So this week’s house, in East Devon was not completed by the end of the show. Which means there wasn’t a bathroom to be seen. So instead we are looking again at the Japanese house, a home which was aired two weeks ago. We have featured the bathroom, however the Japanese shower room is also worth looking at. Not often you get two completed bathrooms in one episode. Cleanliness is important in Japanese culture, the showers and baths are designed to not only clean your body but also your mind and spirit. Taking a Japanese “onsen,” or bath is part of many Japanese people’s daily ritual, helping unwind and relax away from everyday life. Before taking a bath however it is important to shower beforehand as per correct etiquette. You wash your body with soap beforehand, traditionally whilst sitting on small stools. You then rinse yourself off with a handheld shower. Temperature of the water is pretty hot, warmer than what is used in the average UK bathroom. The heat is to allow deep penetration and allow for relaxation of your muscles. There is also a small bowl supplied which you can use to pour water over yourself. After cleaning yourself completely, you are then able to sit in the hot and steamy Japanese bathtub. You can see more of the items used in the episode on our Grand Designs page, including the wonderful gold towel rails from Mere Ramillies and Aestus Crosshead Radiator Valves. We also have a selection of showerheads similar to what was used in the episode, so you can find something to suit your needs.

For more Grand Designs Inspiration, check out our Pinterest Featured on: Grand Designs board.

In a leafy suburb of London, young couple Ben and Rachel Hammond and their two children come across an ugly, inefficient and uninspiring red brick property whilst looking for the perfect plot of land. However instead of tearing it down, they decide to completely re-design it.

Retrofitting and re building the home instead of starting a fresh, which is a much harder job, than building a new home on the land. The couple look to change the whole concept of the home whilst keeping part of its structure, well three and a half walls. They are adding a double extension which wraps around the body of the home.

The inside of the home will be open plan with crisp and modern fixtures and fittings. Including modern technologies, creating an eco-friendly property. They are hoping to move into their new home in 8 months whilst they are renting. However projects never run smoothly or finish on time, will this weeks be any different.

The simplicity of the design follows into many of the rooms including the bathroom. With wonderful views out across the park behind the house, the bathroom, is a sleek and modern room. Featuring a soft moulded Royce Morgan Onyx Freestanding Bath and simple taps. The bathroom has a very fresh and light feel. These wonderful free standing baths are available on our website and are perfect if you’re looking at adding a touch of luxury to your bathroom. More items as seen in the show can be found on our Grand Designs page, and others from previous episodes.

For more Grand Designs Inspiration, check out our Pinterest Featured on: Grand Designs board.

This week’s build, sees Marine captain Jon looking to build a house which suits his living needs. When serving in Afghanistan Jon lost three limbs, which meant the way he lived his life and went about doing simple everyday tasks changed. Jon is looking to build a house which is cutting edge, can he achieve this without the budget spiraling out of control?

Before Jon stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan and suffered the life changing injuries, he lived in a lovely chocolate box cottage which unfortunately not suitable for his needs and cannot be easily adapted so he can live independently. He will be project manager, something he hasn’t done before however he does put a lot of military precision into the project and calls upon friends and military charities for help.

The couples aim is to build a house, where you are actually unable to see the adaptions which improve Jon’s mobility. Including a fantastic design featuring sleek glass walls and open-plan spaces. The house must also fit into the conservation area, so one the front it fits in characteristically into the local area and the back is much more modern.

Their en-suit bathroom has been designed so both are able to use it together, including a duel shower. The large Crosswater waterfall shower heads, are functional but also stylish, and fits well into the bathroom which Kevin McCloud stated: “it’s nice, it’s ergonomic but it’s also kind of romantic as well”. We have a selection of fixtures and fittings used in this bathroom on our Grand Designs page.

For more Grand Designs Inspiration, check out our Pinterest Featured on: Grand Designs board.

Bathrooms have come a long way from being a pit toilet encased in an outhouse to being one of the most important rooms in a modern house. The bathroom hasn’t really changed much since Victorian times with the basic premise of it having a bath, toilet and sink, but now with modern technology a bathroom can now have the benefits and entertainment devices of the rest of the house.

Here at UK Bathrooms we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of the bathroom market and provide you with some of the most technologically advanced accessories and products to help you create the most relaxing environment. Here are some of our favourite bathroom gadgets.

Aquavision 40″ Framed Waterproof LED TV

Bring your bathroom into the 21st Century with an Aquavision Waterproof LED TV; these wall mounted TV’s add a wow factor to any bathroom and are great for those who like to unwind and relax in style.

Available in three colours, the Aquavision 40″ Framed Waterproof LED TV features a Full HD screen, Freeview digital and analogue tuners, 2 x HDMI sockets and full scart connection making this a fully-fledged entertainment system.

The special edition Mirrorvision TV features a mirrored finish when the television is off making it perfect for shaving and applying make-up, and the included Sky Link receiver means that you can watch your favourite Sky programs at a touch of a button.

Kaldewei Soundwave Sound System for Baths

For those of you that enjoy listening to music while you bathe the Kaldewei Soundwave Sound System is the ideal choice. This kit contains 2 transducers, 6 acoustic panels, a Bluetooth receiver and control box, all of which can be installed without the need of a professional and is hidden away neatly under the bath.

