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3 March 2025
 

Design icon Thomas Crapper - why we love

historic brands in our home

The brand. The myth. The legend! Rolls Royce, Burberry and Boodles are all iconic British brands readily associated with quality, craftsmanship and longevity. Within interiors, heritage brands that spring to mind include Ercol, Morris & Co, Vispring andThomas Crapper & Co. Besides being established in Britain, many, many moons ago, what unites these well-known, much-loved brands is their continued success and keen survival skills. It's not easy to stay fresh and relevant in a fast-paced, media-savvy world where global trends change overnight, especially if your reputation is steeped in tradition. So, how do these old school names stay ahead of the game, and, more importantly, why should modern homeowners invest?

Failure to innovate is the main reason so many brands fall from grace. Here's looking at you, Blockbuster Movies! The difficulty for heritage brands that have built their success on products that are now iconic is the question of how to evolve without losing or, worse, cheapening, the very essence of their appeal. But it can be done. Rolls Royce is leading the charge with the launch of Spectre, an all-electric super coupé of dreams. Its design shares the traditional Rolls Royce profile, the front grill that's so instantly recognisable, but, under the bonnet, lies the future of driving with a crystal-clear conscience.

For Thomas Crapper, originally established in 1861 and proud recipient of four Royal Warrants, innovation has been the key to success from day one. Contrary to common assumption, Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet, but he was behind several crucial sanitary innovations and improvements, such as the syphon flush and floating ballcock, that are still used today. Thomas Crapper also opened the first ever bathroom showroom, a particularly bold move in an era when one's daily ablutions were entirely private. Now we're no longer embarrassed by bodily functions, and the bathroom has become as important a living space as the kitchen or bedroom, the company has expanded its product remit far beyond fancy cisterns. Keeping up with modern demand, Thomas Crapper now makes beautiful basins, brassware and bathroom furniture, taking its portfolio from just 40 to 250 exceptional products, all made with the same dedication to craftsmanship and quality as always.

Pictured left is the Harwood basin in Indigo blue with Marmor taps in white, while to the right is the Chatburn basin in white with 1920 lever three-hole mixer taps in polished brass.

This latter point is crucial. The fastest way a heritage brand (or any brand for that matter) will lose creditability, with audiences old and new, is to deprioritize quality control. From Ercol's Butterfly Chair to George Carwardine's Anglepoise Lamp; it is the underlying artisanal craftsmanship and durability that ensures so many iconic products manufactured decades ago still survive today. Not merely survive but continue to offer that daily joy and satisfaction that only high-quality design delivers.

Pictured are the cistern and basin brackets in brass which shows the attention to detail and quality of all Thomas Crapper products.

Speaking of design, heritage brands can of course move with the times, but it's critical to maintain a shared design dialogue that ensures new products are clearly from the same "family". In recent years, Thomas Crapper has introduced several contemporary collections, such as the industrial-style Fontley brassware range with its solid lines and robust knurled detailing, and cloakroom-friendly statement basins guaranteed to impress the most discerning guests. Even the company's original iconic products, like the traditional cisterns with ‘beer pull' levers, are now available in custom colours to meet the sophisticated level of customisation desired in the most stylish of homes. However, while some of the collection may be more contemporary, and others are unapologetically traditional, it is immediately clear that each and every item is Thomas Crapper to the core.

Pictured left is the Fontley tap; while right isthe iconic 814 low level Thomas Crapper cistern.

The welcome move away from fast-fashion's throwaway culture is also increasing the relevance of heritage brands when building and renovating today's homes. Excessive consumption is no longer cool, and we all appreciate that now is the time to invest in products that are designed and built to last. Happily, this is an area where heritage brands have long excelled. For example, Thomas Crapper's vitreous basins and toilets come with an impressive 25-year guarantee, while all its taps are covered by a 10-year guarantee against mechanical defects.

For more information on Thomas Crapper, please visitwww.thomas-crapper.com

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With compliments:

Taylor Alden Ltd

Email:media@tayloralden.co.uk