With international sanitary ware finding their way into homes of the state capital, people can look forward to jazz up their bathrooms with anything between jacuzzis to body jets steam rooms and shower panels to sensor commodes. With the increase in the demand for exquisite sanitary ware, the city is witnessing an increase in the number of shops dealing in sanitaryware brands. While small shops provide branded ware to suit all pockets, elite shops have introduced Japanese and Italian brands for their customers.

Not everyone can afford to have a jacuzzi in their bathrooms and the city has several stores catering to the middle class as well. Sales figures of bathtubs from our have been showing a healthy rise with more people spending money for a relaxing bath.

National brands like Jaguar, Marc, Essess, Ark are equally in demand with the residents of Ranchi. Proprietor of sanitaryware stores maintain that these brands, apart from being stylish, also caters to the middle class budget .

Wish-list

Bathtubs and basins: The latest Italian bowl basins are the latest fad for those who seek comfort and exclusivity. Finished with marble, these contour-top glass basins are made of ?fusion glass?. Some shops also provide bathtubs and jacuzzis fitted with a whirlpool and a music systems with a host of other facilities. A disc-operated tap, a current hot favourite with customers, on the basin taps add a never-before look to the bathroom.

Shower panels with jet massager and acupressure: Taking a bath becomes an experience with this fancy yet functional shower panel. It has four types of rainfall showers and one can also benefit from its in-built acupressure facilities. Some shower panels also have top door lights, which comes along with glass enclosures.

Sensor commodes: Automatically adjusts bathroom temperature and the seat layout for men and women. The sensor also enables a commode to open and shut automatically and also adds an ?auto flush? function. Moreover, the system comes equipped with ?self-cleaning mechanism?.

The price factor

While a basic set of Jaguar bathroom fittings costs around Rs 3,800, the higher end products of the same company come with a price tag of Rs 35,000. These sets contain overhead showers, ?bib? taps, hot-cold showers knobs and several other other features. Products by Marc are also a favourite and it comes for a price similar to that of Jaguar. For those with budget constraints, brands like Ark and Essess are affordable and elegant.

First hand

Mornings can now be fun

Prince Ajmani, a distributor of sanitary ware, feels that introduction of foreign brands will revolutionise the concept of bathroom ware. A topper from St Xavier?s College, Ajmani says people are fascinated with gizmos and this fascination also reflects in their homes.

Prince, who has supplied sanitaryware to high rises and shopping complexes here, said that while he is introducing international brands, he is also keeping the cost factor in mind. ?There are many stores in the city and not all stress on quality. Ranchi does have a bright market as far as sanitary ware is concerned,? he concludes.