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Combining Heritage with contemporary design Catchpole & Rye was born from its founder Tony O’Donnell’s passion for restoring and maintaining antique baths. The company has been making luxury bathroom products in its workshop and foundry more than 25 years, and is the only bathroom company to manufacture exclusively in England.
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ased in Kent, and with showrooms in Tunbridge Wells and London, the company combines heritage with a contemporary approach to design and premium quality, bespoke manufacturing. Today a vast collection of timeless bathroom pieces is available ranging from classic baths, to washstands and showers, using traditional craftsmanship and quality materials to produce the highest standards possible. At the core is a belief that in order to create something original, you must truly understand the past. For example, French craftsmen first made the iconic ‘Bain de Bateau’ bath more than 120 years ago, but to this day, Catchpole & Rye uses the same traditional techniques to cast the double-ended design. After the iron is cast, it is sent to the workshop, to be handpainted or for a polished finish to be applied. The unrivalled talent of the skilled artisans and decorative artists means that clients can customise their products – from the size and shape, to the finish and embossing. Personalised emblem logos, coats of arms and even addresses can be cast onto baths and toilet cisterns. Initially the design is carved by hand into a wooden plate to prepare a dedicated pattern, then sand moulded before it being impressed upon the cast iron to create a truly unique product. Committed to quality British manufacture, which it knows is synonymous with quality around the world, the company is ensures that the skills required to produce its products are nurtured within the UK. As such it works with the local Kent College to fund and train apprentices who study for three days a week, and learn on the job for two days. essence INFO Catchpole & Rye Websites: www.catchpoleandrye.com Telephone London showroom 0207 351 0940
78 essence-magazine.co.uk | MARCH 2017