Show-stopping bathroom vanities
Olivia Colebourne came to Cutshop® North Shore for help with a home renovation project.
When Olivia first bought the home in Browns Bay 10 years ago, she fell in love with its sunny and light spaces. Built in 1990, the interior of the property was dated but had strong bones and plenty of potential. With zero trade experience but a self proclaimed ‘active relaxer’, Olivia chipped away at the easier smaller projects such as painting the interior and exterior walls and kitchen cabinets and quickly learned that the to do list only ends “when you sell the house and make it someone else’s problems”.
After renting it for a while, Olivia moved back into the house two years ago and lives there with her partner Dan and sidekick Staffordshire Terrier, Frankie, and made the decision to tackle the big ticket items such as the outdated bathroom and kitchen. The house is really sunny, spacious and inviting and Olivia wanted the bathrooms to echo this feeling.
With a desire to create contrast between the materials and textures used, Olivia went to Pinterest and Instagram as great sources for inspiration and started collating snippets of ideas to form her own unique vision. The main bathroom had a separate toilet, however, the bathroom itself was quite confined and so it was decided to remove the dividing wall and open the space right up.
Whereas the layout of the ensuite was functional but full of hidden potential. Olivia knew there was an empty cavity in the wall space behind the shower that was wasted space. She wanted to tap into this and utilise it to give the ensuite an oversized shower space.
Main bathroom: Before
Maximising storage was an absolute must for Olivia and so she decided to include double drawers in the vanities and shelves in the ensuite that could house items in both the shower and above the vanity. In the main bathroom, niches were cleverly installed in the walls in both the shower and above the bath, maximising storage whilst looking sleek and elegant.
A simple but thoughtful and practical feature that Olivia was able to create for herself was hooks in the shower. A keen surfer and paddleboarder, Olivia regularly rinses her wetsuits out in the shower. As they are extremely heavy to hang and dry out, a builder reinforced the wall of each shower where the hooks were going to go to accommodate this.
Main bathroom: After
Olivia wanted to mix a few different textures in the bathroom so that when the light filtered in it would create an extra dimension and appeal. Loving the concrete flooring look, Olivia felt that terrazzo tiles were a good nod to this but after a slight calculation error meant there were only enough terrazzo tiles for the main bathroom.
Supply shortages and shipping delays meant there were no more in the country for 3 more months! As a solution, a darker shade of tiles were selected for the floor of the ensuite which actually looks better in the smaller space. It was a bit of a panic moment that ended up being quite fortuitous.
The black trim and tap-ware accent the terrazzo perfectly so were an easy and logical choice. The white tiles were chosen because of their soft variation in texture which look great on their own or under the natural sunlight, and the backlit mirrors add that extra dimension that was sought after.
A few people Olivia had spoken with had emphasised that the vanity is the epicentre and crucial focal point of any bathroom. Olivia wanted a wood vanity for the colour and contrast it would offer to the rest of the bathroom design and after lots of hours researching Olivia simply couldn't find what she was looking for within her budget.
Just as she was beginning to get quite frustrated, Olivia discovered Chelbe at Cutshop® North Shore. Recommended by a friend who was into woodworking, Olivia found exactly what she needed.
Shown a range of materials with lots of finishing options and trims before finally selecting the Meranti Red Plywood for its darker colour and woodgrain finish that really shines under light. A simple and effective finish that completed Olivia’s vision.
New ensuite
We asked Olivia what she loved about working with Cutshop®
“Price! I got two amazing custom vanities made for well within my budget. The end result is better than the ones I was daydreaming about because they were beyond my budget.”
For Olivia working with Cutshop® meant that not only did she save money, she also had access to a huge variety of materials to choose from. She wanted a wood finish and we had plenty of options to fit her needs, plus plenty of other great options too
Some of which Olivia has already mentioned she would like for when the time comes to do more projects around the house. The turnaround time was also a massive bonus for Olivia. In her search for a dream vanity she was running out of time with lots of demand and shipping delays at the moment.
Something she didn't have to factor into her Cutshop order. The whole process from the initial consultation through to the finished product was just a couple of weeks.
Cutshop® sourced everything for Olivia. There are so many moving parts that come with renovating two bathrooms and with Olivia working full time the process can become overwhelming and time consuming.
Cutshop® provides the simplicity of being able to walk in, pick materials and discuss design options to view before production, making the process seamless and hassle-free. There is the option to use your own materials if you already have some in mind however for those that don’t Cutshop® can provide everything you need.
For Olivia the end result was more than she envisioned. Equal part nervous and excited about picking up the cabinets to be installed, Olivia wanted the vanities to be a truly standout item in the bathrooms. The bathroom vanities were the final piece of her design vision jigsaw puzzle and they fit perfectly.
“I am just so happy. Seeing them in the Cutshop® factory with the sunlight illuminating the woodgrain, I knew I had made the right decision. The bathrooms have been finished for a few months now and they are so enjoyable to use. It was my first renovation project where I designed and project managed the whole thing.
I love this house and feel a strong homely connection to it. I love that the bathrooms are a real wow factor in the house now. I am proud of how I was able to execute my vision and stick within my budget. It has given me the confidence to tackle more projects on the house and fuelled my passion of daydreaming about the ultimate goal of building and designing our own house one day.”
The team at Cutshop® are ready and waiting for whatever home renovation project you have in mind, so get in touch today.