The Tavistock Takeover: A Bathroom Showroom Thriller (Parts 1–3)
Today, the old displays face their final flush as brand‑new Tavistock furniture prepares to roll into the showroom. This blog will update as the chaos unfolds—one pallet, one panic, and one perfect display at a time.
Old Guards, New Plans
Every good showroom makeover starts with a dangerous thought: “How hard can it be?” This morning, that thought turned into a full‑scale operation at Bubblegum Bathrooms as the Tavistock furniture delivery loomed on the horizon like a very stylish storm cloud.
First, we documented the scene of the soon‑to‑be transformation—our trusty old displays still standing, blissfully unaware that their retirement party was already on the calendar. Consider it their final glamour shot before the Tavistock takeover.
Then came the satisfying bit: clearing the space. Out went the old displays, one by one, until the showroom floor looked suspiciously empty—like the pause in a horror film where you just know something dramatic is about to burst through the door. Only in this case, it’s a pallet of bathroom furniture, not a monster.
And now? Now the waiting is over. The space is ready, the tape measure has been overused, and the coffee didn’t even get to finish its shift — because the Tavistock pallet has officially arrived.
4:30pm — The Delivery Has Arrived!!
The Tavistock pallet has finally landed… and it even comes with two FREE forklift‑tyne‑shaped holes.
Featuring: Bonus Ventilation
The long‑awaited Tavistock delivery has arrived at Bubblegum Bathrooms — on a pallet that’s clearly had an interesting journey. Not only is the display here, but the packaging now includes two forklift‑tyne‑shaped holes we definitely didn’t order.
So the big questions are: what’s actually on the pallet, what’s survived, and what’s been “custom‑modified” by the delivery process?
All Boxes Finally Inside
After a morning workout disguised as “moving boxes”, everything is finally in the showroom. Now the real fun begins.
Let the Chaos Commence
Every Tavistock box is now officially inside the showroom — stacked, intimidating, and silently judging us. Time to crack on and see what’s what.
Acumen 800 Vanity · Complete
Two hours later and our first Tavistock display is officially standing proud.
Matt Laurel Green Perfection
The Acumen 800 vanity unit in Matt Laurel Green is now fully assembled, complete with Chrome Handle Inserts, a Cohort Lever Basin Mono, and the Portal Pro 500 × 800 Mirror.
A clean, modern setup — and the first victory of the day.
And yes… I’ve already spotted a lighting opportunity behind the handle inlay. You know I’m going to play with that later.
Kew 600 Vanity · Installed
Another hour gone — another Tavistock display complete.
Viridian Green Beauty
The Kew 600 Vanity in Viridian Green is now fitted, paired with the Anthem Eco Mono in Chrome and the matching Kew 600 Mirror Wall Unit.
Clean lines, bold colour — this one’s a looker.
Arlo Vanity & Levant WC
Lunch missed. Progress made. Two more displays complete.
Arlo + Levant Combo
The Arlo Vanity Unit in Matt Light Grey is now installed, paired with the Anthem Eco Basin Mono.
Next to it, the Tavistock Levant Close Coupled WC with soft‑close seat — and here’s where the forklift story continues.
Despite taking a forklift hit, Tavistock’s packaging saved the day: the cistern lid survived, the unit survived… the toilet seat did not.
The seat was crushed between the cistern lid and the unit behind it — impressive force, but minimal actual damage overall. Hats off to Tavistock’s packaging team.
What We Learned Today
A few discoveries, surprises, and helpful tips from today’s Tavistock unboxing and installs. Consider this the behind‑the‑scenes wisdom you don’t get in the brochures.
Today’s Key Takeaways
1. Cohort Taps Come With a Universal Waste
A nice touch from Tavistock — the Cohort tap includes a universal waste suitable for
both basins with and without an overflow. No extra parts needed, no last‑minute panic.
2. Overflow Rings: Proceed With Caution
The basin arrived with a chrome overflow ring pre‑fitted. When attempting to install the supplied
Nickel ring, it snapped — not Tavistock’s fault, just the reality of ceramic firing tolerances.
Basins move slightly during firing, so the hole isn’t always perfectly round.
3. Resin Basins Are More Precise
Resin basins can be drilled with absolute accuracy, so overflow rings fit perfectly every time.
Ceramic basins? Not so much. If the basin is glazed and looks clean without the ring,
removing it is often the better option — exactly what we’ve done here.
4. Acumen Handle Inlay = Lighting Opportunity
The Acumen unit has an inlay behind the handles (ours is Chrome, but Black and Brushed Brass are options).
And yes — there’s a gap behind it that is absolutely begging for a lighting strip.
Watch this space…
5. Packaging Quality: Genuinely Impressive
Despite taking a forklift hit, Tavistock’s packaging saved the day:
the cistern lid survived, the unit survived…
the toilet seat did not.
All Displays Installed — That’s a Wrap!
Every Tavistock display is now built, fitted, levelled, plumbed, polished and proudly standing in the Bubblegum Bathrooms showroom. No more boxes. No more surprises. No more forklift‑related plot twists.
That’s All Folks
And just like that — the final display is complete. From Acumen to Kew to Arlo and Levant, every unit is now in place and looking showroom‑ready. It’s been a day of lifting, building, levelling, dodging packaging, and discovering just how tough Tavistock’s boxes really are.
The forklift may have tried its best, but thanks to some seriously impressive packaging, the only casualty was a single toilet seat. Not bad at all for a full showroom transformation in one day.
As for what comes next? To be decided later. For now, the tools are down, the displays are up, and the showroom looks fantastic.
Your Thoughts
We’ve had our fun building, lifting, unboxing and dodging forklifts — now we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’ve got feedback, ideas, questions, or just want to say hello, drop your thoughts below.
What Do You Think?
Tell us what you think of the new Tavistock displays, the colours, the styles, the build quality — or share your own bathroom renovation stories. We read every message.
Got a favourite unit? Want to know more about a specific product? Curious about how something was installed? Leave a note and we’ll get back to you.
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