This week in bathrooms: 3/09/2010
Whether you’re looking for consumer advice, tips for recycled bathroom fixtures or the very best geeky accessories for your bathroom, check out what we’ve been reading from this week’s online bathroom news and views:
- Star Wars Shower Curtain Brings the Force to Your Bathroom – Nearly bathtime it is, young Jedi.
- The Bouncy Bathroom Sink Made From Recycled Tyres – “This is Rubbish, a bathroom sink created using a 1/8-inch thick elastic sheet made with recycled tyres designed by Santa Monica-based design studio Minarc.”
- NatWest’s reasons for refusing a bathroom refund just won’t wash – an interesting insight from The Observer into some options if a bathroom installer goes bust halfway through a job.
This week in bathrooms: 27/08/2010
It might be the August silly season, but there’s no shortage of bathroom news this week – as well as manufacturers offering Bank Holiday bathroom bargains, that is.
As well as the usual design tips there’s an environmental innovation from New York and no shortage of lifestyle advice. So read on to see what caught our eye in the world of bathrooms this week:
- Bad Bathroom Design: Nine Mistakes to Avoid – some useful tips from a bathroom retailer for sticking tiles, positioning toilets and avoiding getting stuck with colours you’ll grow to hate.
- Riverside Park Plans Composting Restroom – according to the New York Times a city tennis association is planning to install compost toilets that will fertilize park greenery and use solar panels to generate power, the first such scheme in a New York City park.
- Don’t Just Sit There! – Slate tackles a taboo subject. Is it possible that our posture when using the toilet can have health consequences? A fascinating read.
- Lifestyle changes curb overnight bathroom trips – Reuters publishes some advice for anyone plagued by too-frequent nocturnal calls of nature.
- Couple return from honeymoon to find python in bathroom – maybe it was wondering where its wedding invitation had got to…
20 per cent off towels at Bhs
High-street homeware retailer Bhs has a bathroom bank holiday bargain on offer this weekend – 20 per cent off its towel range.
View the Bhs towel collection here >>
The offer runs until Tuesday August 31 and, additionally, this retailer is offering free post and packing on all UK standard delivery orders (excluding furniture and electricals) until midnight on Monday August 30.
Of course, it’s not just towels but a whole range of homewares that are getting the bank holiday treatment – you can check out the full range on this special offers page here.
Fleeing to the bathroom to hide from a web addiction
This just in from New York – a Queens comedian has taken to living in his bathroom and sleeping in his bath tub in a last-ditch bid to cut himself off from online distractions.
Mark Malkoff, 34, vowed to “do something extreme” after feeling his lack of control over his web browsing, obsessive checking of emails and fascination with gossip sites was getting out of hand.
AM New York’s Urbanite section has the story:
Queens man lives in bathroom to cut off tech addiction
In recent years, Malkoff had become a full-blown tech addict, checking his iPhone constantly and flipping through Twitter, Facebook and the Drudge Report all day.
The prankster has previous similar schemes to live in unusual places, including sleeping for a month in an Ikea store.
While he spends the next few days in his “new apartment,” Malkoff’s storing his clothes in a shower caddy and keeping his food in the bathroom cabinets. To pass all his new free time, Malkoff intends to read a friend’s screenplay, write letters to friends and finish a book proposal.
When his wife needs to use the bathroom, he’ll gather up his sleep bag and then go right back in after she’s done. Read the full story here.
Of course, gadgets are finding their way into the bathroom too, with shower radios, waterproof TVs and even the iDuck, a floating speaker for your MP3 player, becoming commonplace.
And your editorial team once visited a house where, um, using the facilities was one of the few ways to get mobile phone reception. Mr Malkoff may not be as safe as he thinks.
No-one tell him that…
Wickes double deal knocks 65 per cent off to-order bathroom suites
A few days ago we highlighted that Wickes was holding a half-price summer bathroom sale – well, now it’s topped that by offering an extra 15 per cent off all to-order suites.
The extra saving applies to suites, furniture, shower enclosures and accessories, and works via a voucher code on check-out. There’s a minimum spend of £500 and it doesn’t apply to the installation service but, by the time you’ve knocked almost a cumulative two thirds off the price, you’re still getting a lot for your money.
The to-order bathrooms are one of a number of methods Wickes offers for you to re-kit your home, and in this case the store offers styles that are packed with contemporary design features, plus a full service from planning and design through to installation (but see above about installation costs and this current deal).
If you don’t fancy that, there’s also what they call the ‘take away bathrooms’ offering, which conjours up alarming images of Saturday night after the pubs close but is actually a sensible way of getting the bits and pieces you need to get started on a budget bathroom project straight away. Prices are already pretty low, so they don’t seem to be part of any sale.
