Bathroom Shop in Gauteng - The Leading Online Bathroom Shop in Gauteng of Premier Bathroom Ware and Bathroom Design Freestanding Baths, Johannesburg, Gauteng - Freestanding Baths – A Modern Sanctuary for Comfort, Cleanliness and Style Tiles Store Johannesburg, Gauteng - Make a Lifestyle Statement with our Top Tips to Choosing the Right Bathroom Tiles Make a Style Statement with Modern Stand Alone/Freestanding Baths from Bella Bathrooms and Tiles - Every bathroom needs a little “je ne sais quoi” and this is always achieved with modern stand alone/freestanding baths. 4 Reasons to Buy Taps Online in South Africa from Bella Bathrooms and Tiles - Are you looking to renovate your bathroom with the hottest range of online taps in South Africa, but not sure where to shop? 5 Tips to Choosing Innovative Bathroom Vanities for Sale - Does your bathroom vanity look as worn-out as you do in the morning? Then it’s time for a vanity facelift! A Guide to Choosing the Right Bath and Bathroom Accessories for Your Bathroom - Thinking of remodelling your bathroom?

While a beautiful remodelled bathroom revives and invigorates the body and soul, it also adds value to the home, but that wouldn’t be possible without the right bath. A Quick Guide to the Perfect Bathroom Design - Fantasising about designing your dream bathroom? While the bathroom may be the smallest room in the house, it certainly doesn't have to have the smallest personality. Why Choose Bella Bathrooms and Tiles as Your Supplier of Shower Mixers and Shower Taps - It’s the 21st century and long gone are the days of outdated bathrooms. We’re living in an era where people thrive on comfort, simplicity and functionality. Tips on Shopping for Functional and Beautiful Bathroom Accessories for Sale - At Bella Bathrooms and Tiles, we understand how our beautiful bathroom accessories for sale can transform your bathroom into a haven of luxury, comfort and style. Tips for Buying Baths, Toilets, Basins & Other Bathroom Accessories - Whether you are shopping for baths, toilets, basins or other bathroom accessories, a little planning will help you to avoid making, cost and finishing mistakes.

Products for Bathroom Renovations – Tips for Choosing the Bathtub - At Bella Bathrooms and Tiles, we take note of the latest trends and customer preferences regarding products for bathroom renovations.It’s official, bath tubs are back – after many years of taking a backseat to showers, the South African preference for bathing is back in vogue. For many, the bathroom is now seen as a room in which to relax and unwind on a leisurely weekend or after a long day at the office. Pandering to most consumers’ love of luxury and relaxation – this new trend comes as no surprise, says Jasmin Kraneveldt, director of leading local sanitaryware supplier, Bathroom Bizarre. “Over the past few years, more and more homeowners are opting for luxury in the bathroom. They want to enjoy some relaxation and stress relief, and this means having a nice bath in which to soak away the stresses and strains of everyday life,” explains Kraneveldt. She offers the following top bathtub trends for 2011:

1. A spa bath experience No longer just a utilitarian space, today's bathroom can be a place of luxury and convenience – and installing a sumptuous spa bath is the best way to achieve this. Delta Faucet Replace StemToday’s spa and jetted baths use the healing power of hydrotherapy to revitalize tired muscles, and maintain and restore health and wellbeing. 21 Foot Hobie Cat For Sale“Spa baths are a great stress-reliever – their jets gently massage tired muscles as you soak in the tub, allowing you to get out of the bath feeling refreshed and rejuvenated,” explains Kraneveldt.Replacing Cartridge In Price Pfister Faucet To cater for the increased demand for spa baths, Bathroom Bizarre opened a Spa Conversion Division in early 2010.

It is able to convert most fibreglass baths into luxurious spa baths at a fraction of the cost of buying one new. Bathroom Bizarre’s Waterfall branch manager, Stephen Stadler, says: “We have found that in these uncertain and stressful times, spa baths are proving to be a popular stress reliever as they relax both the body and mind.” More and more designers are treating the bath as a stand-alone piece of furniture. To cater to this new evolution in bathtub design, free-standing baths are being created in a wide variety of high-end styles and designs that are beautiful enough to use as stand-alone features in their own right. Today’s free-standing baths are most often used as the focal centrepiece of the entire bathroom space, says Kraneveldt: “For many, free-standing baths offer the ultimate in indulgent bathing, however these beautiful bathtubs are available in wide range of prices and styles to suit a selection of different budgets, tastes and settings – from classical to über contemporary.”

