What I Know About Style

Interview with the Founders of London Basin Company

August
17

We chat to the mother-daughter duo behind London Basin Company about their stunning bathroom interiors, the design process, and what it's like to run a business with family...

What prompted you to start London Basin Company?

Anna was an interior designer before we started London Basin Company and she was looking for colourful, patterned bathroom basins for a project she was working on. She couldn’t find what she wanted, so she designed the basin herself and had it hand-painted by an artist. The result was beautiful, and she began to think that there was a real opportunity to start up a successful business. She shared the idea with me (her daughter) over dinner one evening, and I was equally excited about it. With her experience as an interior and product designer and my background in marketing, we felt we were in the perfect position to set up London Basin Company.

What inspires your designs?

Our travels – we absolutely love to travel together as a family and have drawn inspiration from many of the amazing countries we’ve visited. When we launched London Basin Company our designs were very much inspired by intricate Asian patterns and designs, as Asia is one of our favourite continents. But we have since introduced more contemporary, playful designs inspired by some of our other favourite destinations around the world.

Tell us a little bit about the design process: how do you approach this?

We don’t use fancy digital apps or elaborate technology. We do lots of research, we brainstorm, and we constantly bounce ideas off one another and eventually agree on a final design and sketch. We then prototype until we’re 100% happy with the design.

Is there a common design thread that unites the designs within the collection?

The entire collection brings together an eclectic and vibrant mix of traditional patterns and designs, which we have reinterpreted in a unique, modern way.

Alongside your porcelain basins, you also offer freestanding vanity units, basin supports, taps and mirrors. What inspired you to expand your range beyond basins?

We were getting inundated with requests about where we had sourced the items in our basin photography (over and above our basins); it made total sense to expand the collection to make it as easy as possible for our clients to get the complete ‘London Basin Company’ look, all from one place.

Do you have a favourite design from the collection? What is the most popular design?

We couldn’t possibly choose a favourite; all our basin designs hold a special place in our heart as they are inspired by our favourite places and memories. Each design is so different, so there really is something for everyone in our collection. Our bestseller is the Adriana – the basin we launched the business with 5 years ago.

How integral is the mother-daughter relationship to the success of the company?

It’s absolutely central to our business. We have a shared vision for the company and complement each other in the roles we do. Anna is the creative, innovative force behind everything and, because I worked in advertising, I am much more involved with the marketing and other ‘behind the scenes’ activities. It’s a great partnership.

Are you working on any new designs? What are your future plans for London Basin Company?

We are excited to launch a new tap collection later this year and are currently working on new basin designs, with a focus on new shapes. In terms of the future, our emphasis will always be on our core basin offering, but we will continue to diversify our collection, offering more for the bathroom.

www.londonbasincompany.com

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