Villeroy and Boch alternatives

[zedstar]

Yes yes PH, I’ve started work on my house and the first room is the bathroom. The bathroom furniture I was going to get was a Hudson Reed sink and a RAK/Roca toilet. I mentioned this to a could of friends who told me that unless it’s V and B then don’t buy it.

A quick chat to the local v and d emporium found me a toilet that was a Ventocelli, low/mid range and it was nearly £800 just for the toilet. Seemed very excessive to me.

any opinions?

[sas62]

zedstar said:

Yes yes PH, I’ve started work on my house and the first room is the bathroom. The bathroom furniture I was going to get was a Hudson Reed sink and a RAK/Roca toilet. I mentioned this to a could of friends who told me that unless it’s V and B then don’t buy it.

A quick chat to the local v and d emporium found me a toilet that was a Ventocelli, low/mid range and it was nearly £800 just for the toilet. Seemed very excessive to me.

any opinions?

Yep. Get some new friends. Nothing wrong with Roca.

[shopper150]

Avoid all Hudson Reed brands (Ultra Finishing) or Cross Water taps and showers. Only get Grohe or Hansgrohe.

[Harry Flashman]

zedstar said:

Yes yes PH, I’ve started work on my house and the first room is the bathroom. The bathroom furniture I was going to get was a Hudson Reed sink and a RAK/Roca toilet. I mentioned this to a could of friends who told me that unless it’s V and B then don’t buy it.

A quick chat to the local v and d emporium found me a toilet that was a Ventocelli, low/mid range and it was nearly £800 just for the toilet. Seemed very excessive to me.

any opinions?

I'll buck the trend here - I have Hudson Reed taps and shower mixers throughout the house (and in our last house). Performs well, cheap(ish) and parts availability is good. Frankly if they fail, at the prices I got in a sale, replacing is not an issue. I bought spare sets for this purpose.

As for toilets, I'd go with a wall hung frame from Geberit or Grohe (do not go cheap on these as replacing is a pain!), and a mid-quality pan by someone like Burlington.

Also, I would seriously think of forgetting taps for showers and baths altogether, and using Mira Mode electronic fillers. I have them on all the baths, and wish I had done the showers too. Amazing, and cheaper than high end taps.

HR mixers and taps. Bath is run by a Mira Mode.

Houzz bathroom 4 by baconrashers, on Flickr

Mira Mode in another bathroom

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

HR tap in downstairs cloakroom

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

[bsc8180]

Just import the v&b stuff. Reuter-shop.de.
Cursory glance shows your toilet inc seat at 415 eur.
We have just fitted out a bathroom this way. Agree with others geberit frames, hansgrohe brassware and v&b ceramic.

[shopper150]

Harry Flashman said:

I'll buck the trend here - I have Hudson Reed taps and shower mixers throughout the house (and in our last house). Performs well, cheap(ish) and parts availability is good. Frankly if they fail, at the prices I got in a sale, replacing is not an issue. I bought spare sets for this purpose.

As for toilets, I'd go with a wall hung frame from Geberit or Grohe (do not go cheap on these as replacing is a pain!), and a mid-quality pan by someone like Burlington.

Also, I would seriously think of forgetting taps for showers and baths altogether, and using Mira Mode electronic fillers. I have them on all the baths, and wish I had done the showers too. Amazing, and cheaper than high end taps.

HR mixers and taps. Bath is run by a Mira Mode.

Houzz bathroom 4 by baconrashers, on Flickr

Mira Mode in another bathroom

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

HR tap in downstairs cloakroom

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

I’ve had every piece fail and their warranty support is rubbish. You can get Grohe at good prices, and I’ve never had a piece fail across multiple properties over 20 years.

I’m glad you’ve not had any issues Harry, and I understand some Hudson styles suit the look you’ve got going on in your most recent place.

[Harry Flashman]

Fair - and as you say, Grohe is available pretty easily and cheaply if shipped from Germany! I have been OK with the HR stuff, but as I said, bought spare sets for spares as they were so cheap in the sale I found.

I would probably not buy the shower mixers again, as if they go wrong, they will be a pain to replace with a different brand, and anyway, I should have gone electronic. But taps are so easily replaced that I am pretty relaxed about them...

[shopper150]

Harry Flashman said:

Fair - and as you say, Grohe is available pretty easily and cheaply if shipped from Germany! I have been OK with the HR stuff, but as I said, bought spare sets for spares as they were so cheap in the sale I found.

I would probably not buy the shower mixers again, as if they go wrong, they will be a pain to replace with a different brand, and anyway, I should have gone electronic. But taps are so easily replaced that I am pretty relaxed about them...

