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Incredible tile-less bathrooms: add luxe using an ancient Moroccan decorative finish

December 18, 2015 11 Comments

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Itโ€™s been around for centuries but Aussie bathroom renovators and designers are now being let in on an industry secret that delivers a minimalist and completely seamless bathroom without using a single tile.

1_Tadelakt_Lightgrey_takelakt.co.uk

Originating in Morocco, Tadelakt is a lime based render product which is naturally waterproof, can be tinted to just about any colour imaginable and creates an exquisite finish to any bathroom or wet area.

Thanks to renovation shows like The Block and House Rules, Australians have been introduced to the wonder of Tadelakt bathrooms as the housemates look for that special something to wow judges.

3_Tadelakt_CaroKingi_Bathroom_TheBlock2015
Caro & Kingi’s bathroom

On the recentย series of Channel 9โ€™s The Block, contestants, Caro and Kingi used this finish extensively in their apartment, earning praise from the judges week after week.

4_Tadelakt_feature_KingiCaro-Master-Bedroom_theblock2015
Caro & Kingi’s bedroom

Melbourne based natural materials artisan, Gorni Cahani from Render it Oz, is happy Tadelakt is becoming more widely known, seeing an increase in enquiry as renovators and designers choose the Moroccan finish for their bathroom projects.ย โ€œI think some of the biggest surprises for most people who enquire about Tadelakt is how durable it is, how little maintenance is required and how green and natural it is.”

2_Tadelakt_Lightgrey_takelakt.co.uk

On the design front, the most sought after colour at the moment is a light grey, concrete colour because of its industrial look. It also goes really well with recycled timber bathroom furniture and accessories.ย Pearl white with blue LED bathroom lights, understated beige tones and even dark and moody black bathrooms are very popular too.

Aside from its aesthetic beauty, Takelakt is 100% natural and has no artificial materials meaning it is not a burden to the environment like its competitors, tiles and other cement based finishes.ย Tadelakt is also extremely low maintenance. โ€œIt is resistant to mould, moisture and humidity,” says Gorni. “And it is easily cleaned by wiping the surface with a cloth and a bit of black soap.โ€

5_Tadelakt_Charcoal_imgsrc_marrakeshchic_2015

Fast facts – Tadelakt

What is Tadelakt?

In its original Arabic form, Tadelakt translates to โ€˜rub inโ€™ or โ€˜massageโ€™ which is still relevant today as the artisan who applies the product by hand uses special trowels to create the burnt look. Finally, the artisan uses a stone to rub the product which compresses it, brings moisture to the surface then finishes the surface with a special wax and/or olive soap depending on the type of sheen required.

How it is applied?

Originally, Morrocan artisans passed down the application methods to apprentices over the years. Today, artisans usually come from a plastering or rendering background and train over time perfecting the Tadelakt application method.

Surface preparation

Tadelakt can be applied over blue board, villa board, brick walls or just about any substrate you find in bathrooms or wet areas. It can also be used in kitchens, laundries or as a unique feature wall.

Colours and finish types

Tadelakt can be tinted to a range of colours to suit any bathroom or wet room. Being hand applied, no two finishes will ever be the same so you can expect a bespoke, one of a kind design.

Finishes range from:

  • High Gloss – highly reflective or mirror finish
  • Lustre – slight sheen or glow that can reflect soft light
  • Smooth – a matte velvety finish with a rustic look

How much does it cost?

Extremely affordable and comparative to some tiling finishes, Tadelakt is extremely cost efficient, environmentally friendly, low maintenance and durable.

— Melanie Cahani is an artisan atย Render it Oz, theย experts in a range of decorative finishes including Tadelakt, Venetian Plaster and cement rendering.ย 

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Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

And as for their Sydney showroom (they also sell online): WOW.

See and read more on the blog now via link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop
#creatingbeautifulspaces #homestylingdesign
#designbywomen #homestylingtips #sydneycreatives
#homestylingsydney #interiorstyling #interiordesignsydney
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#interiorinspiration #myhomedesign
I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
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About Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarTracey says

    December 18, 2015 at 8:47 am

    Is there a supplier and installer on the Mornington Peninsula?

    Reply
    • AvatarMelanie says

      January 11, 2016 at 3:06 pm

      Hi Tracey
      Contact Gorni at Render It Oz who services all Melbourne and surrounds.

      Reply
  2. AvatarAlix says

    December 18, 2015 at 11:36 am

    I fell in love with this finish after a holiday in Morocco. It’s so gorgeous and I think you can get really creative with built-in elements too. Hmmm, I want to go home and rip out my bathroom now!

    Reply
  3. AvatarJan says

    June 5, 2018 at 2:15 pm

    is there a supplier in Adelaide?

    Reply
  4. AvatarIan Kozlowski says

    July 4, 2019 at 10:06 pm

    Thanks for featuring our images. http://Www.tadelakt.co.uk

    Reply
  5. AvatarKirsty says

    January 1, 2020 at 9:40 am

    Are there suppliers in Adelaide

    Reply
  6. AvatarShelley says

    January 4, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    Is there anyone in Tasmania who can do this?

    Reply
  7. AvatarCharles says

    July 25, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    Who can I talk to about this product??

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      July 27, 2020 at 9:55 am

      Hi Charles! There’s a link to Render It Oz’s website at the end of the post. Jen

      Reply
  8. AvatarJane says

    December 10, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    Anyone in Tassie who can do this?

    Reply
  9. AvatarEllie K says

    March 17, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    Can it be applied over existing tiles?

    Reply

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