CONCRETE NATION WAS BORN FROM A SMALL STORAGE SHED BACK IN 2013 - TELL US ABOUT THE 12 MONTH LEAD UP TO ITS BIRTH 

When we moved to Australia in late 2011, we knew we wanted to start a bespoke concrete business. While we were settling in, Jason started dabbling in it, doing some benchtops & vanities for friends just to get started. It really was a slow progression, learning not only how to run a business but also how to work together, working to each others strengths.

 

TELL US ABOUT THE YESTERMORROW DESIGN BUILD SCHOOL WORKSHOP THAT JASON COMPLETED IN THE US?

The course that Jason took at Yestermorrow focused on polished concrete benchtops. It was not a very complete course but it taught him all of the basics when it comes to fibreglass reinforced concrete. From there it has just been years of playing with mixes, finishes, colours etc to get to where we are now.

 

WHAT PROMPTED JASON TO START WORKING WITH CONCRETE AFTER THIS?

He loved that the possibilities were endless with concrete, with very little limitations. He also saw a void in the marketplace for it, back in 2010, there was very limited concrete out there.

 

HOW DID YOU THEN ARRIVE AT USING CONCRETE IN BATHROOM AND KITCHEN ENVIRONMENTS, FOR BASINS, SINKS, BATHS AND COUNTERTOPS?

The course at Yestermorrow focussed mostly on kitchen benchtops but once Jason realised he could apply the same concept to bathrooms, that’s when he really started getting creative. We first started doing vanity tops with integrated sinks, and then came up with the idea for trying to make it into a basin. First we just did more of trough cube style basin, then when Jason learned more about mould making, we were able to do the more custom shapes that we have today.

 

Concrete Nation’s Lett family visiting Plumbline’s Wallace family at the Plumbline showroom in Wellington.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FOR CONCRETE BASIN AND BATH COLOURS AND STYLES?

When it comes to our colours, we try not to follow trends but rather think about what colours would look beautiful in concrete. Coming from a 10 years of working in fashion design industry, colour selection is second nature to me. It is just an emotional response, that’s when we know we have found our next colour. Since concrete is a natural material, we try to focus mostly on the colours of nature.

 

HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THE NAME CONCRETE NATION?

I wish there was some big story behind it, but it just came down to hours of playing around with names and logos… I think we were going to be called Concrete Sanctuary at one point. Thankfully we chose Concrete Nation! 

 

WE’RE A BIG FAN OF ALL 12 COLOURED CONCRETE OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE COLLECTION HERE IN NEW ZEALAND – THIS MEANS WE HAVE SOMETHING SUITABLE FOR ALL UNIQUE NEW ZEALAND BATHROOMS, NO MATTER THEIR STYLE AND TASTE! WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST POPULAR COLOUR FOR A CONCRETE VESSEL BASIN IN AUSTRALIA?

That’s what we love about our range of colours. Because colour is so personal, offering a broad range allows us to appeal to lots of different people with different styles. Our most popular colour for basins right now would be our Dusty Pink. However, every month, a new colour seems to take over for a bit.

 

AND MOST POPULAR OASIS BATH COLOUR?

Our most popular bath colour is our Dark Charcoal. However, we are seeing people going a bit more bold over the last couple of months, with orders for Deep Ocean, Dusty Pink, Mint, & Soft Gold. We are looking forward to seeing them all styled!

 

AS WELL AS A LOVELY GOLDEN LABRADOR, YOU’VE ALSO GOT TWO BEAUTIFUL GIRLS! HOW DO YOU JUGGLE FAMILY LIFE AND RUNNING A BUSINESS?

Every day is a balancing act, making sure we are giving enough time to our kids, our business, and each other. It is really hard not to bring the stress of running a business home, but I try and switch off when I am with our girls. Jason and I are both really passionate about what we are doing, so often times when the kids go to bed, that is our time to brainstorm and chat about what’s happening.

 

ARE THERE CLEARLY DEFINED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN YOU AND JASON AT HOME AND AT WORK? HOW DOES THIS WORK?

We learned very early on that having clearly defined roles was not only important for our business but also for our relationship. We had to really look at our strengths and weaknesses and build our roles from there. In regards to the business, Jason manages the manufacturing side of things and I manage more the business side of things. We both love the creative aspect of what we do so we always brainstorm designs & concepts together.

 

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR BUSINESS?

The most rewarding part of our business is seeing our customers beautiful designs come to life and hearing how happy they are with our products. Also, seeing people’s reactions to what we created is pretty amazing.

 

WHAT EMERGING BATHROOM DESIGN TRENDS ARE YOU NOTICING IN AUSTRALIA?

Concrete & Colour! The demand for both has increased so much over the years. We are seeing so many people not afraid of using colour in their bathrooms. Also, people are gravitating towards natural products. They are looking to make statements in their bathrooms and concrete is the perfect product to do that.

 

AND WORLDWIDE?

I would definitely say concrete is having a major moment worldwide and I think it is here to stay. Everywhere you look in Europe, there’s concrete. It’s such a great material because it can be used in so many different ways.

 

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE OF CONCRETE NATION?

We have so many exciting things in the works for Concrete Nation. We really want to explore the handmade nature of our product so our next product range coming out later this year will reflect that. We also have some other things that we are playing around with. The possibilities are endless with concrete so we have so many ideas we can’t wait to share with the world!