A new monogram, sleek colour palette and complementary family of typefaces all contribute to a more memorable and emotive brand experience for the accessible luxury bathroom supplier.
Studio Up North (SUN) has rebranded accessible bathroom designer and manufacturer Fitzroy of London, giving it an identity that reflects the craft and quality of its products while unifying its portfolio under one name.
Formerly known as NYMAS Group, Fitzroy of London holds over two decades of experience and expertise in the accessible bathroom and washroom industry. Though the name was previously used for an existing range within the Nymas Group portfolio, it is now being used to reposition the whole brand hierarchy and bring together the Nymas Care, Nymas Pro and Nymas Style ranges under one identity.
Taking its name from the rich cultural history and creative spirit of Fitzrovia, Fitzroy of London perfectly encapsulates the area’s – and the brand’s – tradition of bohemianism with its classic and contemporary designs.
Fitzroy of London’s mission is to create design-led washrooms that are safe, accessible, and dignified for all. So, the brief asked SUN to communicate this through the new brand. The challenge, says SUN founder and creative director Jamie Kelly, was incorporating “associations of unwavering commitment to users’ wellbeing and dignity” as well as drawing attention to its “enhanced customer and user experience”.
Positioning Fitzroy of London as a collaborator was also key to the brief, as the company wanted to highlight how its design teams understand and amplify the customer’s design narrative. “Fitzroy’s customers look to the brand for a range of beautiful and compliant solutions, allowing them to express their creativity and tailor each bathroom to suit the specific character of each space”, says Kelly.
“We wanted to show, through the identity, visual language and messaging, that beautiful interior design can, and should, be accessible to everyone.”
Research revealed that, while customers and employees had positive experiences with the Nymas brand, these were often indistinct or generic, meaning clearer brand positioning needed to be part of the solution. Early on, SUN recognised how the relationship between people and their environment can be complex and multifaceted and realised that the positioning also had to embody Fitzroy’s commitment to empowering interior designers to imprint their creative signature on every bathroom they design.
“The new identity tells of a partnership where Fitzroy serves as a catalyst for interior designers to bring their singular visions to life, facilitating the creation of places that reflect accessibility, individuality and innovation,” says Kelly.
The brand’s ethos, epitomised in the phrase ‘Freedom to create’, underpins the whole strategy behind the visuals. This emphasises the significance of leaving a lasting impact on the built environment and makes clear that interior designers expect a partner who respects their artistic autonomy but also encourages and challenges them.
A new brand line – ‘Exquisite bathrooms and washrooms for all’ – emerged from this aspirational ethos. It conveys the emotional appeal of the products to win a lasting place in customers’ minds.
SUN managing director Mark Wolstenholme describes Fitzroy of London as “a facilitator of creative expression, providing a diverse array of materials, styles, and configurations that enable interior designers to craft environments that stand out and resonate with their audience, whilst meeting stringent regulations and legislation”.
He explains how the company believes in a world where everyone deserves a space that reflects their humanity and individuality. And that accessibility should never compromise aesthetics, and design should never hinder accessibility. “The most challenging aspect of the project was to create an identity, proposition and messaging that balances this vision of creating products that meet quality and regulatory requirements but also suit creative visions,” he adds.
Fitzroy of London’s new brand mark plays a huge role in this. According to Wolstenholme, it not only ” exudes quality” but also serves as “a hallmark of excellence across the ranges.” The studio essentially simplified what was previously used to increase accessibility and allow for more practical uses, such as engraving and etching.
SUN then carefully curated the brand’s new colour palette, with hues chosen to classify the ranges and help clients navigate the styles and collections. For the typography, Wolstenholme says the design team “paired modernity with antiquity”, balancing a lovely display font with an ultra-modern sans-serif.
“The pairing of these fonts highlights the classic and contemporary styles that Fitzroy of London incorporates within its many ranges,” he adds.
Fitzroy of London’s product guide was also designed by SUN and Kelly remembers it as “a labour of love and collaboration”. The guide goes beyond providing the required information to clients by aiming to inspire the end user and reflect the new brand.
“The guide required a balance of inspiration and technicality, and this was achieved by systemising the pages so that consistency enables the reader to quickly find what they are looking for, as well as highlighting new products and collections,” Kelly explains.
He notes that creating the guide was “an iterative process, with every intricate detail having to be accounted for and images having to be carefully selected”.