Outside the box

When New Zealand journalist and television personality Carly Flynn and her husband Dave renovated their 1940/50s home, the results sure didn’t disappoint – transforming the near original kitchen and bathrooms to eye catching contemporary and functional spaces.

Being naturally interested in design, Carly had a general idea of what she wanted in her new home’s bathrooms and kitchen areas.

She knew she wanted to create family friendly, beautiful spaces that included colour, terrazzo and 'were a little bit out of the box'. 

When it came to pulling these ideas together and deciding upon her tile selections, she turned to The Tile Depot.

“I’d worked with the Tile Depot people before – I’ve interviewed them a few times on various radio and tv things that we’ve done together and I just knew that they’d be a great place to start.”

Upon arriving at The Tile Depot, Carly realised that there were “too many amazing tile options” attracting her attention, so she turned to Pinterest to narrow her field of search.

She soon discovered a love of kitkat /finger tiles, reaffirmed her love of the terrazzo aesthetic, and to her surprise, found she was unexpectedly drawn to soothing and calming green tones when her favourite colour is in fact blue.

Armed with a more definitive idea of what she wanted, the team at The Tile Depot was able to help pull it altogether and assist with the layout and combination of tiles to suit the spaces.

This is something that’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s one thing to have a style that you like but it’s another to make sure it suits where it’s going. However, the results were a triumph.  

Tired spaces that had seen a few attempts at zhooshing them up over the 70-80 years since they were constructed, were finally stunning, fresh and elegant contemporary spaces. 

The children’s bathroom, previously lined with old wooden floorboards and a tired clawfoot bath that drained through a hole in the floor straight to the ground, is now a stunning guest and family bathroom.

Within this, the resurfaced sage-teal green clawfoot bath is now a striking feature and asset to the space. 

The timeless beauty of the Frammenta Bianco 600x600mm tile, laid floor to ceiling, brings in a natural grain which is pulled into the contemporary era with the contrasting architectural texture of the Sticks Ivory Mosaic feature wall.

Tiling the entire room was a fantastic design decision, essentially creating a wet room.

This very functional aspect of the bathroom has proven itself already with three kids, and a dog occasionally, all using it simultaneously.

The ensuite is an elegant and tranquil space that is encompassing and sophisticated – an adult 'spa-like' retreat from the wider chaos of family living.

The ensuite retains consistency with the bathroom through the continued use of the Frammenta Bianco tiles on the floors. 

Being a relatively small room, the walls are again tiled floor to ceiling but this time with a simple and modern warm matt white Bianco Brillo 300x600mm tile which helps to create a sense of spaciousness.

Instead of finger mosaics, the stunning  and edgy Tribeca Seaglass Mint subway tile was introduced on the shower walls. 

The Tribeca tile has a soft aqua green with a slight industrial character that creates a real feature for the space. 

There is a distinct nod to Mid-century design throughout the bathrooms and kitchen.

This look was inspired both by the original age of the home and Carly’s own grandfather who was an architect of that time.

Mid-century design touches are evident in the arch shaped mirrors, brass detailing, curvaceous vanities and cabinetry and use of wood.

There is a strong cohesiveness running through these areas, where compatible teal green hues have been used in both the tiles, the custom made vanities and of course that amazing re-painted bath.

This cohesiveness creates a strong sense of character and a definitive design style. Plus, this character was continued into the kitchen and scullery areas where another gentle sage-teal green subway tile – Calx Aquamarina – was used to connect the flow of colour and style.

Calx Aquamarina is an easy care, high gloss tile with a slightly retro feel that looks refined and welcoming against the wood kitchen cabinetry.

The tile selections from The Tile Depot work seamlessly uniting these design elements and binding them firmly to the 2020s.

The results are fresh, clean and functional spaces that can withstand the wear and tear of a busy family but which are also visually delightful and definitely not ‘cookie-cutter’ contemporary design.

“I completely fell in love with our tile choices. From a flat-lay, to on the wall – I’m stoked with the outcome and wouldn’t change a thing,” says Carly. 

Explore the broad ranges of tiles and mosaics on offer at The Tile Depot

Story by: Trendsideas