From extremely humble beginnings in 1872 at a tin shop in the United States, Ideal Standard has grown into one of the biggest suppliers of bathroom equipment anywhere, with over three hundred and seventy four products in their portfolio which they supply worldwide. An impressive range of names now prosper under the Ideal Standard banner, household names such as Armitage Shanks and Trevi Showers to name but two.

Armitage Shanks has been around since 1850 and the range of ceramic products for the bathroom is extensive and it is likely that we have all, at some time, used one of their products. The Trevi Shower range is at the forefront of technology and for example the Trevi thermostatic mixers allow you to select the temperature to suit you and will not change even if someone turns on a tap or there is a reduction of water pressure.

One of the most popular from their range is the Trevi Therm Exposed Valve with Multi-function Shower Kit which includes an exposed valve, riser rail, shower head, hose and soap dish. The easy-to-use controls allow you to choose a temperature, set the dial and leave it there for future use. Additionally it includes the Trevi built-in temperature stop to prevent water from reaching dangerous temperatures in the event that the supply pressure falls or fails, automatically turning the shower off.

It is a contradiction in words, but the swing toward retro styling in the bathroom has never been greater as more of us are falling in love with the old Victorian style of bathroom fittings. The huge difference of course is the taps and brassware, although looking distinctly Victorian or Edwardian hide modern technology such as ceramic discs instead of old style washers.

Cisterns are similar in looks but have modern dual flush and eco friendly valves ensuring efficient flushing with the minimum amount of water usage. Naturally if you have bought or live in a house built in the early part of the last century, you may want to try to keep as much of the period styling as you can, without of course compromising on modern convenience or quality. Looking through the pages at our Traditional Bathrooms Ideas section is a great place to start.

You will find a wide variety of options here for the section on sinks there is a choice of nearly 130 basins just in the traditional section! You can find roll top baths, high level cisterns, but ones that work, or why not keep the look with the convenience of a close-coupled unit. Just to point you to a modern retro basin take a look at the beautiful B.C. Sanitan Victorian Blue Pattern Basin almost looks too good to use.

There is not an argument that baths can use a lot of water, far more than a shower but, many people prefer to have a long soak in a bath particularly if they have taken part in physical exercise or done a spell of gardening to ease those aching muscles. Although in the wet year just gone by, it may seem hard to believe, but water is a precious resource and there are parts of our country that do suffer from water shortages at certain times of the year, it can also be an expensive commodity when metered.

One of a number of water saving baths that we feature on our site is the Ideal Standard Concept Water Saving Bath. This is a clever design and with a gentling sloping interior and with tapering end the design saves water but still allows the user to have a comfortable soak in less water than a conventional bath. Fitted with the Ideal waste system this takes care of the overflow as well as waste; the tub is ideal for both large and small spaces and with its adjustable feet the user can effortlessly size it for maximum comfort. The bath is offered with several tap options, none or two and these can be either on the left or right side.

In today’s modern bathroom it is increasingly common to see a “his and hers” bathroom washbasins and they are not just there to make the room look like a film star set,  although they do, they are very functional as each person can have their own personal toiletries on them.

To accommodate these basins we recommend that you fit a vanity unit which compliments them and the Ideal Standard Daylight wall hung vanity unit is one that is very popular. This can be supplied in either light or dark oak and has two doors and one central drawer to accommodate personal toiletries. This vanity unit measures 1293 x 485 x 492 mm W x D x H. It perfectly matches the Daylight 1300mm double washbasin and it’s designed to look like the rest of the Ideal Standard Daylight product line. The double doors are finished with full-width chrome handles and a central drawer in the middle adds extra storage space. Your bathroom is guaranteed to look classy with this combination.

We are quite sure that Bradley will have luxurious treatment when he finishes a stage of a road race, such as the Tour de France, or after winning the gold medal in the recent Olympic time trial, a professional massage and spa treatment, but would he have a bath such as the Ideal Standard Aqua Duo Twin Plus Whirlpool Bath at home?

What we do know is that if he had one, he would experience powerful jets of warm water, guaranteed to ease his tired muscles soothe his body and joints, and before you know it, his body would be restored to online normal again, ready for another assault on the road! The bath is a hard wearing Idealform acrylic finished in gleaming white, and is renowned for its strength and durability thanks to the high impact resin. The bath carries a five year guarantee and a number of accessories are available form our Ideal Standard pages. Ideal Standard has introduced a new way of bathing, sure to suit our gold medal cycling hero.

A modern classic from Ideal Standard, “The Bath” is a luxurious modern bath on a quirky “Wave Legs” which can be supplied in either a polished stainless steel platform or on a light oak laminated trestle legs. The Bath is a generous 1700 x 750mm allowing you a luxurious soak and is manufactured using Idealcast which is made is the strength of cast iron, but has the advantage of being just half the weight.

Designed by Studio Levien, The Bath represents the ultimate in freestanding luxury bathing and the exterior of The Bath can be painted a colour of your choice to suit the existing decor, and adds to the overall stunning appearance. The Studio Levien creation is certain to be a talking point amongst your friends.

Ideal Standard is a global manufacturer of bathroom products and included in their portfolio is bathroom furniture. Well designed and finished bathroom units can improve a bathroom without going to enormous expense and with the Ideal range of Space units a choice of four colour styles is available. Matching or contrasting countertops can be added and can be cut to exact size on site. The countertops can be for housing one of the many modern countertop basins adding an extra touch of class to a bathroom when upgrading.

The Ideal Standard Space 750 bath unit is one example and can be fitted in almost any bathroom, opening up small spaces to a whole new world of high-quality design. These units only project 21cm making them perfect for the smaller bathroom, but giving good facilities for storage. They can be added individually, or in a continuous run. The Space unit is often chosen as a vanity unit or WC unit. The colour choice available for the doors is maple, gloss white, shaker maple or shaker white. Matching tops of the same colours or contrasting ones include granite, mahogany, maple, and gloss white or matt white.

Bathroom lighting can make or break the look of it and long gone are the days when a light in the bathroom was a single fluorescent tube mounted on the ceiling, often giving out a cold light, the last thing that you want when soaking in the bath. Of course, modern fluorescent light has moved on by leaps and bounds now, but what about adding some elegance when choosing you bathroom lighting?

The Imperial Brokton Wall light with black leather shade is guaranteed to be an eye catcher as well as giving you a dramatic atmosphere. The fitting is supplied with chrome adjustable wall bracket and base and the shade and fitting are manufactured from moisture resistant materials, The product carries a five year guarantee from Imperial for you peace of mind and is tested a suitable for bathrooms as IP44. You will not be disappointed with the result and all you need to do is fill the bath and relax in the subtle dramatic lighting.

The sleek contemporary lines of this handmade freestanding bathtub have been designed to cope with the broadest of shoulders; this brand new tub has a generous 210 litre capacity room and superb depth for those who want a truly indulgent soak in their bath after a the tresses of the day. Will the generous proportions of 1850mm X 950mm X 440mm and showing attention to detail sets an Adamsez design apart from the rest, creating a new benchmark for quality, performance and aesthetic appeal, finished in high gloss white.

Your bathroom is a place of escape, a haven for relaxation, fitting this Adamsez bath will put a contemporary slant on the freestanding concept and the Andante is a highly desirable centrepiece which speaks volumes about your style. You can choose taps and fittings from the ranges shown and this Andante double ended bath offers you the choice of both deck mounted or free standing taps.