Interior Design

In Conversation with Balineum

We catch up with Sarah Watson, founder of Balineum, creator of tiles, bathroom furniture & accessories.

We catch up with Sarah Watson, founder of Balineum, creator of tiles, bathroom furniture & accessories. Read about Sarah’s passion for hand painted tile designs, the importance of her UK tile makers and what advice she has for those feeling overwhelmed by choice.

Meet founder Sarah Watson

Tell us a little bit about Balineum for those not familiar.

Balineum started in 2007 selling fabric shower curtains. Our collections have since expanded to include bathroom accessories, washstands, mirrors, lighting, hardware, and tiles. Over the past 10 years, tiles have become more than 50% of Balineum’s business and the hallmark of our brand. In 2023, Balineum purchased our Stoke-on-Trent tile makers to preserve the traditional skills of the crafts people they employ and secure the future of tube lined, hand cut tiles in Stoke-on-Trent. Balineum’s clients are industry-leading interior designers and architects and we predominantly work on high-end residential projects.

Are there any particularly memorable projects you’ve worked on with Salvesen Graham?

Oh my – so many great projects! In fact, we are just updating our website so we can finally now start to add installation pictures and so many of our favourite projects and images are from Salvesen Graham it’s hard to pick! We do really love this particular bathroom, the combination of our Series S tiles, the luxurious bold wallpaper and the brass details including our Agatha mirror and washstand was inspired.

Are there any tile or bathroom trends you have noticed recently?

Colour continues to be strong. Mottles, and browns and designs with a 70s vibe seem to be coming through.

Any advice for those feeling overwhelmed by tile choice?

Not really… as our speciality is giving choice! We keep trying to edit down our collection but our clients keep coming to us with “Oh I really like that, but …. could you do it in another size, shape or colour?”

If you don’t have the luxury of working with Salvesen Graham – who will make all the hard design decisions for you - I’d start with a neutral field tile but use a liner / border / trim tile to add personality. For example, Festen Architecture designed great bathrooms at Chateau Voltaire, they mixed plain tile formats (which are the most affordable tiles) and added detail with ceramic trims.

We also encourage our clients to come to the showroom and see things in person. We spend so much time on screens and Pinterest, sometimes it’s much easier to see what you’re drawn to in real life.

Tell us about the factory and your talented team in Stoke.

The factory is called Phoenix Tile Studio and they are based in Stoke on Trent. They have been going for 35 years. Paul and Geoff, the founders are getting closer to retirement age. We wanted to make sure the factory, the staff and the skills carry on far beyond them – so we are investing a lot of time and money in hiring, documenting and improving the operations, as well as training the next generation of tile makers.

Where do you seek out inspiration for new designs and bespoke projects?

We’re lucky to work with incredibly talented designers and architects who bring new briefs to every project. For collaborations we like to work with artists who bring a broad range of inspiration. Personally, we are feeling very inspired by Stoke and the wealth of knowledge and rich history of ceramics there is in the city.

What are your non-negotiables when creating a new tile?

Is it actually new and unique? I am not sure the world actually needs more tile designs, so it has to be worth it. Making tiles requires a big investment in labour, materials and energy – and I think we have to careful not to chase new just for the sake of it.

What’s your best piece of tile advice?

Always allow wastage and order more than you need. Every batch of tiles is ever so slightly different – so the biggest cause of pain for us and clients is when they don’t order enough and we can’t get the next batch to seamlessly mix in. And “measure twice, cut once” – that should be crocheted on a pillow and given to everyone working on a construction project.

Also consider your edges and corners – when you have tiles that go around external corners or finish a run of tiles, the raw tile base will normally be exposed along the edge. We’ll be releasing a guide soon to help with detailing this. Something that goes beyond a last-minute metal or plastic trim and means your project will be elegantly finished.

What do you wish more people knew about having a tile business?

That it is insanely hard work and stuff goes wrong constantly.
But equally, working with ceramics is one of the most joyful and satisfying things I’ve ever been involved with.