! Teuco (01 39 61 50 42).

“Isystick” belongs to the “Isy System” line designed by Matteo Thun. Launched in 2001, this model revolutionized the traditional concept of the tap : a single, go-anywhere mechanism providing the base for the junction of spouts of different sizes and thus ensuring total freedom for both composition and practicality. Zucchetti (00 39 03 22 95 47 00).