SOME SELECTIONS ARE EASIER THAN OTHERS… BUT IT’S STILL A JOURNEY

When this client came into our tile shop, she was absolutely overwhelmed as she had to make selections for two bathrooms, a kitchen and a laundry. With so many tiles to choose from, she took advantage of our free design consultation service where I was able to review her project in detail, look at her plans and give her honest and objective advice on selecting the right tiles and pc items for her bathroom renovation project.

However, what this client didn’t realise was that she already had the ideal designs - after all she’s been researching this for almost five years - but she hadn’t formulated it into a cohesive plan… yet. That’s where we come in. I asked a lot of questions, and listened, I looked at many photos saved on Pinterest and Instagram and read her body language. Very quickly she gave me a clear idea of what she would like, but she wasn’t ready to hear it just yet - I had to take her on a journey.

I discussed how the rooms would be used, who would be using them, the floorplan layout and any possible changes, budget projections and contingency plans. Of all these the most important aspect is always budget - the client has to have an idea of what their budget is and we need to know that, so together we can design and provide tile and stone packages to fit. (Almost) anyone can design a beautiful space… but doing it within your budget is where the challenge is and that is where you need to get creative. And I believe that is what sets us apart from our competitors.

With the journey almost finished, it was time to show her some tiles - she was ready!

I put together a couple of mood boards for her, one for her main bathroom and one for her ensuite. These bathrooms are going to look similar rather than the same, so needed a common thread tying them together.

The main bathroom has a patterned floor tile in sage green and white - the design being bolder and more graphic rather than ornate, while the colour adds a subtle softness to the palette. This is teamed with a matte white wall tile to create a fresh, contemporary look. The tiling height will range from 1.2m to 1.8m and the remaining walls will be covered in VJ paneling, which will be painted a neutral beige (shown here as a tile, for colour only). Finally, an oak vanity, brushed nickel tapware, a jute rug and some cream towels complete the look.

For the ensuite we’ve gone with a black and white patterned floor tile - this time a little more ornate in design - but it’s their ensuite, and it’s a more intimate space. We’ve teamed this with a beautiful Zellige gloss white feature tile which will cover three of the walls with the fourth wall being VJ paneling painted an earthy pink (client’s favourite colour)! The tapware will change to a darker gunmetal grey to balance the black and white floor tile.