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Beautifully designed: the Washstand 1470 in Bone White with Graphite lavastone worktop | There’s nothing quite like the simple pleasure of lying back in a hot bath (perhaps with a glass of wine and a magazine) and feeling the stresses of the day immediately wash away. The luxury of having your own space can only be enhanced by a beautifully designed bathroom which has been expertly made and is built to last.
The new Fired Earth Bastide bathroom collection offers the perfect combination of style, quality and individuality and it looks set to become as coveted as the much-loved Bastide kitchen range.
Bastide translates from French to mean ‘country house’ and the beautiful freestanding pieces in the new bathroom range are made in France by Fired Earth’s sister company, Grange.
As with the kitchen range, each piece is handcrafted from solid French oak (which comes from renewable forests), using traditional square peg joinery techniques. During the finishing process, the furniture undergoes a series of ageing techniques, which give it an authentic distressed appearance, so it will look as if it’s been a treasured part of your home for years.
There are three elegant washstands to choose from, each of which is available in Bone White, Blue Ashes or a Natural finish. The Washstand 800, with its two door cabinet, would be a perfect choice for a compact bathroom, while the Washstand 1170 also incorporates a towel rack, which can be to the left or the right of the cabinet as preferred. The Washstand 1470 is a luxurious piece with two basins and two cabinets, which would be ideal for a larger bathroom.
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Wonderfully tactile and hardwearing: the Washstand 800 in Bone White with Ivory lavastone worktop and the slatted bench | Each washstand has a custom-made lava stone worktop. The worktops come in two wonderfully tactile and hardwearing finishes - Ivory and Graphite - with under-slung basins made of enamelled steel. The lava stone is sourced from the Volvic area of France - a fitting choice for a bathroom range, given that the region is famous for its spring waters - and it undergoes an intricate glazing process, which results in a subtle crackle glaze finish.
Fired Earth has created a range of taps to complement the design and finish of the Bastide bathroom collection. The taps are manufactured in the UK by Samuel Heath and are made from solid brass, electroplated with top-grade chrome. Their design is very much in keeping with Samuel Heath’s traditions (the company dates back to 1820), yet with a contemporary twist.
As well as the three-hole basin mixers for the washstands, other designs include wall-mounted basin mixers, and wall or bath-mounted bath and shower mixers, all available with either a cross trim or a ceramic lever trim. There are also three concealed shower options, ensuring there’s something to suit every bathroom.
Freestanding linen cupboards are a popular choice in French country houses, and the Bastide range includes a full linen cupboard with four shelves and two drawers, and a demi linen cupboard with two shelves and two drawers. Both linen cupboards have plenty of room for towels and so on and are available in the same choice of finishes as the washstands.
Complementing the collection are two generously sized mirrors and a handy slatted bench, so not only does the Bastide range look beautiful but it’s also immensely practical.
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A room to escape to: mix and match pieces from the Fired Earth Bastide bathroom range to create a place of luxury | One of the key features of this collection is that you can ‘mix and match’ the pieces you want, creating a truly individual bathroom. All three finishes work together beautifully, so luckily there’s no need to agonise over which one is your favourite.
The colours, too, have been selected to complement most of Fired Earth’s wall and floor tile ranges. For example, the delicate rose and bee designs of the exquisite Soho Garden range, or the trees and birds of the Natural History panels are perfectly in keeping with the country feel of the Bastide pieces. On the other hand, a more contemporary look could be achieved by opting for the shimmering iridescence of one of Fired Earth’s glass tile ranges, and crisp limestone flooring.
Fired Earth also has an excellent selection of traditional roll top baths, which can be painted to complement your chosen colour scheme, and a steaming hot, decadently foaming bath would be the perfect place from which to admire your new Bastide bathroom.
For further information, visit www.firedearth.com
This article appeared in Aga magazine, Issue 2 2007. Subscribe today at www.agamagazine.co.uk
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