Think bathroom fittings are boilerplate? You haven’t been to Balineum.
The bath-focused brand is just about the opposite of the boring plumbing-aisle purgatory of big-box stores. (We once called the showroom a Sweet Shop for Designers.) Started in 2007, it reportedly all started when founder Sarah Watson couldn’t find a shower curtain to her liking. Fast forward, and the UK-based company now offers fittings of all kinds—including their own tiles, made in Stoke on Trent.
Today the doyenne of baths shares her takes on the rest of the house—plus the most recent movie to inspire her, a “brilliant” and unlikely flooring option, and why she says no to white paint.
Above: Welcome to Balineum.
You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?
Flowers or fruit for the host. And of course plenty to drink, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
What’s on your bedside table?
Books, the New Yorker, and HRT meds.
What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?
Grammar of Ornament. That can be purchased at most design book stores.
If there was no restriction, if this could be anything that I wish for, then I want the 1000+ pattern books from the Wedgwood archive. That would keep me entertained for quite some time on a desert island.
Above: Sweet shop indeed.
What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?
Chernobyl. It was filmed largely in Poland, so now a modernist building and tiled architecture tour of Poland is on my hit list.
More recently I thought Conclave was beautifully shot. The colours and shapes (lots of circles and blocks of colour) were great and perfectly captured old and new Rome.
Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?
@adambraydesigns, @okolo_architecture, and @permanentcollection.
Above: At Riccardo Barthel in Florence.
What has been your best house upgrade?
A few years ago I built in some cupboards and I love them. Storage is my great love.
Coming soon… I recently bought some Vitsoe shelves for our home office and I am VERY excited about their imminent arrival.
A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?
Cork or vinyl floors are brilliant.
My favorite sheets are…
White. Cotton.
My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…
Pale pink or pale green. Soft colours. Defintiely not white. I hate most shades of white; they are almost always too cold and unflattering to most skin tones.
Above: Shelving inspiration on Sarah’s mood board (available here).
My unpopular design opinion is…
Buy less. Stop buying stuff.
Your design pet peeve?
Feature walls. They make me feel icky.
My go-to kitchen utensil is…
A sieve.
Three words that describe my design style:
Plain yet colourful.
First design love?
Europe and European buildings. I was raised in the very flat, dry, and architecturally boring suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. When I first saw the beauty of Europe as a 21-year-old backpacker it just blew my mind. I was in complete awe that such beauty could exist in a city or a building.
What item from your closet do you have on repeat?
A pair of black corduroy pants.
Above: Sarah and the Balineum team.
Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?
Svenst Tenn in Stockholm and Riccardo Barthel in Florence.
What is the last thing you purchased for your house?
Vitsoe 606 Shelving Units.
Something you’re coveting?
Even more Vitsoe 606 Shelving Units.
Thanks so much, Sarah! Follow her work at @sarah_balineum and www.balineum.co.uk.
