Design by the letter

ASSOCIATED METAL

All Associated Metal's bespoke products for the bathroom are manufactured all in hygenic Steristeel. The company has recently launched the Style Brite bathroom suite, above, in highly polished stainless steel.

0141 551 0707

BLU

Blu ''beautiful lines unexplained'' is renowned for its versatile and original Igo glass, which can be used for worktops, shower panels and other domestic applications. Its latest innovation is the Iroko wooden shower tray and matching wooden basins.

01278 793644

COUVERTURE

The Couverture collection has bed clothing and covers with subtle hand-embroidered, stitched, woven or applique designs using natural fabrics. The range of colours and textures can suit all moods.

020 77951200

DALSOUPLE

Rubber is enjoying something of a revival in domestic bathrooms. Dalsouple tiles are a low maintenance addition to your bathroom floor. The Granite range floor looks smooth, but with its slightly raised hammer-blow design it has a non-slip surface.

01984 667551

ECLECTICS

Eclectic designs involve clean lines, simple shapes and modern fabrics, ideal for those who bristle at ruffles and bows. All blinds are easy to order and made to measure.

01843 852888

FARROW & BALL

For its high quality paint, Farrow & Ball uses traditional manufacturing methods to heighten levels of sheen and depth of colour. New wallpaper ranges include the company's first collection of block printed wallpaper.

01202 876141

GAGGENAU

Gaggenau's combined steam and hot air oven allows cooks to retain flavour and goodness in any dish. It has an aluminium-backed glass door that opens to 180 degrees for ease of use.

01908 328360

HANSGROHE

Hansgrohe has ergonomically designed hi-tech products, which look as good as they feel. The Hansgrohe, Axor and Pharo brands have showers, bathroom and kitchen mixers, shower columns, steam showers and whirlpools. The Cocoon shower cabin, will appeal to anyone embracing the future.

01372 465655

INDA

This Italian manufacturer of bathroom furniture and accessories, offers an array of basins, units, mirrors, accessories and lights, all offering a refreshing simplicity of design.

020 7386 1933

JAPANESE KNIFE COMPANY

These state-of-the-art zirconium ceramic blades are second only in hardness to diamonds. Available in a wide variety of sizes, the blades are available in white, or for the adventurous, black.

0870 240 2248

KIRKSTONE

Kirkstone extracts a unique volcanic sea green stone called Kirkstone, and Brathay Blue/Black Slate from an English quarry. It also sources other stones globally, including Caliza Capri limestone, from southern Spain. With a natural tone and subtle texture, it is suitable for most wall and floor applications.

015394 33296

LACANCHE

Lacanche has launched its Moderne model, which cooks to professional standards. With six burners and

cast-iron pan supports, each oven has a 55-litre capacity. The brushed stainless steel finish and black and chrome trim brings an industrial-style, contemporary look.

01202 733 011

MODUL-LINE

German manufacturer, Siemens offers a range of modular appliances, aptly named ''Modul-line'', to add a finishing touch to any contemporary kitchen. All in functional and fashionable stainless steel, the Modul-line range combines bold statement with practicality.

NO CODE

No Code's selection of bathroomware has everything items from continental style wall-hung WCs and basins and vanity units through to the more traditional taste of cast-iron baths. No Code's Extreme storage cabinet is the modern answer to how to store bathroom accessories.

01962 870078

OCP

From the base of his shop in East London, Oliver Peake has founded a furniture design company. His design approach favours simplicity and always being true to the function of each piece. He specialises in commissioned pieces which are designed to work in harmony with their surroundings.

020 7729 3700

PRIMAL ELEMENTS

Primal Elements' hand-made soap bars come in 80 different varieties and are an ideal stocking filler. Particularly a seasonal special called Holiday which blends the festive favourites of orange peel and dried fruit, with spicy cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Used every day and stored in a well-drained dish, the soap should last from three to four weeks.

020 8699 0332

QUINTESSENTIAL QUILTS

With its hand-crafted throws and eiderdowns in luxurious materials such as satin and taffeta silks, it's simple to add layers for extra decadence, with Quintessential Quilts' fake fur throws and cushions.

01446 174817

ROYAL AUPING

Royal Auping manufactures the world's first self-airing and climate-controlled adjustable bed, the Royal. At the touch of a button it moves into different positions. The ventilation of the mattress comes from a fitted mesh base. It can be also slotted into the bed surround of your choice.

020 7935 3774

SAM

Sam UK brings something truly original in three ranges of taps designed by one of Germany's largest manufacturers. The Eileen, SH 100 and Konus ranges, will not fit in with the frilly toilet-roll cover but will add something different to minimalist bathrooms. Also available in polished brass and matt platinum finishes.

