Perrin & Rowe bathroomware: the process

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Production takes place at a Perrin & Rowe factory in the heart of the English pottery country. A mould is filled with the finest quality vitreous china clay; sourced from Cornwall, which is famous for its award-winning porcelain.

Perrin & Rowe bathroomware production starts in their mould making workshop where they produce the master moulds to produce casting moulds to cast each of their original designs. The exclusive designs are first modeled in plaster by hand. 

Casting moulds must absorb water and have a life expectancy about 100 castings. Casting moulds produce over scale size items designed to allow for 12% shrinkage during firing.

China clay slip is poured into the mould and left to set. The item is carefully extracted from the mould. A team of skilled craftsmen then smooth and fettle every piece by hand to ensure a perfect surface, before they apply a high quality glaze.

The item is hand finished to perfect the design details. The completed item is then moved to the drying room. 

A small highly skilled team of ten artisans carefully creates every item of Perrin & Rowe bathroomware.

Utmost care is taken with each individual piece to achieve an unrivalled result.  After two days of drying, items are expertly glazed and loaded ready for the kiln. The kiln reaches a maximum temperature of 1195°C during the first 22 hour firing cycle. To achieve the perfect glaze for which Perrin & Rowe is renowned, pieces are fired up to three times. Running two kilns in parallel ensures a seamless production process.

When the pieces emerge, every item is carefully checked. The craftsmen even listen to the finished porcelain! A traditional resonance test, involving tapping on the pieces and listening to the sound they make, ensures there are no hidden flaws or weaknesses and that the product is of the highest possible standard.

Product is now perfectly finished and ready to grace the finest interiors.

Read about Perrin & Rowe's exceptional brassware manufacturing process