Acanthus English Classic Kitchen Featuring Quooker Boiling Tap

21st March 2017 by Team Acanthus

Which Instant Boiling Tap To Choose?

So What is an Instant Boiling Water Tap?

In essence the boiling water tap is not really a new invention. Most are based around commercial boiling water systems found in many restaurants, hotels and alike around the world.

The Boiling Water taps currently on offer are simply Water tanks to keep water hot and a faucet to dispense the boiling liquid. However Zip does offer a Tap that does everything! from boiling to sparkling water. Zip offers more versatility with just a single tap if you’re willing to spend a bit more.

What Taps Are Available?

There are several taps on the market now with some of the more well-known brands such as Quooker & Zip becoming common household names with programs like The British Bake Off featuring The Quooker Tap. Here is just a few of the instant hot water taps available at the moment worth considering:

Click The Image’s Above For Brochures & More Details

Why Buy A Boiling Water Tap?

There are many reasons to buy a boiling water tap & good reasons to consider keeping your kettle. Boiling water taps can save you money but in general the cost of these taps to buy and maintain will out weight the ability to ever save money!

Save Money?

Andy Smale, technical director at Expert Energy (a Group of independent energy consultants). Calculated that the difference in savings were in fact minimal. Mr Smale said that the amount of energy it would take to make six 250ml cups of tea/coffee on six occasions. With a kettle would cost 5.46p per 24 hrs. When compared to the Quooker Tap Mr Smale found that the same six cups. Would be equal to 5.27p per 24hrs. Showing very little if any savings when you consider the Initial cost of a Quooker tap.

Although his calculations show very little difference in savings. You have to consider very few of us boil just enough water for a cup of tea with our kettles. Quooker have estimated their tap gives you a saving of a hundred litres of water per year! With what would normally have been wasted in over filling kettles. Sounds good but the average 1.5litre Kettle costs around 2.5p per boil according to Npower. So that only equates to a waste saving of £25.00 per year.

Practicality

So if there are very little savings to be made once you have your boiling tap then why invest in buying one to begin with? For most people there are many reasons for having an instant hot water tap & top of the list has to be practicality! Once you have your tap fitted you have instant hot water 24-7 meaning no more standing around wasting time waiting for a kettle to boil whether your making a cup of tea or filling a pan to boil your veg for an evening meal. Having a Boiling Tap Also free’s up valuable worktop space & with most models having a child safety feature built in they can also offer a safer kitchen environment for your family.

Our Recommendation

We have installed a host of various boiling water taps over the years in our clients Kitchens & we always recommend Quooker & Zip with Quooker being our all-round favourite on Price, Size of Unit & Reliability.

The Quooker Tap for us offers good value compared to other taps on the market and the Quooker fusion offers both a high quality Tap and Great design incorporating a child safety feature for those of us with young children at home.

We would also recommend Checking how hard your water is? Although we have never had an issue with hardness of water in the area’s we have fitted these taps we have however heard many reports of taps failing after just a year due to hard water issues so bear this in mind.

Overview

In conclusion Buying a boiling water tap is not going to greatly reduce your electricity bill. However most boiling water tap owners will agree that these taps are almost life changing. A lot of technology is making life more complicated but a boiling tap simply saves time without complcation! Whether you choose the most expensive unit on the market or opt for the budget option having a boiling tap is for us a must have.

Click Here To Purchase Your Boiling Water Tap

20th March 2017 by Team Acanthus

Painted Bedroom Case Study

Through The Looking Glass:

Painted Bedroom Case Study

We have great relationships with many interior designers throughout the northwest. This was another project that Southport based designer Lisa Allen had asked us to be a part of.

The project involved several area’s within the clients prestigious home that required furniture. This bedroom case study focuses on just one of the several bedroom’s acanthus Designed & Installed Furniture.

This Painted Bedroom was designed for the clients daughter who was in her early twenty’s and required something that was contemporary, Timeless & in keeping with her age. It was important to work closely with Lisa to ensure we kept within the scheme to produce fantastic furniture that complemented Lisa’s choice of colours & materials within the room.

The Design

The Bedroom design started with a simple layout to maximise room space creating a run of wardrobes that featured cashmere carcase (chosen by the client) & utilising simple chrome hanging rail & shelves to maximise the interior space. The wardrobes alone offered generous storage space within the room & the additional dressing table added enough drawer space for makeup, hair products & personal items.

The next step was to offer the client something that was bespoke to them. Would bring the room to life & be in keeping with the scheme set out by interior designer Lisa Allen.

Starting with the addition of our Acanthus Cornice & Mirrored Tray Doors which are unique to ourselves. Working with the scheme of the room we selected Farrow & ball’s No.57 Off Black for painting of the furniture. This was in keeping with the timeless contemporary look required. To balance the black and prevent the mirrors from looking stark against the black we incorporated an antique effect mirror which added depth and warmth to the furniture. In addition to the wardrobe doors the Dressing table also features antique mirror. Using our specialist glass manufacturer we were able to produce all of the mirrors with bevelled edges. Even the smallest of mirrors which most companies would be unable to produce was hand crafted by our specialist Glass-maker.

Over Coming Problems

No job is without its problems. Acanthus take great pride in finding a solution to resolve any possible issues both in the design & during the installation process. Above all ensuring our clients are always happy.