And finally there’s the good old-fashioned see it and buy it approach, where you can browse a wide range of suites, bathroom pottery, baths, showers, taps, furniture and accessories – many covered by the standard summer sale of up to 50 per cent off, but not this extra 15 per cent.
You can visit Wickes’ bathroom section here.
Bathroom bargains at B&Q until August 30
Today B&Q launches its 10-day DIY Event, in which it promises to discount all its DIY categories as well as giving extra discounts on existing offers.
Naturally this means there are a few bathroom bargains ripe for the snaffling. So, if you are planning a summer bathroom refurbishment or renovation, we suggest taking a look at this retailer’s website in the next 10 days.
Check out the B&Q summer DIY Event here >>
Here’s what’s on offer from today until Sunday August 30:
- 15 per cent off all tiles
- 15 per cent off all shower controls
- 15 per cent off all take-away shower enclosures
- 20 per cent off all towel and designer radiators
- 15 per cent off all flooring and accessories
- 20 per cent off all Colours and Colours Collection wallpaper
- An extra 15 per cent off all furniture
Check these offers out for yourself here >>
Monday 6pm update: problems with this offer that B&Q reported over the weekend now appear to have been fixed.
This week in bathrooms: 20/08/2010
Here’s a taste of our online bathroom reading this week:
- My pink bathroom preview – “It’s amazing how neutral pink can be.”
- Serene or funky, a bathroom should never be boring – “We found a series of snazzy items to add dash to one of the favourite rooms in the house.”
- Reading for Mars, II: – ever wondered about the bathroom arangements aboard the Space Shuttle? Read on… Or read more from The Washington Post here.
- What to look out for when installing a vintage bathtub – the good news is that it might not be so much of a problem as you think…
- Things to consider before getting an outdoor bathroom – ever pondered the technicalities of the formerly-ubiquitous earth closet? According to this article they amount to a spade, some hard digging and a bag of lime.
- Is your bathroom geeky? – to be in with a chance of answering ‘yes’ you need it to feature NES controllers, Playstation controllers, iPhones and iPods all made of soap, as featured in this video.
Delta Faucets Corporate Office
Delta Faucet's Corporate Address:
Free delivery at Focus DIY until September 5
Focus DIY is offering its customers free delivery on orders over £50 until September 5.
Check out the Focus DIY bathroom range here >>
To take advantage of this offer, enter the code FREEDEL at the checkout. This code expires at midnight on 5th September 2010 and only one voucher code is valid per order.
Bank Holiday offer from World of Baths
Value-conscious bathroom retailer World of Baths has something special for the upcoming August Bank Holiday weekend – a 10 per cent discount on all the white bathroom furniture in its range.
View the World of Baths furniture range here >>
To take advantage of this offer, just enter the voucher code BANK10 at the checkout when buying online.
The offer is valid until August 31 so, if you’re contemplating a few summer purchases, do pop along and check this merchant out.
Now shipping: a bath mat made of living moss
Things growing in the bathroom aren’t usually a cause for celebration. But this we love – a bath mat made of living moss.
The product is the brainchild of Swiss designer Nguyen La Chanh who dreamt it up as part of her degree course before being besieged with requests to put it into production. Her story was featured on bizarre news website Newslite.
Moss Rug: The living bathroom mat goes on sale
Speaking of the design, she said: “The humidity of the bathroom and the drops flowing from the body, water the mosses. This vegetation carpet procures a great feeling to your feet.
“The idea was to a new way of having your plants inside. Not only plants in pots quietly standing in the corner of a living room but alive plants, evolving in the house.” Read the full story here.
Or visit the designer’s site direct here.
Don’t forget – there’s a bathroom sale on at Wickes
DIY retailer Wickes is reminding customers this week about its summer bathroom sale. It is offering 50 per cent off to-order bathroom suites, which are packed with contemporary design features and part of a fully-integrated service that spans planning, design and installation.
You can also get excellent savings on showers, furniture and accessories, so pop along to the bathroom section of its website and check out what’s on offer there.
And that’s not all. The retailer now has a dedicated offers page that lists all the latest bargains. There’s plenty on offer for bathroom renovators – check it out here.
Jesus spotted in mouldy bathroom
The human ability to see patterns in what many might regard as random shapes knows no bounds – as this story from the Brighton Argus shows. A local woman, taking a shower in her mouldy bathroom, has noticed that Jesus’ face is imprinted there.
The paper takes up the story thus:
Jesus found in Brighton bathroom
Ms Wootton knew it was about time to redecorate her mouldy bathroom, but a chance encounter with the Lord has now convinced her to get a move on.
Agnostic Ms Wootton, 36, who works for the students’ union at Sussex University, said: “I was just getting out of the shower and looked up and saw in the peeling paint a picture of Jesus. I thought ‘wow’ – it’s uncanny.
