Kronospan has launched a fresh new set of melamine decors for 2009. The collection has been created following extensive research into forthcoming interior trends.

The new Abode creations and innovatively styled ranges of bathroom brassware and showers have been created for people who want the perfect blend of design, performance and sheer quality.

Amica, the leading and award-winning Polish appliances brand, is delighted to announce the launch of its new Elegance range of A+ rated, cooling appliances, in the UK.

International bathroom manufacturer VitrA has extended its Water Jewels collection with the introduction of two metallic bowls.

JIS Europe, based in Haywards Heath and one of the UK's leading suppliers of stainless steel designer radiators and towel rails have introduced two stylish, square profile valves. Designed to complement the Brunswick range of towel rails that also feature a contemporary square pipe design, the new valves are manufactured in the highest quality chrome plated brass and are available in either a polished or satin finish.

Jobsite Companion, from Cabinet Vision, is an ingenious software tool that operates on a PDA device and enables the cabinet or casework maker to collect and store on-site data quickly, accurately and easily.

Europe's leading manufacturer of wood-based panel products has launched a new range of stylish and durable kitchen worktops in a choice of thicknesses.

Introduced in response to consumer demand in the US, Avilion has recently launched two Pot Fillers under the Perrin & Rowe brand. Confident that the pot filler will become an increasingly prominent appliance in UK homes, the new Perrin & Rowe designs are already attracting interest.

By popular demand, Carron Phoenix's Reno tap is now available in brushed nickel finish, complementing the shiny chrome version already in the company's portfolio.

Upping the ante when it comes to built-in luxury and convenience, Shades is introducing soft close seats on all its WC's.

International bathroom manufacturer VitrA has launched three new ranges of wall and floor tiles created in VitrA Arklow, Ireland's only ceramic tile factory.

Taking elements from its domestic sauna and steam ranges, Tylo has developed space-saving all-in-one cubicles, bringing together sauna and steam bathing, complete with an integral shower which is used as part of the bathing experience.

Amica, the leading Polish brand of built-in and freestanding appliances, has extended its laundry range with the addition of a new slimline washing machine. The AWSM12D is the natural choice for consumers requiring an affordable yet highly functional freestanding washer suitable for a restricted space.

With its strikingly minimal design, the M2 Ceramic Bathroom Collection from Galassia,  designed by renowned international designer Romano Adolini and manufactured in Italy in the company's purpose built plant, is a versatile answer to the demands of today's modern living.

One of Britain's foremost suppliers of modern surfacing and edging materials, EDP, have made major strides forwards by enhancing their service to customers.

Aubergine, the colour du jour in the interior design industry is now available in Parapan®. By adding this on-trend shade to their colour palette, Parapan® is fast becoming the material of choice for kitchen designers across the UK.

Roca, the leading global bathroom brand, has launched a new range of low capacity eco baths - Carla Eco, Contesa Eco and Almeria - to meet the growing demand for water efficient products in the bathroom. Roca has always been committed to the environment, combining design and innovation with advanced water saving technology. The new baths have a capacity of just 130 litres - which offers significant water savings when compared to standard models.

With HETAL products now firmly integrated into the GRASS brand, a wider range of products suited to kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, office and laboratory furniture is available through Drawer Management Systems.

Hudson Reed launches the Eco-Click mono basin mixer in the Tec brassware range, at the same price as the standard model.

After years of adding new models and myriad options in kitchen doors, carcasses, side panels, plinths, light panels and colours, Keller has reorganised its collections. This resulted in the new Keller Colour System which contains four colour/material collections for the Red Label and Black Label.

New to Manhattan's impressive product portfolio of wetroom and shower solutions is ‘Minimal'; a modern and elegant shower enclosure.

Rosewood Gloss from the new Showerwall waterproof wallpanelling range captures the look for designer chic, while being easy to install and appealingly affordable. The Rosewood design breaks the traditional perception of showerwall panelling with its overtly contemporary style that hits the trend for exotic woodgrains in the home. The luxurious high definition print woodgrain is enhanced by a hardwearing gloss texture for an upscale look that works well with contemporary bathroom furniture.

