Showered with success
Simon Boocock, MD at CR Laurence, discusses why now is the right time for fabricators to capitalise on the growing market for bespoke shower solutions in commercial as well as residential applications.
We all know that 2024 was a challenging year for the industry. And when market conditions are uncertain, it’s more important than ever to think outside the box and seize new opportunities.
It’s a strategy that can open up new revenue streams while giving fabricators the chance to diversify.
The bathroom industry offers one such opportunity as demand for bespoke showering solutions continues to soar. It’s the reason that CRL Europe introduced CRL Bespoke Shower Screens in 2022, selling shower hardware to a growing network of glass suppliers and fabricators. Available in several designs and 11 on-trend finishes, the hardware will suit any interior and can be supplied alongside CRL Stone’s exclusive collection of large format surfaces.
It’s proved a winning combination with specifiers, installers, fabricators and consumers alike, and sales continue to increase year-on-year. With the popularity of bespoke shower enclosures and screens showing no sign of slowing down, glass fabricators that aren’t working within the bathroom sector are really missing a trick.
This is a huge market and there are lucrative opportunities for fabricators that partner with independent bathroom retailers to provide homeowners with bespoke showering solutions. Likewise, the contract market is rife with commercial projects where bespoke shower enclosures and screens are increasingly being specified to create luxurious, spa-inspired bathrooms.
When American architects Gensler were designing the Landmark, the tallest luxury apartment tower in West Los Angeles, the bathrooms were meticulously designed to complement the dazzling glass and steel building. Standing 349 feet tall, this 34-storey structure on Wilshire Boulevard features 376 apartments, which offer panoramic ocean and mountain views thanks to their floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
With the help of glazing contractor Rountree Glass, Gensler continued the building’s modern, sophisticated aesthetic all the way into the bathrooms, using CR Laurence products in the construction of all the shower enclosures in the apartments.
As Gensler recognised, CRL polished chrome, square style Hole-in-Glass fixed U-clamps, which secure fixed panels of glass in frameless shower enclosures, provide a stylish alternative to traditional U-channels to enhance the all-glass look. Constructed from solid brass, they come in a wide range of design-led finishes including gun metal, bronze and matte black.
Working with heavy glass doors meant that traditional hinges couldn’t be used for the enclosures, so the architects and fabricator needed a sturdy and stable alternative, which was provided by CRL’s polished chrome Vienna 037 series wall mount full back plate hinges.
Wanting to create a stylish, cohesive design, CRL polished chrome back-to-back paddle knobs were a natural choice. Their flat ‘paddle’ shape, along with their square corners provided the ideal complementary look, as did the CRL polished chrome 24’’ towel bar with contemporary knob.
Minimalist in their appearance, these shower enclosure components are high quality and provide long-lasting stability, durability and safety and perfectly capture the meticulous attention to detail that Gensler expressed in their design. Their superior finishes are resistant to wear and corrosion, ensuring the hardware will maintain its beauty and functionality over time.
Although projects on quite this scale might not be the norm in the UK, the government’s focus on building more houses and its pledge to build 1.5 million new homes is welcome news for glass fabricators as well as housebuilders.
Likewise, indications that consumers are looking to spend more on home improvements in 2025 means that there is real opportunity for fabricators to capitalise on the market for bespoke shower enclosures.
Partnering with a trusted hardware partner such as CRL, which offers a wide choice of designs and finishes, as well as quick lead times, provides fabricators with an unbeatable proposition. And with the added benefit of CRL Stone’s large format surfaces, which come in over 30 finishes and can be used throughout bathrooms and wet rooms, fabricators can help contractors, designers and homeowners create truly bespoke showering solutions while boosting their bottom lines.
