When a bathroom vanity becomes a piece of furniture

Warmth, character and detail are becoming more and more part of bathroom design, whether it’s the main family bathroom or ensuite. It’s in these spaces that the Telaio feels at home, and more like a piece of furniture than a simple storage solution. 

“Whether that’s a renovated villa or a very contemporary home, it shouldn’t feel like the vanity has been dropped in as an afterthought. We didn’t want it to just feel like a bathroom cabinet with a bit of detailing added to the front. There should be a warmth and quality to it, and the Telaio has that classic furniture influence without feeling dated.”

The option for the vanity to be finished in natural timber veneer plays an important role in this. It gives the furniture a solid feel that can’t be replicated by a printed finish. 

“Using natural timber veneer was important to us. It gives the cabinetry a warmth and authenticity that you don’t quite get from an imitation timber finish,” says James. “People want bathrooms to feel less clinical, which is another reason the natural timber veneer in Telaio works so well.”

Telaio’s other finishes and customisations allow it to sit comfortably in any bathroom.

With the vanity often a selection that is more of an investment than smaller items such as tapware that can be easily changed, the Telaio offers a total of eight cabinet finishes, eight top options and eight handle options, with handles available in different sizes as well, providing designers enough freedom to make the vanity suit the project rather than having the project work around the vanity.

“You can make quite a statement with a timber finish, a contrasting top and something like brushed brass hardware. Or you can keep everything much quieter and let it sit back in the room. We quite often suggest matching the handle finish to the tapware or other details in the bathroom. It’s a fairly simple thing, but when your handles, tapware and accessories all speak to one another, the whole bathroom feels much more resolved,” says James.

“After more than 40 years in the industry, one thing we’ve learnt is that a bathroom has to last longer than the latest trend. That’s especially true with the bigger investment pieces. People might change their tapware finish or accessories over time, but a good piece of bathroom furniture should still feel right years down the track.”

The cabinet’s sizing has also been designed to suit compact powder rooms, through to larger spaces where double basins are needed. 

“For us, a vanity still has to work, first and foremost. That’s why there’s such a broad spread of sizes. A 440mm cabinet has a completely different job to a 1500mm double vanity, so we wanted the collection to cover both ends of that spectrum. Storage has been thought through as well, including double-drawer configurations and the option of an internal cosmetic drawer on applicable models.”

These types of details aren’t necessarily the first thing you notice in a showroom, but you certainly notice them once you start using the bathroom every day. 

Like all Elementi bathroom furniture, Telaio is made in New Zealand, allowing Robertson Bathware to work closely with the craftspeople making each piece.

“We choose to work with local craftspeople because we trust their skill, the quality they produce and the materials they work with. There are practical benefits to making furniture locally as well. It means the finished product doesn’t have to travel halfway around the world before it reaches a New Zealand home, and it also gives us the opportunity to work closely with the people who are actually making it,” says James.

“We bring some of the best European bathroom design into New Zealand through Robertson, but with Elementi we also get to make products specifically with Kiwi homes in mind.”

Explore how the Telaio can be customised to your next project and see how other Robertson Bathware products have been used by designers in projects across New Zealand.