Virtually There - January 2009

Do you remember when I renovated the bathroom last year? It was perfect, except for the heated towel rail turning off when you switched it on (and vice versa), and that small problem with the sink waste that we don’t mention any more… But time moves on and recently the fancy toilet roll holder with the large, brushed stainless back plate broke. As it turns out, that dumb escutcheon (I’ve always wanted to use that word in an article) had damaged the wallpaper, so the replacement needed a similar large back plate to hide the marks. Simple to sort out? Ha! 

I went to the big names first: Mico Wakefield – now plain Mico; Plumbing World; and Plumbing Plus. Nothing. I looked at all my favourite brands of bathroom furniture, starting with Ideal Standard and Zucchetti at Robertson.

I particularly like Robertson’s site because it looks great and, although you cannot purchase direct, you can put together a list of your favourite items and ask for a quote, or email your picks directly to a friend (or designer) for their opinion. I found the perfect bidet there in the La Fontana wall-hung unit, but sadly the toilet roll holders were all minimalist and escutcheon-free. I looked at what Kohler had to offer  and, though the fittings were very chic, no escutcheons. The parent site was similarly bereft, but it did have a terrific selection of videos on the subject of bathrooms.

 

The problem, of course, is taste. Everything was charming. Understated. Sleek. Until I found PampaRampa. This Netherlands purveyor of random, cheesy junk has a page dedicated to bathroom must-haves, which include such fundamentals as the ‘Boat’ bath plug, the ‘Man Hole’ bath mat and the floral hanging toilet roll holder. And there, in the Mr P & Propaganda section, I found it: the ‘Mr P the Wiper’ roll tissue container, shaped like a head with paper emanating from the mouth. Big enough to hide any ugly marks on the wall and guaranteed to make me smile every time I see it. Perfect.

 

Don’t worry if ‘Mr P the Wiper’ leaves you cold, because on my searches I found great bathroom products to inspire every taste. Beautiful brushed metal sinks from Wawirka. Coloured resin sinks from Shane Black Design. Startling sinks from Le Bijou. New and restored claw-foot baths from Great Baths. Repro Edwardian heated towel rails from 21st Century Radiators. Make a New Year’s resolution to forget white porcelain and go crazy in your bathroom this year. And don’t forget to send me a picture.