TOP GWENT bathroom designer Nicola Rogers will be up against the best of British when she flies the flag for Wales in London next month.

Nicola, 26, of Beechwood, Newport, is a finalist in Bathroom + Kitchens magazine's annual design awards.

On February 3 she will travel up to London for a glittering evening event at The Grosvenor Hotel, on Park Lane.

Around 900 guests are expected and they will watch 12 design categories being judged and awarded.

Nicola's work is up against that of two other UK finalists for the Young Bathroom Designer of the Year award.

"The criteria for my category are quite demanding," said Nicola.

"I had to choose one of my designs from the last year and provide information on what the client had required, the design issues, the layout aesthetics and the building regulations.

"I also had to supply my hand-drawn design of the bathroom."

A full-time designer for two and a half years with South Wales bathroom and kitchen specialist Sigma 3, Nicola found her forte after dalliances with architecture and graphic design.

"I did three years of architecture training at Plymouth to take my Part One examinations," said Nicola.

"I then taught myself graphic design before deciding I wanted to travel, and ended up spending a year working in Boston."

Upon her return she was one of many young hopefuls who turned up for interview at Sigma 3's Cardiff-based Ripples franchise in response to a newspaper ad.

The company liked what it saw, and has reaped the benefits of Nicola's broad artistic impulses.

She uses a knowledge of materials and lighting to help create her designs, and says she is a fan of the Mexican designer, Luis Barragon, who excelled in the use of light, water, colour, texture and simple forms.

"Bathrooms," she said, "are an interesting challenge because they play such a key role in the homeowner's relaxation and rejuvenation."

Mike Broomhall, retail managing director of Sigma 3 and Ripples, said: "Nicola has already done very well to have been chosen as a finalist in this competition, and our fingers are crossed for the final.

"She is a highly regarded member of a talented team."

Mike's company has the exclusive Welsh franchise for Ripples, with stores in Cardiff and Swansea. It also trades in Newport under its Sigma 3 brand.

PICTURE: Nicola Rogers is in the running for a top industry prize