Plum-Mex is a bathroom and kitchen design showroom located near Farnham, Surrey. Renowned for a comprehensive range of high-quality products and exceptional customer service, Plum-Mex caters to diverse tastes and budgets.
At the helm of Plum-Mex is Bernardo Martinez, the company’s founder and director since it was established in 2018. A former installer, under Bernardo’s inspirational leadership, Plum-Mex has flourished and become one of the most popular bathroom designers in the area. The showroom offers inspiring wetroom solutions, with innovative 3D design services, supply, and professional installation. Bernardo’s commitment to design excellence is reflected in his team of dedicated fitters with extensive installation experience.
Over 70 Impey installations highlight the team’s ability to deliver high-end wetrooms and bathrooms, with outstanding results.
By collaborating with leading UK manufacturer Impey, the team at Plum-Mex ensures that each wetroom is equipped with high-quality, innovative products. Impey’s market-leading wetroom solutions, such as the Aqua-Dec EasyFit floor formers and WaterGuard waterproofing systems, provide a reliable foundation for Bernardo to create stylish and functional wetroom spaces.
We caught up with Bernardo at his showroom, to take a look around and ask him some questions about his love of bathroom design, in particular wetrooms…
Q1: Bernardo, it’s a hive of activity here in your showroom. How many projects do you usually have on the go at one time?
A: Usually seven or eight; it depends on the size. One kitchen we are working on at the moment needs 100m2 of tiles – so that’s a very large project!
Q2: How do you usually support a project?
A: The customer will normally contact us. We invite them to come and see us, and find out what we are about. And after that, I will do a site visit. I measure up, we talk through design options and key design elements. Then we will look at choosing products. That’s usually how we work.
Eight out of ten customers who come to see us will go with the installation we propose. A lot of our customers are recommended to us, which is great.
Also, social media and Google work well to find new customers. Sometimes a customer will come in with a picture printed out of one of our installations.
And we always ask customers how they found out about us.
As my background was in bathrooms, that’s where we started, and we have recently added kitchens to our offering.
Q3: How long have you been involved with the installation of wetrooms?
A: Since 2010. Because I used to be a fitter, and that’s how it all started.
When I first saw Impey products, I realised that we could make installation simpler by avoiding underfloor joists (using the Impey EasyFit floor former). Impey products felt more solid and secure than wetroom products that we had used previously. So that’s why, when I started the showroom, I wanted to go with Impey. Because from the experience of being a fitter, I know how complicated it could be. And with Impey products, it’s much simpler to install a wetroom.
Q4: What swayed you to install wetrooms?
A: When I go to a site, I want the bathroom to look as nice as possible. And that is what a wetroom offers. Also, a wetroom is so practical.
Oftentimes, rooms are not big enough to have a shower and a bath, with a shower tray. But with a wetroom, it’s possible. So wetrooms give the ability to have a shower and a bath, within a room with a smaller footprint.
A wetroom is also ideal for a big shower area.
Q5: Going back to you being a fitter. What was the progression to owning your own showroom?
A: When I came to England, I did a plumbing course. I was good at it and picked it up quickly. I started to do bathroom installations and worked for a bathroom showroom. I was with that showroom for a year and a half, as a subcontractor, working full time for them.
And then I decided to go it alone and work as an independent fitter; specifically doing bathroom installation. So when I moved into this unit, originally it was going to be for my installation business. It wasn’t going to be a showroom.
I tried to open an account with a distributor, and they said, ‘you need to get a display or two’. So I thought – OK and I added a few displays. After that, I started to approach more high-end bathroom brands.
I was in a good location where nobody already had the brands I wanted to work with. And it’s grown from there.
Q6: What do you feel is the appeal of a wetroom?
A: I think firstly, the look. When customers see a project I have done with a wetroom, they are amazed.
Secondly, a wetroom can offer more design options for a smaller space.
And then, there is also the practicality for older people, who don’t want to step into the shower.
Q7: Who is your clientele?
A: Our usual customer is aged between 40 and 65, and keen to invest in their properties.
Q8: How often do you specify or install Impey products?
A: Every wetroom that I do is Impey. Over the years, we have installed over 70 Impey wetrooms.
Q9: How do you create your designs?
A: We use the Virtual Worlds 3D design platform. It’s very easy to use, and customers like to see the render of their designs.
Q10: Do you have any specifications or installation tips that would be of interest to wetroom installers?
A: A lot of people don’t use underfloor heating in their installations. What you want to do is keep the wetroom floor dry. So we always specify underfloor heating in the shower area.
Q11: What kind of waterproofing methods do you use when installing wetrooms?
A: Always Impey WaterGuard; it’s a fantastic product!
Q12: What has been your favourite project to work on?
A: There have been so many! I couldn’t pick just one!
If you want to find out more about Plum-Mex visit: https://plum-mex.co.uk/
