Thermostatic brass shower system

In the middle of the column, a grey console replaces the usual handles. On its face, four square buttons in a row and a small screen showing the water temperature in glowing digits. On the right, a flat lever adjusts the flow.

You read the temperature before stepping under the spray: handy when several people take turns and each has their own habits. The column is stated as thermostatic, i.e. designed to hold the chosen temperature rather than let it vary each time another tap in the house is opened.

The buttons are pressed with a fingertip, even with soapy hands.

At the top, a large round shower head gives a vertical rain. On the bar, a round handset with a wide face slides on its support to suit everyone's height, or comes off to rinse while seated.

The third outlet sets this model apart: a hygiene handset with a trigger, hooked to the left of the console, with a coiled hose. It's used to rinse the shower tray, your feet on getting out, a basin or the corners of the tiling, without unhooking the main handset.

The coiled cord regains its shape once released: it doesn't trail on the floor.

The column is fixed to the wall by the console and the top of the tube, on existing hot and cold water supplies. Allow for a few holes in the tiles for the fixings. If your supplies are not in the right place, a plumber can rework them before fitting.

The anthracite grey finish doesn't show marks like a shiny chrome, but limescale eventually whitens all dark surfaces. A pass with a soft cloth after the shower is enough to avoid it; avoid scouring sponges and abrasive products on the tube and console.