Journal

While Catchpole & Rye might be best known for our passion for antique baths and our faithful replicas of 19th-century French designs, we are also innovators. Perhaps the most striking example of this is the latest addition to our collection – The Mayfair shower tray, a ground-breaking design that has been turning heads since its launch earlier this year.

Our attitude to the bathroom has changed. No longer seen as purely functional, it has become an indulgent space in which we choose to linger, wallow and relax mind, body and soul. More and more square metres (and budget) are being dedicated to the bathroom, making it one of the most luxurious rooms in the home.

The bathroom’s changing role has been driven by the luxury wellness and hotel industry, which continues to raise the bar with its spectacular bathroom design concepts and high-end amenities. When planning a getaway, it is often the show-stopping bathrooms and spa facilities that capture our imagination and lead us choose one hotel over another.

The key to any successful building or renovation project is thorough planning, and a new bathroom is no different. If you’re redesigning your bathroom (or adding one from scratch), you’re probably grappling with questions about budget, plumbing, layout, styles and finishes, many of which need to be answered early on in the process. But don’t panic! Our design team is on hand to help you with the many decisions that lie ahead.

It’s easy to get bogged down in the detail, but a project of this scale represents a long-term investment, so it’s important to get it right first time. A meeting with one of our consultants will leave no stone unturned – we’ve been involved in many a bathroom project, so there aren’t many challenges that we haven’t faced!

The roar of engines, the flash of flags and a crowd dressed to impress in the best post-war fashions – not the set of a period drama but a unique three-day motor racing festival on the Earl of March’s beautiful Goodwood Estate in West Sussex where vintage is all the rage. Held every September, The Goodwood Revival is a celebration of the halcyon days of motor racing around a classic circuit, and the only historic race meeting to be staged in period dress. The Revival recalls the glory days of Goodwood Circuit, which once ranked alongside Silverstone as Britain’s leading race track. Between 1948 and 1966 Goodwood’s triumphant race card included Formula one, the Goodwood Nine Hours race and the renowned Tourist Trophy sports car race.

“On the whole, I wish I’d stayed in Tunbridge Wells.” So says Mr Dryden in Lawrence of Arabia. And we at Catchpole & Rye wholeheartedly agree having become the newest member of Tunbridge Wells’ budding design hub. The recent opening of our showroom on Calverley Road marks the start of an exciting new chapter for us. Opened by the newly elected mayor, Councillor David Neve, the 3,500 square foot showroom – our largest to date – is set over two floors and showcases an exclusive collection of luxurious freestanding baths and bathroom products in both classic and contemporary finishes.

Last month on our blog we wrote about Goodwood Revival, the festival that relives the glory days of this classic motor circuit. As a celebration of history, classic design and great craftsmanship, we found it inspiring, not least because these values are the driving force behind our own company ethos.

There has been an explosion of interest in all things Scandinavian in recent years, from interior design and Nordic noir to fashion and food. The latest trend to sweep the nation is the philosophy of hygge (pronounced ‘hooga’), which was originally a Norwegian term for wellbeing but was adopted in the 19th century by the Danes, who incorporated it into their way of life.

Hygge is sometimes loosely translated as ‘cosiness’, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about slowing down enough to appreciate the value – emotional as well as tangible – of the small things in life. Almost anything can be hyggelig – whether you’re baking pastries, entertaining friends, snuggling up in front of a roaring fire or luxuriating in a warm bath, the key to hygge is to find contentment and meaning in everyday moments.