Once set up the Kaldewei Soundwave Sound System connects to any Bluetooth device such as an iPad, iPhone, Android tablet or laptop so you can play your favourite music playlists as you relax and unwind.

Hansgrohe Raindance overhead EcoSmart Showerhead

Shower lovers will rejoice at the new Hansgrohe Raindance overhead EcoSmart Showerhead, it not only looks beautiful but also features Hansgrohe’s EcoSmart technology that reduces water consumption.

This showerhead also features a QuickClean system for easy removal of lime scale and mineral deposits.

Geberit Sigma 80 Touchless Dual Flush Plate

Toilets don’t escape the technology treatment either with the Geberit Sigma 80 Touchless Dual Flush Plate. This innovative device is no longer a feature in five star hotel toilets, it can also feature in your luxurious bathroom too.

This touchless dual flush plate can be programmed with five different LED colours and has options to adjust the sensitivity or allow the unit to flush as soon as the toilet has been used. The Geberit Sigma 80 Touchless Dual Flush Plate fits to most existing Geberit concealed cisterns and is available in black or mirrored black finishes.

Technology is a great thing, so why not embrace it in your new bathroom.

The manufacturing company Grohe is the undisputed largest European maker of sanitary fittings and this German company is a leader in technology concerning showers and shower fittings. Displayed at UK Bathrooms web pages you will find around 220 products, not all showers of course, but a variety of items to enhance the modern bathroom.

The Grohe Euphoria Shower System Grohtherm 1000 Cosmopolitan is one example and it incorporates a number of features such as a hand held as well as a fixed showers heads, thermostatic shower valve, as well as the unique DreamSpray technology, which distributes the same amount of water to each and every nozzle, this lets you choose a normal spray or a champagne spray, simple spray, rain style spray, exhilarating jet spray or massage spray.

Finished in high chrome the Grohe Euphoria shower system looks great in a modern or contemporary bathroom, it incorporates an anti-limescale system to make it last longer and be easier to clean. This shower system can be installed to an existing bathroom to update it, or it can be fitted to a new bathroom or en-suite.

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.

The one area you can transform all without employing your own personal award-winning industrial designer in your home to design your perfect bathroom, what would you expect? Creative designs, brilliant execution, perfect shapes and outstanding performance. Well at our UK Bathrooms pages you can get just that because we are working with the world’s leading designers, and have created a wide range of bathroom suites, shower, taps, furniture and accessories that give you the freedom for you to choose the perfect bathroom.

Whether you’re looking for minimalist contemporary style or a luxurious haven you can retreat to, away from the rest of the world, you’ll find the solution amongst the wide variety of styles and solutions that UK Bathrooms can offer. For example the Aosta Basin, WC, Shower Bath Suite includes Toilet, Basin, Shower Bath Package, Shower, and Brassware, offering some great looking ceramics, beautiful and tasteful looking Vitra brassware and cracking value for money towel warmer which carries a 10 year guarantee.

Getting the best of both worlds can be achieved by fitting a shower bath which serves those who prefer to have a deep soak in the bath or to take a quick refreshing shower. A top seller at UK Bathrooms is the Adamsez Arc Offset Shower Bath Package, ideal for a smaller bathroom, but is in itself of generous proportions.

In common with all Adamsez baths the Arc is made from 5mm acrylic reinforced with fibreglass resin. Available with right or left hand installation options and the panel and screen included in the competitive price and features a superior high gloss Lucite white inner and superior outer finish. This bath has excellent shoulder room and superb depth for a really comfortable soak, and the spacious bath is ideally suited to deck or wall mounted taps. The generous proportions and simple lines make the Arc timeless in its appeal with a lifetime guarantee.

Modern life can be stressful and we all from time to time can suffer from Aching Joints, Back Pain, Fatigue, Insomnia, Circulation, Stress, Muscular pain, or wok related tension, but a Phoenix whirlpool bath will target these problems very effectively.

Designed for chic living, city types with an eye for newest trends, the Phoenix Dolce Luxury inset whirlpool bath is just one example of many that will help to soothe away those stresses and cares. Available with a choice of three high performance Whirlpool and Airpool systems you have a choice of: Directional jets, back and foot jets & 2 air flow controls, or with on/off switch & Airspa jets, finally a combination of these. To suit the mood you can choose as an optional extra an inline heater and sensational colour underwater lighting. All Whirlpools options are fitted with dry run protection pump as standard and phoenix baths have a manufacturers 25 year warranty.

UK Bathrooms has proved that you do not have to pay “top dollar” to get the very best in bathroom equipment. Already the company is unbeatable on price for the huge catalogue of manufacturers branded products and now they are launching their own range of Essential products. Manufactured for UK Bathrooms by one of the world’s leading companies, these products represent outstanding value for money.

One example is the ‘P’ curved shower bath which is a very modern bath of generous proportions, encompassing a shower area to maximise space. The Essential ‘P’ shower bath is a modern bath with a curved shower area and it is available in left or right hand versions and a matching shower bath screen and bath panel are included in the package. The elegant and modern bath screen is made from toughened safety glass and is curved to the format of the bath to prevent splashes. The product is manufactured in GRP reinforced Lucite acrylic, is of high quality and very easy to clean with a 5 year guarantee.