By Colin Barber
This little jewel of a powder-room was previously an unremarkable, functional 'grey' WC; a cold space both aesthically and literally.
The work to change it included floor insultation and a WarmUp under-tile heater for the marble floor, a Geberit under-counter cistern to give a cleaner look to the room plus form the shelf, and the commission from New Zealand's handmade tile maker Middle Earth, of the subway tiles - in 'Sterling Moss' green. Decorations, colour scheme and Zoffany blind by Fiona Fletcher, our in-house interiors consultant.
Colin is a specialist tiler of great experience. He hs been trading as Colin Barber Tiling Co since 1988 in London UK, and now based in Christchurch NZ.
Colin has worked as tiler-contractor on many architectural projects and high value residential works, notable among them restoration work at Buckingham Palace and master bathrooms for Sting, Kate Moss, Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Bloomberg and Simon Cowell.
He was the tile contractor for TileMile project in Clerkenwell Design Week which won a London Design Week Gold award in 2014.
He has been in demand for his quality of work with tiles for 3 + decades, and is experienced with every type of tile material and format - mosaics especially.
He has been a member of the UK Tile Association - the body representing the UK tile trade and industry - since 2000, and is designated a 'master tiler'.
He has done international work for clients in Paris, St. Tropez, Marbella, The Highlands of Scotland, New York, and now of course New Zealand.
In moving to New Zealand in 2019 with his Christchurch born wife - the photographer Fiona Fletcher, he brings with him 30 plus years of tiling experience as tiler and contractor, much of it on first-class projects.
Projects large and small undertaken.