The elegant, super sleek Zurich kitchen mixer tap from Franke is now available in a stunning SilkSteel finish.

Brassware specialist, Crosswater, has a stunning addition to its product portfolio, Pursuit. The Pursuit range's sleek and subtle design epitomises contemporary style for the bathroom.

Purus, the leading Swedish manufacturer of drainage and plumbing products for wetrooms, has launched a simple to install pre-formed tileable or vinyl covered base for wetroom showers to complement its range of linear wetroom drains.

With the growing consumer demand for worksurfaces that not only look beautiful but perform practically too, PWS have developed a range of new design features for its surfacing collection.

Everyone loves a classic and the new Lucida tap from Carron Phoenix draws on the timeless appeal of a swan neck spout, but its squarer styling gives it a more modern feel that will appeal to a wider range of tastes.

Deva has added to its extensive range of thermostatic shower valves with the launch of the exquisite Vision 7000.

The PJH Group has extended its choice of kitchen lighting solutions within its contemporary K Kitchens collection, with the addition of a new range of low energy LED lighting.

High gloss plain colour surfaces are available as worktops from the Axiom by Formica® range, offering high impact looks for contemporary kitchen designs.

A masterpiece for the bathroom, Bauhaus' latest new basin boasts slender, crisp lines with clean-cut edges and is ideal for contemporary bathrooms with a geometric twist. The Tenerife basin's neat proportions allow style to prevail in the smallest of spaces.

With its uncomplicated design, luxury feel and contemporary frameless door, the Curved Enclosure from Simpsons' Classic Collection exudes quality and creates an unobtrusive look that enhances rather than overwhelms the bathroom.

Roca is pleased to announce the release of two new brochures - Evolution and Book of the Tap. Aiming to offer inspiring bathroom solutions for today and tomorrow, ‘Evolution' provides a comprehensive overview of Roca's more design-led and luxury ranges, from sanitaryware to furniture and accessories. To complement ‘Evolution', a dedicated brassware guide, ‘Book of the Tap', contains Roca's entire catalogue of brassware ranges, including the latest water efficient tap, Singles-Pro.

Usually best known for its freestanding baths, specialist manufacturer Victoria & Albert has announced reductions of over 20 percent on its Freedom baths from January 1 2009. Made from naturally white QUARRYCAST®, a unique material rich in volcanic limestone, the three Freedom models share a common super-deep 478mm bathing well and can be built into just about any surround.

Everyone is tightening their belts at the moment - and solid surface specialist Sylmar is doing its bit to give both retailers and consumers a boost by providing chef packs worth £200 with its Maia kitchen worktops.

As part of its ongoing commitment to provide retailers with an unrivalled personalised service, Burbidge is launching a new customer communication programme to support smaller retailers, amid the increasingly difficult retail climate.

The radiator market has never been so diverse and exciting, thanks to an undiminished consumer interest in interior design among homeowners. Even the slowdown in the UK housing market is leading many people to improve their homes instead of moving.

Purmo has made both its distinctive high output vertical and horizontal Faro radiators available in the UK.

Sometimes the simplest designs are the most striking - and that's certainly true of the Flame from MHS Radiators. Balancing form and function, the polished blades of the Flame not only make for excellent heat convection but also add a timeless quality to the radiator.

Myson, renowned for heating through innovation, has added to its contemporary line of radiators and towel warmers, with the introduction of a range of stainless steel products.

CT. Radiators have developed the Interlocking Lattice Fin Technology (Patent Pending) offering unprecedented efficiency and design flexibility, balancing function beautifully with style.

Traditionally, designer radiators have been more about design and less about effective heating. This is because the designer has needed to compromise heating efficiency in order to achieve the creative designs that are making us sit up and take note! That is until Agadon discovered a way to do both...

