Another fabulous development by the team at Sydney’s FutureFlip, this expansive new townhouse is one of three that sit on a corner block in Caringbah South. Home to a downsizer couple, whose children have left home, this townhouse was chosen by its owners for its luxe yet low-maintenance credentials.
Recycled brick adds a layer of texture in the kitchenTileCloud‘s gorgeous Avalon Gloss square and subway pattern tiles adorn the kitchen island
“They wanted something that was easier to maintain than their five-bedroom home with a large backyard, but they still wanted lots of entertaining space and luxury finishes,” says the home’s designer Neil Hipwell, founding director of FutureFlip.
High-end finishes, such as tiger bronze tapware by Meir and ceramic matte tiles from Tilecloud are paired with exposed recycled brick to create a contemporary, coastal vibe.
Lounge
Having come from a large family home, a sense of spaciousness, in the townhouse, was key. “Natural oak flooring and oversize, 3.3m floor to ceiling windows mean that this three-bedroom townhouse has an impressive sense of space and light throughout,” says Neil.
Bedroom
Each of the three townhouses was designed with a different look in mind – bohemian, minimal and coastal. This particular abode is the ‘coastal’ themed one and its interiors complement the home’s water views.
The three townhouses from the street
The rocky corner site certainly looks very different these days – it was previously home to a single level, fibro, dilapidated house. “It wasn’t easy to transform a rocky, difficult corner block into three luxury townhouses in a way that was both ecologically and economically efficient,” says Neil.
TileCloud’s Avalon Gloss square and subway pattern tiles make a fabulous feature wall in the bathroomBath
The home’s new owners are very happy with their purchase – its neutral spaces providing plenty of scope for personal touches. “The townhouse is perfect for its owners who love to entertain and enjoy the finer things in life, without a lot of maintenance.”
Whether you’re after a personalised tap (finished in marble, leather, wood or glass), a low-maintenance patterned porcelain tile made to look like a cement encaustic one, or a jewel-toned teal basin, this month’s crop of bathroom wares are a statement making bunch.
Nood Co: The clever folk at Nood Co have added another delectable colour to their fabulous line-up of concrete basins. Available in a variety of shapes including round, square, pill (oval) and rectangle, this rich teal shade is giving us all the feels.
Nood Co Pill basin in teal, $790Nood Co Box Basin vanity set in teal, $1600
Kohler ModernLife toilet: This award-winning rimless toilet has just been released in a wall-faced configuration. It has nifty features such as an integrated deodoriser and night light too. From $648.
AXOR MyEdition tap ware: This clean, linear tap ware range offers a luxurious ‘PowderRain’ spray as well as great scope for personalisation. It comes chrome-plated or in one of 16 different finishes and the plate on top is available in a variety of materials including glass, metal, wood, marble and leather.
“Making a personal statement through customised interiors is the essence of luxury. With the AXOR MyEdition collection, we have set the stage for personal creativity – colours, materials and patterns create the point of departure for a unique and personalised tap,” says Andreas Diefenbach of Phoenix Design who created the concept. Prices start from $1,409.
The unique ‘PowderRain’ spray looks rather deluxeThe plate is available in a wood finish
Scarabeo Mizu Collection: Available locally at Paco Jaanson, this unusual Italian design consists of a basin and cap. The cap conceals the drain but it has a central cut down the middle that allows the water to drain through. The design is available in a variety of styles, sizes and colours from matte black to gold. Priced from $750.
The basin comes in many shades including this gorgeous gold
TileCloud latest: We featured this innovative tile business recently but we thought some of its newest patterned tiles were worth sharing. Inspired by encaustic cement tiles, these newbies are in fact made from hard-wearing, low-maintenance porcelain.
The TileCloud Austinmer porcelain tile is available in black (pictured) and greyThe TileCloud Palm Beach tile is available in sage green (pictured) and blueThe TileCloud Mollymook tile is available in navy (pictured) and grey
Highgrove Bathrooms Ollie tap ware: Available in classic chrome, matte black and a brushed nickel finish, this new tap ware range has sleek, rounded edges and is available as a basin mixer, in-wall mixer, wall basin mixer or wall spout. From $99.
Highgrove Bathrooms Ollie mixer tap
Cosentino Dekton Grip+: Maximising safety in wet environments, Dekton® Grip+ is a new anti-slip treatment for Dekton interior an exterior floors. Ideal for the bathroom (though it can be used anywhere inside or outside the home), the finish can be applied to 16 of the Dekton colours. Adhered to the surface in the manufacturing process, the easy to clean surface is resistant to scratches, cold, heat and UV rays.
Costentino Dekton collection in ArgaCosentino Dekton as seen in ‘Dekton House’ by Alec Pappas Architects. Photo: Prue Ruscoe
If you’ve ever had to shop for tiles you’ll know just how daunting, frustrating and often fruitless the task can be. In my experience there’s usually too many stores spread across too many suburbs making the task a time-sucking, logistical nightmare. And to top it off, after trekking across the city I typically only find a handful of tiles that pique my interest anyway. But as with many other interior design tasks, online shopping is changing all of this and online tile shop TileCloud is leading the charge.
One of Three Birds Renovations’ latest projects featuring TileCloud tiles. Photography via Three Birds Renovations
“We have an ideal mix of renovation, tiling and interior design experience and our work in the renovation world enabled us to identify that the tile experience was broken. We believe shopping for tiles should be a joy, not a hassle, so we have combined one of the oldest building materials in the world with one of the best technologies; the internet,” says Drew Mansur, who founded the business with partners Florence Kelly and Mark Wilkinson.
From super stylish encaustic tiles to pastel hued subways, delicate fish scales and myriad mosaics, there isn’t a trend the site doesn’t have covered.
