Interior fashions may come and go – Rattanone season, Pop Art the next – but one trendhas remained a staple, and that’s the clean,coveted lines of the wet room. Arguably, it hasbeen the greatest influence on bathroomdesign - and in particular the showering space- spawning the frameless enclosure. From thepremium market, down through the mid, andeven into the mass market, consumers canembrace this frameless look. AndrewBullingham, commercial director of KirbySebastian, agrees saying: “Framelessenclosures do transcend all levels of the sectornow and have continued to develop, in linewith the demand for the minimal wet roomlook and feel.”

And the demand for frameless enclosureshas no signs of waning as, marketing managerfor Aqualux, Sandra Hyde says: “Consumerfeedback suggests that the appeal ofminimalistic styling is for the long-term, whichgives it selection on enduring value.”

Selling all levelsPerhaps unusually for trends which have filtereddown the market, sales of the frameless enclosurein the mid-to-high end of the market remain verystrong. MD of Dröm, Kicki Carlsson-Boydcomments: “It is still the middle to high end ofthe market that mainly purchase frameless showerenclosures”, pointing out “around 90% of DrömUK shower enclosures sales are frameless glass.”

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frameless enclosures BATHROOMS

The minimalframeless enclosuremay be a staple ofbathroom fashionbut, as it movesdownmarket, canwe expectmanufacturers todifferentiate bydetail? Philippa Turrellasks the question

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1. MERLYNThe Series 8 Walk-in with Swivel Panel has beendesigned for a recess situation or a smallerwetroom area, with sizes from 1200mm up to1700mm. Made from 8mm toughened glass, itmeasures 2015mm high and features a 30mmside panelReaderlink 108

2. ROMANAdding to its Sculptures range of enclosures,the Bespoke Frameless Hinged Door is madefrom 10mm toughened safety glass. It can beused on its own for an alcove or with an inlinepanel for a larger space and comes with theTruelife Lifetime GuaranteeReaderlink 109

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And Jayne Barnes, managing director of Aqata,reports similar sales success stating: “Two framelessranges account for approximately 70% of our sales.”

However, it is perhaps the definition of framelessthat differs across the price points, which revealswhy frameless sells at both the premium and themass market end. At the premium (and still ratherniche end of the market) is the glass panel, while forthe more mass market frameless refers to a ‘look’.Managing director of Roman Showers, DavidOsborne explains: “Designers and manufacturers ofshower enclosures are developing products whichgive a frameless finish, but that can be installedwithin the typical UK bathroom. Semi-frameless isvery much where the mainstream shower enclosuresales lie, and this is certainly increasing as the lookmoves through all market sectors.”

Different by designBut in a market where less is more, how willmanufacturers encourage consumers to see thedifference between mass, mid and upper endenclosures? Will they look to add ‘detailing’ todifferentiate their designs, adding more ‘value’ forconsumers? Industry experts believe the market forframeless enclosure looks will continue to thrive,perhaps moving towards thicker glass and higherenclosures for points of difference.

Andrew Bullingham of Kirby Sebastian adds: “In

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3. AQUALUXAs the name suggests, the Aqua 8 frameless enclosurerange is made from toughened, 8mm glass. Part of therange is this hinge Quadrant designReaderlink 110

4. ROBERT LEE DISTRIBUTIONThe Matki Walk-in 1200 Curved recess has Celtic Silversupports and clear safety glass. It comes completewith a Matki Elixir concealed thermostatic showermixer, hand shower and overhead support 150mmEasy Clean overhead deluge shower head and90mm Matki Fastflow shower wasteReaderlink 111

5. KIRBY SEBASTIANThe Monaco Frameless Sliding Door is made from8mm toughened ‘easy clean’ glass and has 20mmadjustment for out-of-true walls. It is available for leftand right-hand entrance and in a variety of sizes, allof which boast a 10-year warrantyReaderlink 112

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6. AQATAThe Spectra SP440 is part of the company’s best-sellingrange and together with its Minimalist framelessenclosures, accounts for 70% of salesReaderlink 113