Shower mixers are where I’ve had the biggest issues. The mixers cease after a few years even when used with a water softener and their warranty only covers the chrome finish, nothing else.

OP - I’ve seen RAK’s ceramic stuff and it seems good. I’ve also used Roca and have been impressed.

[neth27]

I have a few things in the bathroom that are Villeroy & Boch and also Duravit. I prefer the Duravit.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Just fitted RAK on our latest development. Good stuff at great price.

Hung on Grohe toilet frames though

[Coolbanana]

neth27 said:

I have a few things in the bathroom that are Villeroy & Boch and also Duravit. I prefer the Duravit.

I second Duravit; I have a Duravit and Grohe combo at my Algarve home and Villeroy & Boch and Grohe at my Amsterdam apartment - prefer Duravit but both very nice.

[zedstar]

Guys thankyou so much,

I didn't even know you could buy from Germany....

[RC1807]

zedstar said:

Guys thankyou so much,

I didn't even know you could buy from Germany....

Until Brexit kicks in, of course you can, without Customs issues.

We have V&B as I live in Lux and still consider it a Luxembourg brand
(I know it isn't really any longer... nothing's made *here* any more )

That said, nothing wrong at all with the likes of Roca, Duravit ... , among many other brands.

Taps / showers: all ours are from Grohe

[toasty]

FWIW we went with Catalano for ceramics, Hansgrohe for chromeware. Very happy with it so far.

http://catalano.co.uk/

[Wozy68]

RC1807 said:

zedstar said:

Guys thankyou so much,

I didn't even know you could buy from Germany....

Until Brexit kicks in, of course you can, without Customs issues.

We have V&B as I live in Lux and still consider it a Luxembourg brand
(I know it isn't really any longer... nothing's made *here* any more )

That said, nothing wrong at all with the likes of Roca, Duravit ... , among many other brands.

Taps / showers: all ours are from Grohe

Be a bit canny with V&B.

I ordered a sink for a customer and they were out of stock. Found a sink of the same design/size but without the V&B label on it, informed the customer and they were happy for it not to be a V&B sink mainly because the unbranded one was something like 70% cheaper.
Low and behold replacement sink arrived and also the V&B on the same day. Identical sinks, and both made in the same factory in the UAE, just one was unbranded.

So if your not bothered about the actual V&B branding, there are massive savings to be made out there.

[dmsims]

zedstar said:

friends who told me that unless it’s V and B then don’t buy it.

Do they drive an Evoque?

Bristan are also worth a look

I bought a NOS shower mixer which would have gone through the floor if dropped, a seal had perished and they sent me a new one next day FOC

[shopper150]

Wozy68 said:

Be a bit canny with V&B.

I ordered a sink for a customer and they were out of stock. Found a sink of the same design/size but without the V&B label on it, informed the customer and they were happy for it not to be a V&B sink mainly because the unbranded one was something like 70% cheaper.
Low and behold replacement sink arrived and also the V&B on the same day. Identical sinks, and both made in the same factory in the UAE, just one was unbranded.

So if your not bothered about the actual V&B branding, there are massive savings to be made out there.

Interesting. Are you suggesting V&B is made by RAK ceramics? How did you know they are both made in the same factory?



I’ve definitely been impressed with RAK stuff.

[dmsims]

Well RAK have a factory and headquarters in the UAE......

[JackReacher]

toasty said:

FWIW we went with Catalano for ceramics, Hansgrohe for chromeware. Very happy with it so far.

http://catalano.co.uk/

I was looking at some Catalano the other day in a bathroom showroom near me and it looked very good, might go for it in our main bathroom refit. We went for duravit and hansgrohe in the ensuite and both are great, but duravit basins are quite deep and Catalano had some nice shallower ones.

[Wozy68]

shopper150 said:

Wozy68 said:

Be a bit canny with V&B.

I ordered a sink for a customer and they were out of stock. Found a sink of the same design/size but without the V&B label on it, informed the customer and they were happy for it not to be a V&B sink mainly because the unbranded one was something like 70% cheaper.
Low and behold replacement sink arrived and also the V&B on the same day. Identical sinks, and both made in the same factory in the UAE, just one was unbranded.

So if your not bothered about the actual V&B branding, there are massive savings to be made out there.

Interesting. Are you suggesting V&B is made by RAK ceramics? How did you know they are both made in the same factory?



I’ve definitely been impressed with RAK stuff.

To be clear, I’m not insinuating anything, but I do know both sink boxes were stamped made in the UAE and not only the boxes were exactly the same but also the sinks, though one was branded and one not.....