Photography: Three Birds Renovations
And while the business is only around two years old, it’s been a quick ascension for the trio (who now employ seven additional staff) who attribute much of their success to social media and the loyal online community they have built. “The social community is what’s grown the business and it’s filled with people who are really inspired by interiors, home renos and architecture. People are constantly sharing their renovations too because not only are they proud of them, but they want to inform the next group of renovators,” says Florence.
Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest are the main platforms that the business uses and they provide priceless real-time feedback that gives them precious agility — akin to an online fashion store, the TileCloud stock is constantly changing to reflect current trends. “We are always on top of what is current in the renovation market. If someone posts a photo of a beautiful bathroom and then people want that tile we can easily source it which allows us to be very flexible and dynamic,” says Florence.
TileCloud’s popular ‘Avalon’ range
A strong digital marketing campaign, Google AdWords and smart collaborations (Three Birds Renovations, Future Flip, and Adore magazine are some of the latest) have also helped disseminate the brand’s message. The company has also featured in plenty of magazines, including Inside Out and Real Living, though it doesn’t pay for PR.
TileCloud tiles feature in Adore Home Magazine editor Loni Parker’s recent bathroom renovation
And as for any resistance to the online model, Florence says there has been very little because their customers are used to buying everything else online. “The majority of our customers are already purchasing clothing, furniture and food online so it’s just an evolution of those practices,” she says. For $15 (fully redeemable on a purchase), you can have five samples sent anywhere in Australia (unsurprisingly the site services a lot of rural areas). “This lets customers test the process and gives them the confidence to make a purchase,” says Florence.
A recent collaboration with FutureFlip. Photography: Layla Sawyer
A user-friendly interface, the TileCloud site allows you to search for tiles by colour, shape, material, pattern or room. The company also offers free design advice, advice on quantities and tile and freight prices are displayed on the site so you don’t need to wait around for a salesperson to get back to you. And with fewer overheads than a bricks and mortar store, it’s able to pass on better prices to its customers also.
“Ultimately we founded TileCloud to create an easier more inspiring way to shop for tiles and we are passionate about helping people create beautiful spaces they love coming home to every day,” adds Drew.
When it comes to decorating and furnishing your home, there are a few things you’d probably never dream about buying online. Until now!
They include paint, tiles, window furnishings and rugs. They’re either too hard to buy online because of the necessity to touch or see the product; the fact you’ve never traditionally bought them online, or via a salesperson doing a “free” measure and quote in your home or returning them is just too hard if you get it wrong.
We’ve noticed a definite increase in businesses making it easier than ever for you to buy things from the comfort of your own home with very little risk, so we thought we’d do a roundup for you! They’re things you have probably never considered buying online, but we hope you might now!
Buying tiles online is a very new phenomenon and online store TileCloud say there are multiple benefits for the customer. We particularly love how they offer to send you five samples for $5 in the mail. You can quickly and easily browse everything in one place (they only feature what they currently have in stock so you know it’s immediately available) and they promise year-round fair prices so you’ll never see big discount sales from them.
They also have a great range of all the tiles we have seen trending recently such as herringbone, mosaics, timber and concrete-look tiles, encaustic, travertine and natural stone for your bathroom, kitchen, floors or outdoor. They display all their tile and freight prices on the site so there’s no waiting around for a salesperson to get back to you and it’s easy to budget. There’s also customer care via phone and email to help you work out what and how much you need, as well as an online tile visualiser. Shipping (Australia wide, no exceptions!) is cheaper than you’d think, and often free, depending on the size of your order. And there’s a discount for trade customers too.
We say it’s definitely worth order ing your five samples and giving it a go!
Monsta are redesigning the way people buy paint, enabling you to do so online and have it delivered for free. They claim you’ll pay less than other paint brands with no sacrifice in quality.
Their paint is made in Australia with extras like mould inhibitor included as standard. You can get free white colour cards (they have a range of 20 whites) and buy sample pots online. They also offer free customer advice via phone, email, Facebook Chat and Skype.
We haven’t tried it ourselves, but we like the direct-from-manufacturer model.
DIY Online Blinds are making it super easy to buy blinds and plantation shutters (yes, you heard right) from your laptop at home! This is an industry where you are probably used to getting a free at-home measure and quote. But of course, nothing in life is free! DIY Online Blinds cut out the middleman. You can get huge savings on PVC plantation shutters by cutting out the middleman, measuring and installing yourself. It might sound daunting but they give you all the help you need to do it right. It’s actually nowhere near as tricky as you’d imagine! However if you live in metro NSW, VIC or QLD you can choose to have them installed for you, but it will obviously cost more.
We had our shutters installed by DIY Online Blinds and highly recommend them! Because they’re made here, unlike many suppliers, the turnaround time is just a couple of weeks.
DIY Online Blinds’ shutters in the latest reno of former Blockheads Bec and George
We’ve written about Miss Amara before but we like their online model so much, they’re getting another mention here. The rug-buying experience is not always the most inspiring, and why is it that those rugs shops (you know the ones) are always having a closing down sale but never actually closing?!
Miss Amara have a great range to suit all tastes and budgets but it’s how you buy (and return them if necessary) that appeals to us. For starters, delivery is free. Then you get to try it in your home for up to 30 days. Because it is really hard to visualise without having it there, don’t you think?! And if you don’t like how it looks, you can return it and they’ll cover the cost of pickup etc. It makes rug-buying online pretty much risk-free. We love it.
There’s even a free styling service so if you send them a photo of your room, they can advise you on some good options.
What do you think? Would you buy tiles, paint, shutters or rugs online after reading this?
