John Swain, Product Manager of Franke, discusses the current trends in the kitchen tap market:

Today, we are seeing a coordinated approach to tap designs; the future will see this trend increase. When selecting products for the wet area of a kitchen either the tap or the sink can lead in the decision process. For example, if a filtered water tap is the main criteria, the sink will be chosen so that it coordinates with the tap. In addition, the kitchen tap market is also seeing a shift towards the coordinated approach of the mixage tap, where the tap will either match the colour of the worktop or the colour of the sink.

Franke offers a comprehensive range of taps in a variety of finishes including Chrome, SilkSteel and Stainless Steel.

The eclectic design of this heavyweight, chrome finish Zeal wall mounted basin and bath mixer is easy to see why it is one of the most successful mixers in the Abode bathroom collection. Zeal is a minimalist design concept offering perfect symmetry along its clean lines and is the ideal partner to the most contemporary of bathroom fixtures. Zeal is perfect for new build or refurbishment projects.

Monodin-N is the new redesigned, single lever brassware collection from Roca, offering up to date styling at an affordable price point. With single lever mixers continuing to drive the market, Monodin-N has been reshaped for modern bathrooms. Its streamline, straight edged handle is gently arced offering consumers a clean and minimal look that will complement all bathroom styles.

To coincide with the autumn refurbishing season, leading tap shower, and sanitary systems manufacturer, GROHE is offering up to 80% off RLP on all new GROHE display products launched in 2009.

Totally exclusive to Waterfront, this chic collection has been conceived and produced in close collaboration with some of Britain's leading interior designers, including the internationally renowned Kelly Hoppen and Mark Humphrey. Distinctive and aspirational, the Designer Collection challenges the traditional, explores the future and lifts bathroom fittings to a new aesthetic, offering the ultimate stand-out finish to your design project.

The new Metris Classic collection from Hansgrohe combines the luxury of classic beauty and innovative technology. This new design language blends modern geometrical and traditional elements with clearly defined edges and radiant surfaces, and the attention to detail is reflected in the mixer's sleek body which broadens out into a solid, stable base. The perpendicular spout adds an element of lightness with its gentle wave form directed downward into the wash basin and these shapes are echoed in the ergonomically designed handle. Hansgrohe's EcoSmart technology contains the water flow to an economical 7.2 litres per minute, yet without diminishing user comfort. The Metris Classic finds its perfect complement in the new Raindance AIR hand showers with their classic visual appeal.

Astracast, market leader in the manufacture of kitchens, sinks, taps and accessories, has been creating innovative, stunningly visual yet practical solutions for today's homes for over 25 years.

Astracast's stylish taps complement all kitchen styles and are in line with today's gleaming finishes. City slick, rural chic or farmhouse, there's an Astracast tap to finish your kitchen.

Responding to the growing awareness of filtration taps now, Carron Phoenix introduced the new Dante model in early Summer at a competitive price point of £289, aimed at being attractive to mid market consumers and budgets. Dante is the first filter tap within Carron's range to offer two different filter options, one specifically for hard water areas.

Deva is adding to its Contemporary Collection of bathroom taps with the Excel Maxi mono basin mixer - the EX213 - which can be fitted with the award winning Enviro-Klick^TM cartridge to save water.

The eyecatching new BLANCOZENOS tap is available in ten shades to complement every colour in our new coloured sink material SILGRANIT® PuraDur® II.

VADO's Synergie range of basin, bath and shower mixers have become a real hit with those who desire the very latest in beautiful and stylish tap design. The waterfall design spout combined with sleek minimalist body and handle make for a bold and elegant style statement in any bathroom.

With growing concerns about the environment and increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers are now more demanding than ever, seeking eco-friendly solutions to everyday products that combine both convenience and style. Triflow Concepts Limited meets all three of these requirements with their new Contemporary Collection of taps.

The Waterside Collection of taps has been created to complement all Shaws of Darwen traditionally styled ‘British made' Classic and Original ranges of ceramic sinks. The Helmshore tap is a swan necked design with ceramic branded levers, quarter turn ceramic disc valves, extended length flexible tail pipes with integral non-return valves for easy installation and comes complete with Neoperl anti splash aerator and adjustable inlet legs.

Bristan's new Oval range takes inspiration from the trend for the use of curves in architecture, cars and kitchens, to provide the trade with a complementary family of taps, mixers and showers that offer designer styling at a value for money price.