As one of the world's leading suppliers of thermostatic and manual radiator valves, Pegler Yorkshire is at the forefront of the latest developments in the industry. A range of decorative radiator valves is now available that combine elegance with the reliable performance associated with Pegler Yorkshire.

The baroque-styled Heatwave radiator, designed by Jaga Home Heating together with acclaimed Dutch designer Joris Laarman, is now available in the UK.

Premium Heated Towel Rail manufacturer Vogue (UK) recently launched a unique combination of hand crafted round and square tube chrome finished designs in the shape of a new ‘Contemporary' range.

There's a new twist to the tales of Aeon's stainless steel Twister radiator technology. Twister720 has joined the family alongside the Twister180, Twister360 and Clipper.

In-House Inspired Room Design, UK agents for Schüller kitchens, says German kitchen design has always had a reputation for engineering, efficiency and practicality. However, Wayne Dance believes they are now also stealing the march in terms of design innovation.

Schüller Kitchens, supplied to the UK market by In-House Inspired Room Design, have revolutionised kitchen design. In October 2008, Schüller launched its new C2 range that is designed around a grid system providing an architectural line to kitchen designs. This is the first time this is available to the mid-market. Two new base unit heights of 715mm and 780mm have also been introduced.

The purist design of the latest Puro bath from Kaldewei reflects the modern style approach for bathrooms in reducing everything to the essentials. The bath's simple geometric shape manufactured from Kaldewei's unique 3.5mm steel enamel is perfect for teaming up with sanitaryware in similar rectangular styles which are currently a popular trend.

Axor, the Hansgrohe designer brand, has launched a new collection from the grand master of design Philippe Starck. "The Axor Starck ShowerCollection," says Philippe Starck, "is a complete program, a genuine system consisting of a whole lot of small, square objects that can be combined to form an infinite range of totally flexible solutions. This is what we call Haute Couture for the shower." Shower, thermostat, lighting and speaker modules as well as shelf units conform to the same 12cm x 12cm perfect square shape and the same unembellished design, as do the control elements such as shut-off valves and mixers.

Bauformat is one of Germanys leading Kitchen Manufacturers. Its product portfolio is vast and provides kitchens of distinction at highly competitive price points. Bauformat offers a range of kitchens to meet both traditional and contemporary preferences with a raft of innovative storage solutions and accessories to complement its carefully crafted furniture. A range of stylish finishes can be combined using both Bauformat and Burger to produce a completely individual look and open up endless design possibilities.

HSK's range of bathroom heating combines style with beautifully engineered materials to produce a range of bathroom heating which not only looks good but has enviable BTU outputs.

The new inspirational ALNOStar handleless kitchen range is available in gloss (Highline), wood veneers (Natureline) and laminate (Smartline) finishes. The timeless range benefits from a recessed handle grip, which is available in the same material and colour as the door front, as well as stainless steel. LED lighting can be integrated into the handle grip to emphasise the clean line of the kitchen.

Duravit have now launched additions to the popular Bacino basin and matching Fogo console ranges. With the new assembly height of 45cm, Fogo consoles can now even be used as a seat; they include spacious drawers for storage and come in versatile planning widths of 60, 80, 100, 120, 150 and 180cm.

Duropal's new UK worktop collection from Pfleiderer Industrie demonstrates superior reproduction techniques giving convincing granite, wood and solid surface effects in genuine high pressure laminate. The most dramatic is Astral Quartz with an enhanced high gloss surface for improved abrasion resistance. The multi shade grey/silver chips against a pitch black background work well in kitchens for lovers of the granite look.

Whilst extraction is obviously the key function of any hood, technological developments, increased control and improved filter function are all themes that are central to design innovation. Research and development has already resulted in low noise levels coupled with efficient extraction and cutting edge design; now the aim is to offer the additional features that will enhance the hood's role within the kitchen.

