The colours of Australia

For more than 50 years, COLORBOND® steel has been producing innovative coated and pre-painted steel products. Its current colour range for roofing and walling is distinctly neutral.

Dover White™ offers a sense of calmness – this subtle tone allows attention to focus on form, surface finish or scale. Reminiscent of distant hills and the coastal shoreline, Southerly® is a light grey that mimics the neutrality of concrete. It offers both elegance and functionality when used in any application.

Embracing morning mists and shades of mountain gum trees, Bluegum® is a relaxed blue-grey with a calming mid-tone. Its depth and neutrality suit the current build styles, especially modern homesteads and coastal-style homes.

On the safe side

Ideal for single and multiple dwellings or multi-residential projects, Häfele’s Genesis DL8800 keyless digital smart lock is fire-tested to Australian standards to meet the requirements for high-rise apartments. For added convenience, it retrofits all Australian standard mortice locks, making it possible to upgrade existing locks to a digital and remote management platform with real convenience.

Genesis DL8800 can be switched between automatic and manual locking modes. It also offers automatic locking after 10 seconds when unlocked but the door is still in the closing position. Other features include RFID cards and a pin code. As the user can utilise their fingerprint and mobile phone through Häfele’s Smart Living app, it’s possible to open a door remotely from anywhere in the world.

Timeless styles

Proudly designed and engineered in Australia, Caroma’s Luna Collection is popular with designers, builders and homeowners alike for good reason. Matching timeless style with practical durability, the collection merges a modern aesthetic with versatility, colour and innovation.

Multiple colour finishes across tapware, showers and accessories complement the curvaceous and classic basins and baths in the range, while the Luna toilet suites feature Caroma’s CleanFlush® rimless technology for a cleaner clean. The extensive product range is made with premium materials to suit any residential bathroom, kitchen or laundry, with up to 20 years’ warranty for peace of mind.

Caroma is a trusted industry brand offering complete bathroom solutions, with collections for all budgets and styles. 

A breakthrough for builders

Whether working with timber or steel frames, the innovative Cavi-BreakTM Strip from Australian Thermal Industries (ATI) is an excellent solution for easily incorporating energy efficiency and moisture management into building projects.

Developed in response to issues faced by the industry when installing thermal breaks and cavity battens, this newly released product is a low conductive and flame-retardant barrier that has been fully tested for Thermal R-value compliance to exceed NCC standards. Its intuitive design makes handling, sizing and installation much simpler for builders.

The lightweight product is supplied in convenient 1200mm strips to suit a typical 2400mm ceiling height. For builders interested in trialling the cost-effective Cavi-Break Strips, call 1300 430 949 or connect with ATI on LinkedIn.

Light sculpture

If you’re looking for art that illuminates, then look no further than the Manifesto Wall Light. Embracing function and form, the Manifesto light appears as a bas-relief emerging from the wall. When the light is off, the lamp manifests itself as an abstract sculpture affixed to the wall.

When the light is on, it’s surrounded by a luminous halo, enhancing its impact. Designed by Timo Ripatti, these flush-mount ceiling and wall lights are produced by Axolight and are available in Australia from Mondoluce.

‘The project stems from a creative play of shapes, which offers us the opportunity to experiment and develop new paths of light,’ says Timo, the Helsinki-based designer who is revitalising the Axolight brand.

Lounging around 

As the weather warms up, clients are always keen to revitalise their outdoor entertaining area. The Voom Collection, designed by Adam Goodrum for Tait, is a fusion of soft curves, innovative textures and a sophisticated retro-like aesthetic.

It comprises a lounge chair, an ottoman, and coffee and side tables, which can be configured in various ways. Partnering with Mokum to showcase its Sole Boucle and Elba textiles, Voom provides a palette of natural hues.

The range has been made to withstand harsh Australian conditions with a metal base and upholstered, removable covers. Suitable for both outside and inside living, the Voom Collection is a fusion of comfort, versatility and modularity.

Early viewing

Announced as the world’s first patented real-scale walkthrough technology, Lifesize Plans adds value to the building sector. ‘The projection of a site’s complete layout on a 1:1 scale allows stakeholders the opportunity to walk through designs,’ says Lifesize Plans CEO James Hickey.

‘This makes it a game-changer for builders, designers and their customers.’ The Lifesize Plans Sydney flagship showroom is complemented by sites in Brisbane and Perth. ‘Design approval based on a life-sized scale experience before building creates greater efficiencies for all parties,’ James says.

Turning the tables 

Caesarstone products have been used predominantly as benchtops in kitchens and bathrooms, but its latest collection has gone in a new direction. The company recently collaborated with interior designer Anna-Carin McNamara to launch its collection of three tables – a dining, coffee and side table – crafted from its new range of sustainable surfaces, Pebbles.

This collection highlights the versatility of these low-silica surfaces in earthy tones. ‘Pebbles adapts like a chameleon to any palette, providing a calming, versatile foundation to our designs,’ says Anna-Carin, whose range features the four Pebbles surfaces – Riverlet, Wyndigo, Raindream and Agger Grey – in this collection of three distinctly different tables.

Power from above

Featuring silent air extraction, Schweigen’s new Silent Black BBQ rangehood is designed to improve the outdoor dining experience. This 1200mm-wide wall-mount unit swiftly and silently deals with smoke, odours and airborne grease from high-intensity cooking.

Combining German-engineered Isodrive motor technology and high-grade 304 stainless steel makes the rangehood powerful and durable. Silent Black features five extraction speeds, touch- and remote-control options, energy-efficient wide-angle LED lighting and an automatic shut-off function. It has dishwasher-safe stainless-steel baffles and Schweigen SteelFlex safety ducting for easy cleaning.

Slats of light

While internal venetian blinds have been utilised since the 1700s, a modern approach is placing them externally. Not only does it provide effective shading and privacy, it also reduces the heating effects of solar radiation by up to 90 per cent.

When the light level drops, external venetian blinds can automatically fully retract. Available from Shade Factor, this new range from Warema offers various colours and innovative features, such as silent motors. With a range of controls, it can optimise shading and daylighting effects by tracking the sun and responding to other climate information.

Open wide

FritsJurgens concealed pivot door systems are fully embedded in the door, not the floor, with the pivot perfectly concealed. This hardware mechanism allows a door to open and close using this system instead of traditional single- or double-action spring hinges.

The FritsJurgens pivot system from Bellevue Architectural creates smooth transitions between spaces, with no unsightly floor box or ceiling unit. An entry door can be made fully weatherproof by adding draft- and moisture-repellent details, making it both functional and visually striking.

On tap

The release of the T-5 built-in filtration tap from Taqua is a real game-changer. The company says it’s the country’s first filtration system that sits inside the tap – no bulky tanks or underneath sink filters are required. Simply turn the knob to change tap water into filtered water.

Clients can change the filtration cartridge themselves in under 10 seconds – there’s no need to hire a plumber. Made in Japan to the highest standards, the T-5 filtration tap has won three major design awards: the Good Design Award, iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award. T-5 from Taqua, a HIA member, comes in chrome or matte black, and has a self-cleaning functionality to keep cartridges from clogging.