Warm Ideas for a Chilly July: Bathroom and Kitchen Inspiration for the Last Stretch of the Holidays
Add a house full of children on school holiday until next week, and you have the perfect recipe for busy kitchens, marathon bath times and a home that needs to work a little harder than usual. So before the school run returns and routine takes over, here are some of our favourite ways to make your bathroom and kitchen the warmest, happiest rooms in the house this winter.
The Great Winter Bath Revival
Summer belongs to the quick shower. Winter, however, is bath season, and July is when a beautiful bath earns its keep. There is nothing quite like a long, deep soak while the wind rattles the windows outside.
If your current bath is more functional than fabulous, this is the season to start dreaming. A freestanding bath from Victoria + Albert is the kind of piece that turns an ordinary bathroom into a retreat, crafted from their signature QUARRYCAST material that holds warmth beautifully. Prefer clean European lines? Duravit offers baths that pair timeless design with serious soaking depth.
And for the little ones still on holiday, a generous bath doubles as the venue for the annual bubble bath world championships. We supply the bath. The flotilla of plastic ducks is up to you.
Hot Showers, Happy Mornings
When school reopens next week, winter mornings get serious again. Lunchboxes, lost shoes and the daily negotiation over who showers first. A great shower makes those mornings noticeably easier.
A GROHE rainshower transforms the morning rush into something closer to a spa moment, with broad, even water coverage that feels like warm rain. Pair it with a hand shower and everyone from the tallest teenager to the smallest family member gets exactly the shower they want. If you have visited our Glenashley showroom, you may have spotted the GROHE Rainshower in Brushed Cool Sunrise against our forest printed glass splashback display. It is a genuine showstopper.
The Warm Towel: Winter's Greatest Luxury
Ask anyone who owns a heated towel rail and they will tell you the same thing: they cannot imagine winter without it. Stepping out of a hot bath or shower into a warm, dry towel is one of life's simplest and most underrated pleasures. Bathroom Butler heated towel rails are the gold standard here, beautifully engineered, energy efficient and available in finishes to suit every bathroom style. They also keep towels dry between uses, which matters in a week when the whole family seems to bath twice a day. Pop into either showroom to see the range and feel the difference for yourself.The Kitchen: Winter Holiday Headquarters
In July, the kitchen becomes the heart of the holiday. It is where the hot chocolate gets made, where the biscuit baking happens and where small helpers with flour on their noses learn that cracking an egg is harder than it looks.
All of that joyful chaos asks a lot of your kitchen. A quality Franke sink takes the punishment in its stride, with generous bowls that swallow the baking trays, mixing bowls and mysteriously sticky spoons that follow every holiday baking session. Pair it with a well made mixer and washing up becomes less of a chore, even when the mountain of dishes suggests a small army has been fed. Which, during the school holidays, it probably has.
Fresh in Our Showrooms: The Cobra Tigris Range
If you are thinking about tapware this winter, allow us to introduce the newest arrival in our showrooms. The Cobra Tigris slimline single lever collection has landed, and it is every bit as elegant as the name suggests. Tigris is available in five PVD finishes: Chrome, Matte Black, Brushed Nickel, Brushed Gold and Brushed Gun Grey, so there is a finish for every bathroom and kitchen personality. It is backed by Cobra's 10 year functionality warranty and a 2 year colour coating warranty, which is the kind of peace of mind we like to pass on to our customers. As the official Authentic Cobra Spares agent in KZN, we can also help you keep your Cobra fittings in top condition for years to come.
Read our full Tigris feature on the blog, or better yet, come and see the finishes in person. Photographs never quite do Brushed Gold justice.