Free-standing bathtubs are a great space-saving option and they allow for an abundance of design freedom with regards to bathroom layout. Says Kraneveldt: “Apart from their obvious aesthetic appeal, free-standing baths also have a number of functional benefits as well. For example, placement of the bathtub is no longer limited by the amount of available wall space, as free-standing baths can quite literally be placed anywhere. The benefit of accessibility is another bonus – free-standing baths can be entered into and admired from all sides.” Free-standing skirted baths have been around for some time, but have not managed to hold the limelight for any length of time – until now that is. Boasting easy installation and sleek lines, modern skirted baths are unique in that they are made from sanitaryware-grade, cross-linked cast acrylic – the same material used to manufacture the actual bath itself. The skirt has also been designed to enable the bath to be jetted. Comments Kraneveldt: “There are a number of functional benefits to skirted baths, including the fact that they do not need to be built-in as they are free-standing, you do not need to spend money on tiling around the bath, they can be installed by a handyman rather than a contractor and they are really easy to maintain and keep clean.

All Bathroom Bizarre’s skirted baths carry a 10-year guarantee on normal baths, and a five-year guarantee on jetted baths.” “When it comes to taps, installation type is a matter of logistics and the number of handles is a question of function, but the finish you choose is all about the look,” says Kraneveldt. The majority of free-standing baths require floor-mounted bath taps – these are fixed to the bathroom floor, rather than to the bath or the wall alongside the bath. She continues: “As with wall-mounted bath taps, floor-mounted taps extend over the rim of the tub, along with a hand-held sprayer. These taps come in a variety of different styles, from traditional to modern so that homeowners can choose a tap that matches the style of their bathroom and that of the free-standing bath.” 5. A matter of material Modern bathtubs are manufactured in a wide variety of materials – from natural stone to glass, and even solid wood. However the majority of commercial bathtubs are manufactured in the three main materials: enamelled cast iron, fibreglass and acrylic.

Kraneveldt says: “I strongly recommend cross-linked cast acrylic bathtubs for a number of reasons – this material is naturally lustrous like glass, and it is stain and fade resistant. Acrylic bathtubs have a non porous finish that is easy to clean and warm to the touch. They are lightweight, yet amply strong – perfect for various bathtub shapes and sizes as the material lends itself to creative designing. And lastly, cast acrylic bathtubs are easy on the pocket making high-end bathtub design accessible to most homeowners.” She says that although it can be scratched, unlike other bathtub materials, acrylic allows scratches to be easily removed through a simple process of sanding the area with inexpensive fine wet and dry sandpaper. “The high gloss of an acrylic bathtub can be quickly restored by light buffing with the heel of your hand and toothpaste or baking soda if you don't have a purpose-made rubbing compound or a buffer. Acrylic is chemically inert, immune to almost every chemical that we know of, and requires only a mild liquid non abrasive cleaner to keep it looking like new.

Furthermore, acrylic baths can withstand ultraviolet rays, temperature fluctuations and harsh chemicals. What else can you ask for in a bath tub material?” 6. The shape of things to come Today, bathtubs are available in an incredibly wide range of sizes and styles to suit every conceivable taste and budget. However, as trends go, bathtub design is increasingly being influenced by nature, says Kraneveldt: “Popular bathtub designs generally boast very organic-inspired lines and a seamless flow – almost like the bath itself is fluid. The edges of even the most angular bathtubs today, have been rounded off – for a softer, more streamlined appearance. The trend pivots on simple, unfussy and fluid lines for an elegant, yet striking appearance – a minimal look that is classical and timeless in its appeal.” She says that with regards to colour, white is still the firm favourite, distantly followed by very light and muted tones of cream, beige and stone. Pictures courtesy of Bathroom Bizarre: www.bathroom.co.za