020 8997 7888

TEPAN

The Miele Imperial Tepan is a stainless steel hotplate which creates a wok-style shape when heated, making it the perfect cooking surface for grilling and stir fries. With a 57cm-diameter plate, there is ample cooking space and a wide temperature range, it affords all-important control, essential in Oriental cooking.

01235 554455

URBAN ICONS

The Urban Icons Silo storage, which can also be used as a seat or a table combines industrial materials with natural birch. It can also be wheeled for use elswehere. The reversible lid has one rubber surface, which is heat and burn-resistant.

020 8658 8062

VASCO

Vasco's system not only looks great but keeps the bathroom and towels as toasty as you like on a chilly morning. It mixes and matches wall-mounted radiators with accessories, including shelving, mirrors and towel rails.

01933 278802

WILLIAM GARVEY LTD

A teak sink? Fear not. Since William Garvey caught on to the fact that wood actively discourages the growth of harmful bacteria 20 years ago, teak has been used in the design and manufactured of furniture, including kitchen sinks, basins and baths.

01404 841430

XENON

Samuel Heath's Xenon range provides simple bathroom accessories pared down to simple lines for functionality and style. Frosted glass, satin nickel and chrome provide the overall look.

0121 766 4200

YANG

The healing light of Yang sounds appealing. Part of the Metamorfosi range from the Italian company Artemide. It is made up of three fluorescent bulbs in a clear polycarbonate orb. Through green, red and blue dichroic filters, it disperses light and also has mood-determining settings whether you need daylight for a morning wake-up or stimulation for creative moments.

020 7631 5200

ZANUSSI

Zanussi has produced IZ - a wahing machine with quite abit of intelligence behind its pretty face. In silver or white, the inclined drum makes loading and unloading easier and its simple controls require just one touch to start the cycle. With environment in mind, it works out the amount of water needed per wash.

08705 727 727

n One of the most exciting new events at this year's Ideal Home Show is the A-Z of Design, a major stand hosted by Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms. ''Our aim is to showcase a series of carefully selected products that we feel best represent the design ideals of innovation, technology and craftsmanship,'' says Caroline Murphy of KBB.

''We're showcasing some of the more unusual and innovative products that are new to the market, along with certain items that are still at the conceptual stage of development. Many of the items cannot be found on the high street, and some will be on display in Scotland for the very first time. We've tried to make the selection as aspirational as possible - products which as most likely not yet in people's homes, but which they can dream of and lust after!''

For those wishing to cool down, for example, H is for Hansgrohe who have developed a startling new concept in shower design, the Pharo Cocoon, a porcelain-enamelled, stainless steel shower tray supporting a cocoon-shaped cubicle made of soft synthetic fibre. ''This will be a unique showcase product,'' says Murphy, ''as it is not yet readily available in the shops.''

Equally startling in design is S for Sam, an Eileen fibre optic lit tap that literally ''pours light'' when it is turned on. ''Again this is not yet readily available,'' says Murphy. ''In fact it is almost more of an art object - utterly fascinating to see.''

Innovation combined with recycling comes under U for Urban Icons, a small company of radical London designers who specialise in cool contemporary furniture such as the Silo, usable as a seat, a table or - with the lid off - a generous storage space. ''It's great how they have turned tin drums into practical and stylish bedroom storage,'' says Murphy. ''Another interesting recycling venture has been to turn old Wellingtons into rubber mats!''

Whether teak sinks are an innovation or a revival is a matter of debate. Having been popular in Victorian times for washing delicate porcelain and glass, they are now appearing in more modern kitchens, largely thanks to W for William Garvey, whose hand-made wooden sinks each take three days to make and have been commended for their germ-free health properties by scientific research.

''It was very challenging and great fun putting together our A-Z,'' says Murphy. ''At first we were worried that we might have trouble with letters like X and Q, but Quintessential Quilts came to our rescue with the latter.'' On display for the first time in Scotland will be their luxurious fake fur throws and pure silk satin eiderdowns in a spectrum of colours. ''These are wonderful 'touchy-feely' luxuries,'' says Murphy. ''But we do have ordinary everyday items such as E for Eclectics - natural-look metallic blinds by Alison White and Z for Zanussi, with their ergonomically friendly tilt-drum washing machine. And we're especially pleased that the A-Z of Design starts off with a Glasgow company - A for Associated Metal whose stainless steel bathroom suites are causing quite a stir in the design world.''

Other ''hot tips'' from Caroline Murphy to watch for include J for Japanese Knife Company, whose ceramic blades combine style and beauty with function and give a new meaning to the phrase ''cutting edge''; L for Lacanche, whose Moderne range cookers are described as ''the serious cooker for the serious cook''; and P for Primal Elements, the designer soap makers from California who now have more than 70 different designs on the market.