"People's eyes have been opened to new design possibilities in bathrooms in the past couple of years, " O' Sullivan says. "Ideas from the continent are becoming more prevalent. In smaller bathrooms or indeed in larger ones if you have to fit in the shower-tray, bath, toilet and sink you are left with very little floor space and that can determine the impression of the size of the bathroom.

Reducing the need for one of either the shower or bath can create that idea of more space.

People now are increasingly choosing wet-rooms with a shower. There is no visible barrier between the floor and the shower. The tiles on the floor continue into the shower, " continues O' Sullivan.

An imaginative bathroom design, depending on the taste of the owners, can impact hugely on the house as a whole.

After choosing a basic design bathroom suite, the tiles and taps and any additional fixtures would reflect the personality of the owner. "People often like to mix and match, " adds O' Sullivan. "After choosing the basic toilet and sink, the tap fittings, for example, and other accessories may very much reflect their own personal taste."

"The range that we offer is wide. They can make their own choices or talk to our design consultant, " says O' Sullivan. Fired Earth's design consultant, Sue Tarbett, makes the effort to visit the customer's home to aid them in making the choices that suit them best. While never imposing a design on the customer, Sue listens at length to the customer's requirements and interprets that into the design, concept and products that are right for them. Sue will give an estimate, compile drawings, mood boards and provide a sample loan service, all for a fee of 300 per room which is refundable if you spend over 4,500 per room. Fired Earth also offer a tile and paint consultation service. Often customers will not feel the need for a complete re-vamp but a new colour scheme or tile design can re invigorate the room. Fired Earth's showroom and web-site display a variety of designs which are sleek yet with a traditional feel, including the German Schlutter wet-room solution which emphasizes the floorroom space which O' Sullivan indicates is so important.

While renowned for their bathroom design, Fired Earth also offer a kitchen design