Equal parts earthy and stylish, the Concrete Nation range of bespoke concrete baths and basins are some of the most beautiful we’ve come across. The creation of husband and wife team Jason and Kate Lett, who design and manufacture the range in Queensland’s Burleigh Heads, the brand is a favourite of upscale interior designers and architects both here and abroad. It’s not hard to see why!
“The focus of our brand has always been to showcase the natural beauty of concrete. We don’t want perfection, but rather a perfectly imperfect finish that can only be achieved with handmade products. Our handcrafted products tell a story and are more than just a sink or a bath but rather a work of art,” says Kate, who hails from America and has a background in fashion design.
Kate met her New Zealander husband Jason when he was playing rugby and working for a builder in the US. In 2013, after the birth of their first daughter, the pair moved to Australia and combined talents to launch Concrete Nation together.
Eschewing trends, the brand believes the more earthy tones are the perfect complement to a natural product such as concrete. “Rather than creating products in the latest trendy designs or colours, our goal is to be innovative, push the boundaries and create designs that are unexpected,” says Kate who, with her fashion background, understands the unique ways that colour, texture and design intersect.
And while Kate brings design acumen to the business, it’s Jason that delivers on the technical front, having completed a course in fibreglass reinforced concrete when living in America. “He was so taken with the endless possibilities of concrete and began to dabble in it in the US,” says Kate of the time before launching the business.
Super strong and highly durable, the range is constructed from the aforementioned fibreglass reinforced concrete making it half the weight of pure concrete and 10 times stronger due to the addition of glass.
The Concrete Nation palette was developed through using different percentages of oxides that are mixed the whole way through the concrete, ensuring the colour runs through the whole product and isn’t just painted on top.
The company has solid sustainability credentials too with a commitment to offering ethical, high quality products that are safe for the consumer and the environment. “We use zero VOC concrete composition as well as zero VOC natural oxides. Almost all of our materials are sourced from within Australia, reducing transport emissions too,” says Kate. Last year, the company made the decision to switch to renewable energy with its manufacturing facility and headquarters now operating solely on solar power. It also has a recycled filtration system that reuses wastewater and reduces waste.
In the beginning, the company offered custom bench tops, vanities and dining tables for local residential and commercial projects, but the duo always wanted to expand.
“We soon realised if we wanted to grow the business beyond the Gold Coast, we needed to create products that were easier to transport. We recognised that there was a void in the market for unique bathroom products. At the time, there was absolutely nothing like it in the market and the response was overwhelmingly positive,” says Kate.
Since opening, Concrete Nation has expanded its product offering and colour range and now has stockists and distributors all around the globe. “We are currently working with some of the best interior designers and architects for upscale residential, commercial, multi-residential, hospitality and retail projects. In a disposable society, our products are designed to stand the test of time.”
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