There is a growing trend away from bathroom tiles in favour of waterproof wall panel systems, the market for which is now worth £100m per year, and Newcastle-under- Lyme-based Showerwall is capitalising on the fashion with new ranges.
At this year’s KBB exhibition the company focused on bringing bathroom and interior trends to life with the launch of 26 brand new game-changing designs for the bathroom wall panelling sector, together with 10 inspirational mood boards that demonstrate how on point they are.
The design-led collection features 14 new high-pressure laminate designs including four new synchronised options, which replicate the look and feel of real marble and stone; three new pastel colours in the acrylic range; nine dramatic customised digital prints including five wallpaper styles and four tile effects, plus three terrazzo colour ways, responding to one of 2020’s hottest interior trends.
New Design Additions
Rocking the hottest material design trend for 2020, Showerwall launched three new terrazzo designs in Positano Blue Terrazzo, Positano Grey Terrazzo and Stone Terrazzo.
Two years ago, Showerwall was the first to market with the launch of its synchronised texture in Lightning Marble, an innovation that harnesses in-line registered embossed printing and delivers a realism in the look and feel of marble bathroom panelling like never before.
There are four new synchronised marble designs that reflect the ongoing appeal of this look for bathroom interiors. Ocean Marble in fashionable blue-grey tones and Shell Marble in classic beige both feature large scale veining, while the more subtle Apollo Marble in grey and Athena Marble in beige offer customers a more classic aesthetic.
Taking its cue from interior trends, three new fashionable pastel colours of Sage, Sky and Blush are being launched and will further enhance the Acrylic range.
In the Custom digital print collection, the popular Subway tile effect is available in a choice of colours including Navy, Emerald and Blush, along with a Hexagon tile effect in pale green. Exuberant new maximalist designs deliver the look and style of patterned wallpaper with practicality for a humid bathroom environment and include Flamingo, Oriental, Vintage Birds and Botanical designs.
For lovers of industrial styling, there are four new slate effects featuring a metallic lustre, Gold Slate Gloss, Gold Slate Matt, Silver Slate Gloss and Silver Slate Matt, along with two new ‘concrete’ designs – Moonstone and White Charcoal.
The Showerwall collection overall now offers 84 designs available in panel sizes of 600mm, 900mm, 1200mm and 1220mm x 2440mm in a choice of square edge or seamless Proclick installation. The panels, which feature a moisture resistant MDF core and high-pressure laminate backing, are ideal for use in shower enclosures, around and behind baths, or to create impressive feature walls. Showerwall is a 100% waterproof panelling system backed by a guarantee of up to 15 years and manufactured in the UK.
New Mood Boards
Showerwall has also developed 10 mood boards which it displayed at KBB 2020, demonstrating how the 26 new designs meet current fashion trends. These are Botanical, Striking, Metallic, Retro, Pastel, Blush, Geometric, Industrial, Terrazzo and Classic Marble. These are being promoted on social media and are available to download from the Showerwall website and as part of the POS package to inspire retailers and consumers about the design creativity of this high performance material.
The Terrazzo mood board features three unique designs in a warm palette of Positano Blue Terrazzo, Positano Grey Terrazzo and Stone Terrazzo enabling consumers to bring this classic decorative style into their bathroom but in a very modern way. Other mood boards include: Retro, capturing the essence of time gone by with Emerald Subway and Navy Subway metro tiles; Metallic, which features subtly gold-veined marbles; Botanical, which brings the outdoors in; and Industrial, which places the emphasis on the authenticity of charcoal and concrete.
Find a Fitter
Showerwall also launched its Find a Fitter scheme at the KBB show, which sees it team up with the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) to provide a network of approved fitters.
The new partnership with BiKBBI will help Showerwall to embed installation standards and recognise the important role that installers play in maintaining Showerwall’s brand values.
It will provide end consumers with extra peace of mind of a high quality bathroom wall-panelling product that is backed by the assurance of a 15 year guarantee.
“Showerwall supports its retailers by being the first to bring innovative designs to the bathroom wall panelling market, changing the way that consumers think and feel about this product category,” said Steph Harris, product manager at Showerwall.
“Our main focus for 2020 is to create consumer demand for our retail partners, as well as supporting them with national stockholding through our distribution network,” she continued.
“We have made significant investment in refreshing the collection so that it remains on-trend and relevant to consumer demand,” added Ms Harris.
“We are bringing bathroom and interior trends to life with exciting new designs including additions to our unique Synchro texture marbles, new pastel colours, terrazzo designs, concrete effects, slates and customised digital prints.
“We are also excited to launch our partnership with BiKBBI to provide a national network of approved fitters.”
