St James Collection talks hotel design with Foam & Bubbles

The timeless elegance of Marflow’s St James Collection was on full display at Sleep this year and we got the opportunity to chat all things hotel design with General Sales Manager Allan Pearson.

Can you introduce St James Collection?
My name is Allan Pearson, I’m the General Sales Manager for Marflow. We’ve been around since 1968 and part of the Marflow range is the St James Collection which this year has had a bit of a facelift with all of the new colours you see on the stand.

What’s new this year? What are you most proud of on the stand?
Probably the colours, a redesign of an old range we’ve had for awhile but giving it a fresh look. I think that’s probably one of the best things we’ve done as a business and put a lot of emphasis on rebranding which is what we’re trying to work towards.

What are the hot design trends you’re seeing at the moment?
Definitely colours, more contemporary, art deco and especially colourful. That seems to be on trend for a lot of people at the moment.

Does that tie in with the finishes at all?
Yeah it ties in with all of the finishes that we’re doing. We’ve just introduced rose gold, brushed brass, brushed copper and dark nickel which seem to be on trend at the moment.


 
What is the essence of hotel design and how does St James fit into hotels around the world?
St James as a brand can be both traditional and contemporary and for hoteliers they want to get a fresh look. So one of the things we’ve done is to try and give an old, established product a fresh look by introducing the colours. Again you can get a contemporary look with a new colour, combined with an old style tap creates a fresh look.

What advice would you give to consumers looking to get the hotel look at home?
I think the only advice I’d give is find a design they like and then obviously consider the budget. Have a look around and then see what you can do with it. There’s a lot of things you can do to get the hotel look without having to spend loads of money.



Hotels bathrooms obviously need to be unbreakable, is that same quality and durability something you’d recommend for people at home?
One of the things that people forget is they tend to spend money on the wrong items. One of the things customers should do is spend money on the working parts. Things like the taps, the valves, the shower door. Anything that’s got a moving part is where you should spend the money.

Is there any advice you’d give to someone just starting their bathroom refurbishment?
Just do your homework, word of mouth is a good thing and speak to the retailer. Look at the brands they sell week in, week out and find a good installer. They are key, you can buy the best brand in the world but if you get a bad installer then they can make it look terrible.

Any predictions for bathroom trends in 2018?
We’re working on a couple of new products, more modern, sleek lines. So you’ll see a lot from Marflow in 2018.

To find out more about St James Collection here.