Victor Paris Bathrooms is a family business which has been in operation for 25 years and is now a front runner in the bathroom industry. The ethos is simple, but effective, offering quality at good prices by cutting out the middle man. The company holds a large stock of all bathroom products and tiles in its warehouse, and throughout the years has sourced products from all over the UK and Europe.
The headquarters and original showroom are in Edinburgh, and over the years have become so well known that they have achieved landmark status. The original corner shop opened by Victor Derighetti is now a huge concern, which he runs with his five sons – Vincent, Paul, Mark, Gavin and Stephen. They are now celebrating the first anniversary of opening the showroom in Washington Street in Glasgow.
Stephen Derighetti, managing director in Glasgow, is pleased at the public response, though not surprised. ” It made a lot of sense to open in Glasgow,” he says. ”We were already distributing to the city and surrounding area and we felt it was time to offer our customers here the same level of service they’ve had in Edinburgh for so many years. What we are offering is a service direct to the public, and it’s much easier for people to recognise that when they can just call in and see what we have on offer.”
He has a point. Planning a new bathroom sounds simple enough, until you start to consider the bewildering array of possibilities. Bathroom suites come in many shapes, sizes and colours, although the current trend is for a modern and minimalist look.
When choosing a bath, there’s a lot more on offer than standard rectangular or slightly daring corner units, and there are different advantages to a wide range of designs, which are also echoed in shower choices. Toilets come in five basic styles although basins cannot be categorised so easily, as there are endless shapes and sizes to choose from.
The most traditional option is the pedestal, which conceals pipework rather neatly. The wall-hung version can be mounted at the perfect height and frees up floor space, while the semi-recessed ensures that all pipework is hidden. Counter tops are built into fitted furniture, while corner basins are most common for cloakroom use.
The range of bathroom accessories is endless, and there’s also a move to leisure in the bathroom, with the emphasis on extras such as body jets, steam and aromatherapy.
Victor Paris also stocks a selection of tiles imported direct from Spain and Italy, with a range of styles and colours to suit every budget. One of the current trends is going back to the white bathroom suite, using coloured tiles to make a statement and set off the decor.
Baths come in many shapes and sizes, and most bathrooms can be fitted with an ideal model. Ever popular, the classic rectangular bath always looks good, and fits most bathrooms comfortably.
The standard model for a corner bath is a curved symmetrical shape with sides of equal length, and is an ideal way of fitting a big bath into a small room. A double-ended bath has taps and plug located in the centre of one side, and has two equally sloping sides. To maximise an area, the offset corner bath is a good option, as it has one side longer than the other for a tapering effect, to give the illusion of more space and a sense of luxury. Standard tapered baths are also designed with room size in mind, as they are contoured to follow the shape of the human body and make the most of space, especially when it comes to making more room for a basin.
Although the Victorian rolltop is no longer enjoying the surge of nostalgic enthusiasm which made it a clear favourite for so long, it will always have its fans, and it’s easy to see why. Since these baths date from an era where a bathroom was quite literally that, a good-sized area given over to the serious business of pampering, it’s easy to understand how this impression lingers. It’s a look which will retain its popularity irrespective of the trends, if only because luxury will never lose its appeal.
So far as Stephen Derighetti is concerned, that luxury is no longer for the privileged few, and the past year in Glasgow proves his point. ”I knew we could offer something new to people who had never dealt with us before, and it all comes down to the best price for the best quality. No-one can resist that.”
SHOWERS OF IDEAS FOR THE SMALLEST ROOM
The smallest room in the house has finally gained serious status, and Victor Paris Bathrooms provides a range of options for every lifestyle.
Showers always had an image of being a refreshing and sometimes bracing experience, a good way to wake up properly in the morning or to revive you after some serious exercise. As they become more sophisticated they have replaced the bath for many people, and simply supplemented it for others.
Now, they have taken on yet another new image, and can be as relaxing as a long soak in the bath, or as stimulating as a health club treatment with the pleasures of a body jet or even hydro-massage.
A corner enclosure is the most space-saving solution when it comes to showers and the range of trays available complements a clever use of available area. Fold-in, pivot, sliding and hinged doors are all readily available for shower enclosures, irrespective of type, and bath screens have come a long way since the days of waterproof curtains.
Curved, shaped and decorative framed hinged screens are probably the best known, but multi-fold, twin and triple panel folding versions are as popular, while sliding doors and total bath enclosures are also available.
The high-pressure economy and efficient use of water in modern showers makes them environmentally friendly, and safety features include fail-safe thermostats, safety-stop buttons and non-return valves. Overhead showers can be enhanced by mid-body sprays. which are also ideal for children, and the ranges of sprays can include everything from overhead massage spray to foot sprays. A constant temperature, power massage and bubbly relaxing spray complete the picture, and the only decision left is which model to choose from. Whether it’s sleek modern or more period looks you favour, the fittings you want are only a brochure away.
