Fred Dibnah makes a double appearance alongside the Borrowers and the cheerful Romeo and Juliet to pique specifiers’ interest in some stylish new ideas for the bathroom
Fontley monobloc basin mixer tap
Thomas Crapper
Fred Dibnah came through on the Ouija board, but he only talked about taps:
‘In 1769, James Watt come up wi’ his engine – but nowhere near this smooth and dripless, and you could only ’ave one style. These can be two or three-hole mixers, and a shower valve an’ all. And Watt’s finishes were all paint and tar. Crapper’s got chrome, nickel and brushed or polished brass. The smell of oil and steam, it’s a smell all its own! So I’ve ’ad a good sniff – but it smells of nowt but fancy soap and luxury!
Amazin’, really.’
Nabatei square basin
Antonio Lupi
When Arrietty and Windianna were safely back under the floorboards, they wondered whether they should first grab their bathing-costumes or tell the Boy.
‘No’, said Windianna. ‘He probably washes his hands in them already and thinks nothing of it. I believe, however, that we have made an important discovery: a carved marble wonder of the ancient world! Arrietty, if I am right, we are the first Borrowers to find the long-lost cisterns of Nabatei. Teensy-weensy Petra, as those Human Beans say.
‘If we want to get up there for a swim,’ Arrietty pressed, ‘We’ll have to scale his legs!’
Colvin bathroom accessories
Steven Gambrel x Drummonds
Aye, Dibnah ’ere again! Just thought I’d nip back from the other side to say BY ECK these bathroom bits are a gurt bit of kit, eh? Just look at the engineering. You could use that lot to shore up a collapsing pit or ’ang a dozen harnesses on them, like, y’know. Handmade in good stuff, there’s no mistaking. Hand-poured lost wax cast brass, can’t beat it. CNC milling? Ah, now there you’ve lost me. And nine unlacquered house finishes, you say? Aye well, if it’s solid enough, it’s solid I’m sure. I’m a simple sort o’ fellow.
drummonds-uk.com
Luv Series tubs and basins
Duravit
‘Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou still pretending we art starcrossed, doomed, and not actually a pair of lucky devils snatched from Death’s embrace by a combination of a trick-bladed knife and th’Apothecary’s secret antidote what he did not initially tell us about?’
‘Sweet Juliet, quite simply I am discombobulated by our perfect life. And when I stand to shave at these sinks, the symbol of our twinning; smooth, immovable and pure in Duraceram; and watch my chin hairs swirling sweetly past the pop-up plug, I marvel at our fortune, love, and basically I’m trying not to get too smug.’