Genna mixer taps from Hudson Reed are engineered from solid brass with machined square edges and mirror flat surfaces.

Genna combines form, function and elegance into a range of contemporary brassware to blend perfectly with the minimalist bathroom. The clean, mirror flat surfaces of the Genna range are highlighted by the synergy between the rectangular spout and the operating handle, creating a pleasing and practical brassware for the bathroom.

One of Britain's leading distributors to the kitchen industry, D K Distribution of Manchester are supplying an exciting new range of sink and tap designs including products from leading manufacturer Pyramis.

A discernible trend in the tap market is towards offering greater functionality. The consumer has been exposed to the benefits of the filtration tap and also pull-out sprays for long enough now to expect a far wider choice of styles that perform these functions and this informed the new tap designs that we are introducing in 2009.

With glamour returning to bathroom brassware, Carron Phoenix has followed suit for the kitchen market with its brand new Qubix tap.

A passion for minimalist Italian design is the creative backbone of the Abode Passion range. A tapered base plinth and solid cylindrical body create a clean and elegant low pressure range, suited to a most bathrooms.

The Waterside Collection of taps has been created to complement all Shaws traditionally styled ‘British made' Classic and Original ranges of ceramic sinks. The Helmshore tap is a swan necked design with ceramic branded levers, quarter turn ceramic disc valves, extended length flexible tail pipes with integral non-return valves for easy installation and comes complete with Neoperl anti splash aerator and adjustable inlet legs. The Helmshore Bridge tap is available in chrome finish only.

‘Get smart, get ecosmart' is the proposition from Bristan as it launches a comprehensive range of products designed to save water in the bathroom.

Impulse Bathrooms have invested in their own specialist brassware manufacturing facility and are launching five ranges of high quality taps and mixers suitable for water pressures from as low as 0.5 bar up to 10 bar with a flow rate not exceeding 13 litres per minute.

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.

Sinks, taps and accessories manufacturer, Reginox UK, has added the stylish RF 30 to its range of taps.

K A Distribution is delighted to be working in partnership with Abode Home Products, the leading UK designer of stylish kitchen taps.

The Mini range of monobloc basin taps from Crosswater may be petite; yet style has certainly not been compromised.

Presented by style icons and fashion designers over and over again, black combined with white or the other way around represents expressive strength without being obtrusive; and elegance without being exaggerated. The "no colour" concept has now reached the bathroom with KLUDI launching the successful architectural design range ZENTA BLACK & WHITE.

BLANCOSPIRE is a stylish, monobloc mixer tap targeting anyone looking for a new interpretation of the popular swan-neck style. Equally elegant in black, white or chrome, the high arched spout of the tap swivels smoothly across the sink, with single-lever operation of the water flow.

Franke's commitment to high-quality craftsmanship, innovation and design continues throughout the new product portfolio.

Storm is just one of the very latest brassware ranges from Pegler Yorkshire - a company at the forefront of the development in new taps and mixers.

Geberit, the leading manufacturer of sanitary, supply and HDPE drainage systems, offers the latest generation of washbasin taps, combining water-saving and aesthetics for attractive and eco-friendly washrooms.

Who could possibly refuse fittings which shine and a design which lends the kitchen a modern look at little expense; a kitchen in which handling water is a pleasure? You want more? More quality? More intelligent technology? Or less? Less expense? Less installation effort? Less water wasted? Kludi now has even more to offer - reliable, attractive and intelligent fittings giving you ‘more for less'!

The Perfect Time basin tap from Inta is electronically operated and is ideal for the less abled.  It turns on and off with the touch of a button - and if it's not turned off by the user, it turns itself off automatically after a pre-determined time. Ease of operation also has another benefit for the less able who only have to touch the tap to make it operate, not push, pull or turn anything.

Leading UK based Brassware Specialist, VADO, introduces Notion its new high quality range of bathroom products.

MOD joystick basin mixer, designed by Ross Lovegrove

Where, in times gone by, taps and shower units may have been installed as standard off-the-shelf afterthoughts, VitrA has established it's brassware ranges as high end designer products that combine aesthetic excellence with superb functionality.

Stylish brassware producer Savil of Italy has added two mixer designs to its extensive collection. These are Tondo and Due Due, the former with angled spout and sequential control on a vertical column, the latter with horizontally extended spout and two handles, also on a vertical column.