7. LAKES BATHROOMSPart of the Coastline Collection is this Riviera Walk-inframeless enclosure. Made from 8mm glass, it featuresAllClear coating as standardReaderlink 114

8. HSKThe Exklusiv Corner Entry is a frameless enclosure thatfolds back to the wall to create a wetroom, forimproved ease of access. It is made from 6mmtoughened glass, with HSK Shield glass protection,and comes with a lifetime guaranteeReaderlink 115

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the next couple of years, the height of the doorsand enclosures is going to change from the currentstandard of 1900mm to 2000mm. This is reflectedin the on-going trend for shower trays and basesreducing in depth. A few years ago, the averagebase was 90mm but we are now at 40mm and thisis likely to reduce further to 20mm.” He continues:“I also believe in the mid-to-upper end of themarket, 10mm glass will become the new 8mm,giving products that extra bit of stability andluxury.” (See Expert View on how to encourageconsumers to move more upmarket).

While the ability to create bespoke spaces willfurther the growth of the frameless enclosure in thepremium sector. As Sandra Hyde of Aqualuxcomments: “Experience shows that the modernconsumer concept is to place showering facilitieswhere they are needed, rather than where customdictates.” And Jayne Barnes of Aqata agrees,continuing: “In the future, more attic spaces will beutilised in new builds and conversions and ourBespoke service can maximise the potential ofthese challenging spaces.”

Return to detailingHowever, industry experts haven’t entirely ruled outupdates to the frameless design with perhaps areturn to pattern or colour. Kicki Carlsson-Boyd ofDröm comments: “There could be a gradual moveto more embellishment onto the glass itself –frosting, etching etc. Privacy glass will be usedmore, again with or without embellishment, andalso shower enclosures incorporating textilesbetween two thin pieces of glass will definitely becutting-edge trends.” However, Andrew Bullinghamof Kirby Sebastian, adds: “We saw an influx ofstained and engraved glass to the market a coupleof years ago, along with water delivery systemsbuilt into the enclosures, but these simply did nottake off.” But he cautiously adds in conclusion: “Ifthey can be adapted to be more affordable andappealing, I can see some of these ideas re-appearing in the market.”

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EXPERT VIEW: MAKING UPMARKET CHOICESManaging director ofCoram Showers, PeterDimeloe explains whyretailers anddesigners shouldencourage theircustomers to opt forquality investments More and more consumers are seeking toemulate a spa lifestyle with the introduction ofwet rooms in the home, opting for walk-in andframeless enclosures to achieve that look andfeel. As a result, manufacturers and retailersalike are answering the call from all levels of themarket. However, the market has fast come torealise that you ‘get what you pay for’ and thatconsidering a lower entry range is typically theunreliable option. Consumers are undoubtedlybecoming savvier these days and are demandingmore for their money. We have noticed thathomeowners don’t mind spending a bit more onan ‘investment’ item, but the quality has to besecond to none.

In order to remain buoyant within such asaturated market, variety and flexibility of designwill be a great influence to your success. Exclusivedesign elements will set you aside from thecompetition, such as unique height options,quality and type of glass, ease of access and easeof installation. And extra product incentives suchas lifetime guarantees will hold sway with thebuyer, providing confidence in not only thefunction of the product, but its longevity too.

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9. SIMPSONSMeeting the demand for showering in awkward spaces,Design is a semi-frameless enclosure with a wall profile foradjustment. The glass is coated with Simpsons Clearand the enclosure comes with a lifetime guarantee Readerlink 116

10. DRÖM UKGiving the illusion of space and light, this bespoke fully-glazed steam room features clear glass. It also boastsbrass trims and hinges, plus a matching brass handleReaderlink 117

11. KERMIThe Pasa XP enclosure is a semicircle with fixed panelsfor the premium segment of the market and boasts aframeless look. It is available in clear glass or sand-blasted décor finish and both come with Kermi CleancoatingReaderlink 118

12. CORAMUsing 8mm glass shower panels, supported by achrome pillar, is this ‘walk-in style’ enclosure. The frontpanel and end panel boast Glassguard protectionand feature a wall channel with 20mm adjustment, allin one boxReaderlink 119

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