Moonlight Island - The Moonlight Island extractor from Franke with its unique, contemporary design, sculpted crescent façade and ambient lighting looks exceptionally stylish from all viewpoints, whilst concealing highly efficient extraction technology. Incorporating the unbeatably quiet and highly efficient PRO-motor and a sleek, shiny stainless steel finish, the new Moonlight Island extractor is an aesthetically-pleasing addition to island and hob combination and offers superb quality and outstanding performance.

Available from Esse, Britain's innovative range cooker designers and manufacturers are their high quality, chimney style, range hoods.

The latest design available through UK distributor DR Cooker Hoods is Ola; a stylish yet simple design from the Elica Collection.

At the high end of the kitchen appliances market, consumers are demanding a greater choice of cooker hoods with designs that harmonise better with hobs. Air Uno has an impressive selection that meets this demand, all with sleek Italian styling that combines contemporary lines with high performance extraction. Stainless steel and black glass are two materials that are very popular at the moment and there are hoods in both these materials in a variety of widths and styles.

The hoods market still represents a sales opportunity for retailers as hoods are increasingly seen as a necessity, rather than an accessory.

Crisp, contemporary styling characterises the latest hood, Phantom, from innovative appliance specialist, Caple.

Glass is a key element in contemporary kitchen design, not just for unit doors and splashbacks but also for appliances. Appliance specialist CDA has launched the 3Z9 extractor in a choice of either black or white bevelled edge glass to match its multifunction 6Z6 single electric oven. As well as looking good, this extractor is packed with impressive features to keep the kitchen clean and fresh.

KitchenAid offers the complete kitchen solution. Its range of premium built-in major domestic appliances includes ovens, microwaves, hobs, cooker hoods, dishwashers, wine and cooling solutions.

Enjoy sleek and shiny aesthetics alongside high quality performance with Baumatic's new P35SS extractor from its designer Pythagora collection...

Judging by the sales of Britannia cooker hoods, the market seems buoyant with many consumers choosing a new hood to complement their range cooker.

Westin are the only UK Company to manufacture and supply custom-built domestic kitchen extractors. Westin's wholly bespoke service gives designers the flexibility they demand to create functional yet beautiful living spaces.

There is a difference between cheap and good value," says Ian Kershaw, MD of appliance specialists CDA, "Buying low cost appliances from a brand that only does low cost and has no real background of service and quality is a bad move for retailers - not just because problems are inevitably ahead if something goes wrong, but also because there's nowhere to go if the customer is willing to trade up."

Smart new aesthetics make CDA's entry level HCG500, HCG520 and HCE550 gas and electric hobs a great choice for consumers looking for style combined with quality and affordable pricing.

SMALL Family Business, Calmtouch Limited are making a big splash in the Bathroom Industry with their over bath shower screen, Outasight® by Lee Brown. Guaranteed not to leak or go mouldy, the Outasight® Screen consists of an unobtrusive aluminium box which attaches to the wall and pivots open to reveal a retractable shower screen. The curtain covers 85% of your bath allowing a large showering area, and also helps to avoid those slippy floors-the cause of many an unfortunate accident. Invented and sold by Lee Brown and his Nottingham-based family business, the Outasight® is hand built in the United Kingdom, and bespoke sizes and variations are available.

Bushboard's new Odyssey range is best in class for worktop style on a budget .

Duravit is pursuing a strategy described by the company as ‘from Jeans to Dinner Jacket' meaning it will now provide products to serve all price points of the market. The sanitaryware and furniture collection called D-Code offers design, quality and value for customers with entry-level budgets for both domestic and commercial applications. Created by Sieger Design, D-Code is ‘designer jeans' for the bathroom and is geared towards creating a timeless element in our everyday lives. Duravit will also continue to provide innovative products to serve the luxury ‘Dinner Jacket' end of the market.

Brand new from Roca is Nexo - a design led range of competitively priced sanitaryware offering contemporary styling at an affordable price point.

Reginox has launched two new stainless steel sinks aimed at homeowners seeking a luxury sink at a budget price.

