If you’re anything like us (and we think you are), the idea of renovating or building seems amazing – and thanks to reality TV – a piece of cake (we can literally hear anyone who has completed a home reno rolling their eyes right now). But don’t worry, we know that’s not the case. Especially when it comes to notoriously difficult wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms. Where do you start? How do you choose the feature piece? Is what you’ve chosen going to go out of style in six months? Argh! Don’t even get us started on functionality. Ok. Time to check in with the experts.
We had the chance to chat with House Rules winners/all round legends, Carly & Leighton, on everything bathroom design and style following the launch of Caroma’s new flagship showroom on The Parade. Here’s some of the top tips they had for us/anyone looking at building or renovating…
What was the inspiration for your capsule?
The inspiration for our capsule was from a bathroom that we recently completed in our home that we absolutely loved. It was just a great space to be in, especially for having a bath.
In terms of making a mark on interiors, how does Adelaide rank as a design hub?
Adelaide’s got some of the best design products and innovation we just need to remember to look in our own backyard.
What are your top tips for designing a beautiful and functional bathroom?
Layout is the key once you have that right, follow your heart with your style. Bathrooms are usually in small rooms so, try and make it appear bigger than it is. Bathroom are cold rooms due to the use of tiles, so always warm it up a bit of timber and plant life. Plenty of natural light is necessity.
How do you see the future of bathroom design and products evolving?
Its only just starting, interior design evolves week by week year by year. Its exciting to sit down and hold on.
What are your top tips on creating a bathroom that won’t go out of style?
To keep your bathroom timeless we believe you should draw your palette from nature.
What’s the easiest place to start when designing a new bathroom?
The easiest part is designing it the hard part is ripping up the old tiles …haha
What are the most common mistakes people make when it comes to designing and/or styling their bathrooms?
Biggest mistakes in bathroom design is when people don’t proportion the area properly for example, tile sizes need to work together cohesively and layout, again, is the key it needs to be pleasing to the eye but also needs to function.
What are some handy tips on choosing your feature piece/s in the bathroom such as your tap, shower head, tiles etc.?
Bath and basin needs to work together by complementing each other’s shape. Tap-ware all needs to be from the same style and finish. Tiles need to complement each other by being a nice contrast to each other in colour, shape and size. Style your bathroom with pieces like a funky mirror, hanging planter and accessories. Timber is a necessity we believe to add warmth to the any bathroom space.
Carly & Leighton recently put their skills to the test alongside some of Australia’s top designers to create a life-size “pod” that shows you (lé renovator/builder/design-fiend) a realistic example of how things like Caroma taps would look in someones home. Mind you, the great thing about this showroom is that the main focus is really on the bathroom inspo and interactive experience – not about every element on display is for sale.
If neither of these is for you, there is the option of Caroma application. That app has been designed guide you through a series of questions that will lead you to products will best suit the space you want to create. They’ve really done their research on how to make the experience of re/designing a bathroom a breeze.The Caroma showroom has been designed with the customer in mind, it is all about taking you on a journey. No longer, do you have to feel overwhelmed by what tap, shower head even toilet roll holder you should choose, Caroma has created a design hub to help find just what you’re looking for. There’s also a life-size interactive space where you can map out exactly what you want using life-size blocks or use miniature replicas of the Caroma products at the design bench.
It’s nice to have the combination of designers/renovators pods as inspo PLUS Caroma experts there on hand, who can walk you through all that functionality stuff we mentioned before. You’ll be reno royalty in no time. Trust us*.
*don’t trust us.
If you seriously want to know more, go to Caroma Website, give the showroom call 08 8405 0311 OR head to 49 The Parade Norwood S.A 5067.