I have seen exceptional Italian furniture with sleek, minimalist lines, cosmopolitan design and a strong use of colour, but what else is it that keeps the Italians in the lead?

It seems to me that the Italians have a very keen awareness of the bathroom market and are alert to the Polish, Chinese and East European threat. It is not just cutting-edge design that is keeping the Italians safe – they are also striding forth with leading technology to ensure quality standards are high.

Whereas in most Chinese furniture factories there is a large labour force and therefore a lot of hand polishing and hand spraying to products which logistically have to be flat packed for distribution, in the Italian factories there is a modern infrastructure with a high degree of cleanliness, order and precision to ensure consistent quality.

It’s the same with Italian shower enclosures except that the Chinese threat is more significant here as the production of quality enclosures coming out of China is also now really quite high. The challenge for the Italians here is therefore design, design, design – and once again, they shine!

Many Italian shower enclosures have such a great marriage between fantastic design and functionality. At ISH I saw some great Italian ideas to increase ease of maintenance - shower enclosures with hinges only on the outside of the glass and magnetic door handles that pull off for easy cleaning.

It can’t just be about looking good – the products have to work well for the end user, too, and the combination of these two factors is where the Italian strength lies.

For further information contact Tab UK on 0191-469 5500, Fax 0191-469 5828, e-mail sales@tab-uk.com or visit www.tab-uk.co.uk

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