With seven individual designs in Deva's Everyday collection, there is a style to suit all tastes and budgets, offering retailers well-crafted, quality brassware that will please customers and boost your bottom line.

Ideal Bathrooms has extended its ‘Essential from Ideal' heating collection to include more towel rail sizes and styles, giving retailers and builders' merchants a wider choice of bathroom heating.

The Nottingham based masters of in-frame kitchen design are to launch a ‘credit crunch' beating range of furniture which despite a simplified specification, will still give the top in-frame brands cause for concern.

Talis S" and Talis E", the latest bathroom collections from Hansgrohe, offer two variations that epitomize simplicity and subtle luxury: with the ‘S' design providing sleek, contemporary lines and the ‘E' version with its more curvaceous, organic forms. The new, slender shape of the single-lever basin mixers is made possible thanks to the reduced proportions of the M2 ceramic cartridge from Hansgrohe with a diameter of just 35mm. Both models offer stylistic confidence and quality at fair prices, while at the same time providing a high level of functionality and durability in the bathroom.

Vivo Vario Eco from Kaldewei is a new combination whirlpool system with air and water jets which are affordable to a wider range of customers. The individual features can be selected so that even those on a limited budget can still afford the highest levels of luxury and safety. A key feature of the system is the new, particularly quiet yet very effective fan, which guarantees perfect whirlpool enjoyment in soothing peace and quiet.

Aqualux - the UK's number one manufacturer of bath screens, have a beautiful range of bath screens to suit any budget and style of bathroom at an affordable price. From the cost-effective Aquarius collection, that offers a range of styles from Sail and Oval designs to a two panel slider, through to the premium minimalist Pura collection which includes the first frameless four-fold bath screen and added-value features such as slim-line bar towel rail and integral glass, all six Aqualux collections provide consumers with affordable luxury.

Planit Fusion, leaders in design and visualisation software for the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom industry offers a high functionality software package with comprehensive manufacturer data, what many people don't realise is that they also offer a lower priced option for smaller outlets with lower investment levels.

Kitchen appliance brand, New World, demonstrates that the current climate does not mean that buyers must sacrifice style and technology for affordability.

Developed with the installer and end user in mind, the Aqua 1000 from Galaxy provides an affordable yet stylish showering solution.

Due to the success of the eco bathroom range from furniture manufacturer, JJO, a new finish has been created and is now on sale from all eco bathroom retailers nationwide.

As everyone begins to tighten their belts in preparation for a tough year ahead, it's good to know that you can still buy a quality shower at a competitive price without sacrificing style and performance. Leading shower manufacturer, Mira Showers, offers several entry-level products that bring style, performance and quality within the reach of those working to a tight budget.

Mereway Kitchens offer the best of both worlds; a quality door range at competitive prices. Lastra Silk doors, from their Italian inspired Cucina Colore range, is a hugely successful product that offers a quality Italian style look at a great value price.

The new Antro selection of brassware from Marflow offers smart and sophisticated taps and mixers and the handsome range broadens the company's already extensive portfolio.

Aqualisa has enhanced its entry-level Opto Digital and Visage Digital shower ranges with the addition of a remote control switch.

The Topaz sink from Astracast is a testament to designer styling at an affordable price. This practical and modern, mid price point sink offers both distinctive design and value for money.

There's no doubt about it, the bathroom market is much more difficult than it was 12 months ago. People are simply holding back on spending whilst the world sorts out the credit crunch. But householders do want to continue to improve their homes even if new housebuild has virtually stopped at present.

Ideal Bathrooms has extended its ‘Essential from Ideal' heating collection to include more towel rail sizes and styles, giving retailers and builders' merchants a wider choice of bathroom heating.

Ideal Bathrooms has taken delivery of £500,000 of stock from the new product range - Concept by Ideal Standard.

Paul's view is that with many distributors wanting a slice of all sections of the market companies like BBD who are solely interested in supporting their customers will enjoy growth in any economic market.

