Alright, so you're asking about Wickes bathroom suites, eh? Brilliant question, mate. Let me tell you, picking a bathroom suite… blimey, it's a journey and a half. I remember helping my mate Tom with his place in Clapham last autumn—damp walls, that awful peach-coloured suite from the 80s, the whole lot. We nearly lost our minds!
Now, Wickes. Popped into their Wandsworth branch just the other week, actually. Needed a new washer for a tap—long story—and ended up wandering the bathroom displays for an hour. They've got this… let's call it a *spectrum*. You've got your modern, sleek numbers. Think sharp square edges on basins, wall-hung toilets that look like they're floating, taps that are all minimalist chrome. Very "London loft". I ran my hand over one vanity unit—smooth, matte grey finish, cool to the touch. Felt like something out of a posh hotel, you know?
Then, swing round the corner, and it's like you're in your nan's countryside cottage. Classic suites. Roll-top baths with those gorgeous, claw feet—proper statement piece. Painted wood panels, crosshead taps you actually have to turn. They had one set up in a "heritage" vignette, complete with a bloody rag rug! Gave me a proper sense of nostalgia, it did.
But here's the thing they do rather well: the packages. The suites. They bundle it all up. It's not just "here's a toilet, off you go". Nah. You can get a whole coordinated look. Like, a "contemporary package" might have a countertop basin, a back-to-wall toilet, and a straight-edged bath, all in white, with a chrome furniture pack thrown in. Takes the guesswork out, doesn't it? I saw a young couple in the store, looking overwhelmed, and the assistant just said, "Look at the Portland suite—it's all there, love." Their shoulders dropped in relief, I swear.
They've also got these "compact" ranges. For those awful little bathrooms in converted flats. Space-saving loos, corner showers, tiny but deep baths. Saw a brilliant one where the basin was literally sat on top of the toilet's cistern! Clever, if you ask me.
Oh! And the finishes. It's not all just white porcelain. You want a loo in gunmetal grey? They've got it. A basin in a "stone resin" that looks like marble but doesn't cost the earth? Yep. I tapped one—solid, no hollow sound. Good sign.
But… a word from the weary? Don't just fall for the showroom sparkle. Read the small print on what's included in the "suite". Sometimes the trap for the waste isn't included with the bath. Or the bath panels are separate. I learnt that the hard way in my first flat in Balham. Ended up with a beautiful bath… and a massive gap underneath it for a week while I waited for the right panel to arrive. Nightmare.
So yeah, Wickes? They've got the styles, from the dead modern to the trad classic, and they bundle them up in sensible ways. But always, *always* double-check the list. Get a cuppa, sit down, and go through it line by line before you click "buy". Trust me on that one.
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