Although this bedroom was able to accommodate large furniture there was an issue raised by the dressing of the window. The client wished to have curtains fitted to the windows that would encroach on the space required for her furniture. So our design had to work around this. We created a small return on the furniture that would house both the curtain rail and the curtain.

This can be seen Pictured below.

All things considered this was a relativity small issue but ultimately a good example of our attention to detail. As a result it is the Attention to detail that ensures the best outcome is achieved every time.

You can read & see more of this Off Black Bedroom by clicking the following link.

Click Here: Farrow & Ball No.57 Painted Bedroom

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3rd March 2017 by Team Acanthus

360° Bedroom Tour Featuring Walk in Wardrobe / Dressing Room by Acanthus Design

Lunar Conrcete & Brushed Steel Effect Walk in Wardrobe & Virtual 360° Bedroom Tour

Take A 360° Bedroom Tour Of This Fabulous Boys Room Featuring Trending Materials Such as Brushed Steel & Concrete Effect.

Make Sure to Click For More Options On The Tour To Go Full Screen Or Display Through Your VR Helmet!

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Falcon Range Appliance by Acanthus Design

3rd February 2017 by Team Acanthus

Falcon Review

I found it very difficult to make the selection of the range cooker for us, but after chatting it through with my Acanthus Designer who advised the Falcon, we made our decision and after using it now for a few years, we are so happy with the product, well built, a pleasure to look at and performs so well, a bit like my partner ! Thank you Acanthus for good advice.

Christine

Caldy, Wirral

in Customer Reviews 0 comments

30th January 2017 by Team Acanthus

Which Kitchen Worktops To Choose?, Corian? Granite? Neolith?

Kitchen worktops

Choosing Kitchen worktops can be a minefield of too many choices. Our Clients often ask what is the best choice of work surface in a kitchen?. The easiest answer to this is divided between a client’s personal Preference to colour & style, Usage, Design & Budget.

However each work surface does carry its own pros and cons. Highlighted below are a few of the more popular surfaces available, to help you in making the right purchase.

Granite

Granite has probably been the most common material when people talk about Kitchen worktops.

Positives, Granite is an extremely hard wearing material formed over millions of years under extreme pressure. As such it is a wide varying and beautiful material, which dependant on the variation can have many natural features.

Negatives, Granite can be a porous material, (some more than others). Granite can be sealed to limit its porous nature & helps to prevent staining.

Pictured Below is a Recent Contemporary English Classic Kitchen. Featuring two variations of Granite, Cosmic black & the complimentary stone being Super white, (actually more of a grey) but we felt the two materials complimented each other perfectly when designing this Kitchen.

Quartz

Quartz is quickly becoming the most commonly used work surface throughout the industry. A man made material made from combining granite’s and quartz crystals, mirror chips and resins. Quartz does actually fall into lots of brands, Silestone, Ceasarstone, Polarstone & Decton. Branded as almost unique products but all share similar qualities in their production.

Positives, Quartz like granite is a hard wearing material ideal for Kitchen Worktops. However unlike natural stone Quartz is non porous due to the introduction of the resin during the manufacturing. It is also mould, mildew and heat resistant for the same reasons.

Negatives, The biggest downfall of Quartz is you just don’t get the effect of it being a natural material. There are brands such as Polarstone are producing surfaces that mimic a natural stone (which they are doing quite well). Quartz still does not have the edge if you like that natural beauty found in Granite.

Pictured Below is a project where the client wanted a flat even colour which would not distract from the kitchen. For him Silestone Gris Expo did just that, quite a subtle and understating look.

Corian

Although I’m labelling as Corian, this surface is actually a composite & Corian is the leading brand. Corian is made up of various resins, fillers and pigments (Basically plastics). Predominately used in a lot of dental surgeries and any of your local fast food takeaways. However this material does have a lot going for it when we think about kitchen Worktops.

Positives, Corian is a very versatile material, it can be produced as one seamless top by bonding together individual tops & sanding them in position. Corian can be heated & Shaped, so when we think of curves we have to consider Corian.

Negatives, for as many positives Corian has there are just as many negatives, cost wise it can be more expensive than Granite and Quartz, it can scratch quite easily and for the overall look it can seem a bland option for a kitchen.

Looking at the negatives you wouldn’t use Corian, however when you see what Corian can do you can almost forgive its negatives and just admire what is possible.

Pictured below is an Acanthus Milano Kitchen Featuring Corian Kitchen Worktops.

Neolith

Neolith is a porcelain material that comes in a thickness of 4 or 6mm, it is then mitred up to form a thicker top with the use of packers. As a material porcelain is extremely touch material. To the point of being virtually scratch resistant.

Positives, has to be its toughness, no other material is as scratch resistant as or as tough as Neolith. From initial testing it is virtually indestructible. Neolith can also be used as wall panelling, door panels & flooring, so its versatility has to be a plus point.

Negatives, Neolith is one of the most expensive worktop materials available making it a negative for many people. It also lacks the feel of both Granite and Quartz.

For the right client with the right design this material can look amazing, very modern and even leaning towards industrial.

In Summary

Your work surface is often a reflection of your design and your personal taste. Whether it is natural beauty, sleek even tones, quirky curves or ultra-modernist industrial. None of the above are ever a wrong decision & that is the reason we use all of them for individual merits.

Thanks for taking the time to read this short insight to types of worktops available & that it may help you in making the right selection for your next project.

Mike Skarratts

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21st January 2016 by Team Acanthus