We at Sterling would like to take this opportunity to wish our embattled customers good luck for 2009. For those who already deal with us you will be familiar with our Sink & Tap catalogue and our newly launched Bathroom book containing a range of contemporary sanitary ware and mid to high range brassware from Italy. If you have not yet received your copies they are on the way. If you don't have an account with us and wish to see our wares please give us a ring and we will send you a set of books.

Luxury bathroom distributer, Aquaplus Solutions, has introduced a new colour option to its already popular line of contemporary bathroom furniture.

The latest division of DK Distribution, DK Components is now supplying the UK and Ireland with the ultimate carcase service.

Quality British bathroom and kitchen furniture manufacturer JJO has designed its standard height mirror wall cabinets around functionality and style. The cabinets feature a unique push and click handle-less design creating a minimalist feel.

Blackheath Products boasts one of the UK's most comprehensive collections of laminate, solid surfacing and solid wood worksurfaces from one central location. And not just any worktops, they pride themselves on offering distinctive and recognizable brands such as Axiom, Duropal, Egger, Encore, Heartwood, Minerelle, Nuance, Prima and Tradeline.

KA Distribution has been appointed the national distributor of leading range cooker specialist, Britannia.  

A number of new initiatives have been announced by the KBSA (Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association) to help retailer members operate more profitably and efficiently. The Association's corporate members have offered a range of support packages that provide discounts and incentives exclusively for KBSA retail members.

Renowned consumer interiors title House Beautiful has crowned PWS' Second Nature Avant Black range with its Gold Award for Kitchen Collection of the Year 2008 (over £10,000). The Awards judging panel included celebrated designers Jeff Banks, Sebastian and Sophie Conran, Oliver Heath, Tommy Walsh and Laurence Llewelyn Bowen plus key members of the House Beautiful editorial team.

A luxury Oxfordshire hotel has Aquapanel in its bathroom walls to ensure that expensive tiling stays firmly in place, irrespective of how much guests splash when showering. The market leading tile backer board has been installed in the 52 bedrooms and key ‘wet' service areas of the new four star hotel at Bicester Country Club to support heavy tiling.

Boasting the level of specification normally associated with five star hotels the latest private residence to be developed by Iconic Properties has utilised a number of bespoke glass installations by D R Services.

Marten Baker has been appointed as the new Commercial Manager for bathroom specialist, Bauhaus.

In uncertain times some things remain constant. One of those constants is that bathroom buyers demand, and expect, good quality water efficient products, first class customer service and excellent value for money.

Homeowners are very focussed on sustainability and want to know where the materials used in their home come from and if they are eco-friendly. Tiles are very "green". They come from the earth. They are made from natural clay that has been baked in a kiln, even the glazes and decoration are made from naturally occurring minerals. Because tiles have an extremely long life, just look at all those Roman tiles that are still intact, they need to be replaced less often which really offsets the energy used to produce package and deliver them in a way that does not apply to less durable materials. A longer product lifespan also means less waste in landfill sites.

Leading appliance manufacturer Glen Dimplex Home Appliances (GDHA), has beaten suppliers from across Europe to be named White Goods Supplier of the Year at this year's Combined Independent Holdings (CIH) Awards.

Avilion Limited, Britain's largest independent manufacturer of brassware, is announcing a name change to Triflow Concepts Limited. The name, inspired by the company's very first product innovation - the immensely successful Triflow - will be in place from 18 January 2009.

An analysis of historical trends, market data and consumer behaviour indicates that there is still plenty for the home improvement industry to go at", argues Nick Egdell, managing director, FairTrades. Speaking in response to the almost daily tales of woe from UK plc and beyond, Egdell believes that there are positives to be taken out of the current ‘credit crunch' and softening housing market.

Stories regarding the future of German high-end built-in appliance specialist Küppersbusch, have been circulating since incorrect claims appeared in sections of the German press. The articles in question stated that Küppersbusch was going out of business.