“It looks like he is preying [sic], it’s hilarious. I am not a believer, but people find Jesus in all sorts of things.” Read the full story (and see the illusion for yourself) here.
Read more about the phenomenon of pareidolia here >>
Indeed, and it’s comforting to know that Ms Wootton is actually taking the decoration issue far more seriously than the illusory visitation. Seriously enough, we hope, to get some good ventilation in there as well as some anti-fungal paint on the walls and ceiling.
Catch up with some other unlikely appearances by religious icons here. >>
Voucher code at Focus DIY this weekend
Focus DIY is promising customers some fantastic offers, running this weekend only, as part of its Megadeal Weekend promotion.
And, if you spend more than £50, you’ll also receive an extra 15 per cent discount by entering the code MEGADEAL at the checkout.
The offer is valid from today until Monday August 16 inclusive and excludes gift vouchers and lawn mowers.
Visit the Focus DIY bathroom store to see what’s on offer >>
This week in bathrooms: 13/08/2010
Here are our top picks from the bathroom news, features and opinion pieces that have caught our eye online this week:
- Glowing Bath Tub Brings Colour to Your Bathroom – feeling dull and jaded? Here’s an, er, ‘aspirational’ bit of bathroom design that could wash away the bathtime blues… and presumably the reds, greens, pinks or yellows too!
- Time to make that bathroom shine – ever felt the need of a really detailed set of instructions on how to clean and update your bathroom? This is it.
- Six Tips to Remove Bathroom Mould – practical advice on a persistent bathroom problem we’d all rather not deal with but which doesn’t go away on its own either.
- Before and After: Catherine’s Instant Bathroom Makeover – billed as “easy decor changes that have a huge impact”.
- Vixol Red (YouTube) – Is this clip from Thailand the world’s weirdest bathroom cleaner commercial? Apparently not, as it’s one in a long and surreal series. (Don’t worry – it’s perfectly safe for work.)
- Phyto-Purification Shower Filters Grey Water with Grass – are you green-minded enough to shower in a reed bed? See what happens when modern design is mixed with natural filtering principles.
Voucher code means money off at Wickes until Wednesday
DIY retailer Wickes is offering a great deal starting tomorrow and ending on Wednesday August 11 – so, if you are hunting for bathroom bargains at the moment, check out its website before then.
Check out Wickes’ bathroom range here >>
Use the discount code WKSAFF61 and you’ll save £15 on a spend of £200 or more. And the best news of all? The offer applies to anything on the site.
You’ve got until a minute to midnight on Wednesday to take advantage of this – and don’t forget to check out some of Wickes great DIY bargains currently available on the store’s latest offers page.
Check out Wickes’ latest offers here >>
PUR Filters Announces One-Click Water Filters
The PUR faucet filter offers up to 100 gallons of great tasting water with just one click. The new design is so simple to install, that No Tools are required.
See the Video Below for more information about this new PUR Water Filter.
Ensure bathroom fans are working properly
Here’s an important safety tip – make sure your bathroom fan is clean, not clogged and working properly. As one Canadian newspaper has just reported, the alternative could be a fire.
The Nanaimo Daily News, which covers part of Vancouver Island, reports that a local man had to be evacuated to a hotel for three days after a roof fire in his home.
Fire investigators believed the cause was a blocked bathroom fan. Any blockage in the blades risks causing the wiring to overheat, with all the associated safety risks.
A visual inspection should tell you if there is any blockage in your fan. If you need to clean it, remember to isolate the electrical supply first, and never push any object through the grille into the blades. This is not a substitute for proper maintenance.
If you are concerned about the condition of your fan or its wiring, or fear it might be blocked, the best thing to do is to get a qualified electrician in to take a look.
Most importantly, don’t ignore problems like excessive noise or any hint of a hot smell. As the article linked to above shows, it’s not worth the risk.
iDuck floating wireless speaker at IWantOneOfThose.com
We saw this and just couldn’t resist – meet the iDuck. Not just a fun bathtime accessory but a floating wireless speaker too.
And where would you possibly shop for such an item? Why, at IWantOneOfThose.com, that retailer of silly but compelling gadgets that also does a surprisingly large homeware range, naturally.
This gadget wirelessly plays whatever is on your MP3 player. IWOOT promises no wires, no electric shocks, just a great-fun musical bath.
All you need to do to enjoy your favourite tunes in the bath is hook up your MP3 player to the egg-shaped transmitter – leaving it well away from the bath – and press play.
The iDuck receives the signal from the transmitter and plays whatever you have chosen while you enjoy your bath. Or you can just pop the radio on – especially useful if you’re a sports nut who doesn’t want to miss any of the action.
So, what’s the ideal music for bathtime? Why not leave a comment and let us know?