RILUXA CLIENT PROJECTS
The Elements of Sophistication: Creating the Ultimate Haven for Relaxation
Bowled over by the sheer sophistication and understated luxury of this bathroom close to Bordeaux, we just had to get in touch with the duo behind the project to hear more about their inspiration. Riluxa clients Keily Oña Gonzalez and Christophe Halgand tell us about their experience of building a house during a pandemic, their modern luxe aesthetic and the reasons they chose Riluxa for this project.
With a clear appreciation for beautiful materials and quality finishes, the pair have succeeded in creating a boutique hotel-like sanctuary. A vanity unit large enough to conceal everything apart from the most pleasing items is central to this calming feeling, which is further enhanced by the generous walk-in shower and their chic colour scheme.
First of all, a little bit about yourself—are you a homeowner or a design professional, and where do you live?
We’re a couple, aged 30 and 39, respectively. We live in Saint André de Cubzac, a town close to Bordeaux.
Tell us about your bathroom project—was it a renovation or did you start from scratch? How long did it take and did everything go as planned, or were there any unpleasant surprises along the way?
We built our house during 2020, so we were starting from a blank slate, where everything had to be built from scratch. The plans for the bathroom had been drawn up long in advance, so the layout we wanted was fixed ahead of time. On the other hand, the atmosphere we wanted to create in our bathroom was definitely something we decided on at the end of the build. The same team of builders/artisans carried out all the work on our bathrooms, and in the case of this room, the work lasted about two months.
The choice of materials was very much a last-minute decision, and we needed quite a lot of patience when it came to receiving our goods since it was right at the height of Covid. Eventually, everything we had been waiting for arrived quite quickly but then the project faced into another delay, when our extra-large format tiles were being installed. Unfortunately, the tiles were drilled into in several places by mistake. We needed to ask for them to be replaced, which pushed back the work in the bathroom by a few weeks.
Tell us the story of your Riluxa relationship – how you found us and what your experience has been?
It’s not always easy to choose products when you’re in the middle of a building project. Sometimes you have to find alternative ways to get the products you really want. We had traipsed around all the major bathroom retailers without ever being blown away by what we saw. So, we took a look on the internet, where we came across Riluxa somewhat by chance. We were taken aback by the quality of the products, the choice of materials available and the design aesthetic. But above all, it was the ability to create our own custom-made furniture, by simply selecting the options online, and being able to discuss each option over the phone or by email with someone who took the time to listen to us and really understand our needs.
What Riluxa pieces did you buy for your project?
We bought a Nantes countertop washbasin in solid surface, as well as the Combi freestanding vanity unit on a metal base.
What attracted you to these specific pieces?
We particularly love how easy it is to maintain the products, their understated design, how functional they are and, most of all, the opportunity to custom-make our own piece of furniture. We chose the exact size, colour, the actual materials used and the type of drawer opening we wanted, until we had our own bespoke vanity unit!
What design style were you going for – and what inspired your choice?
We’ve gone for a muted and intimate atmosphere with the touch of elegance that the large format (XXL) tiles and the Riluxa vanity unit provide. The freestanding vanity unit is the perfect centrepiece to this room that warms up the entire space, making it inviting and comfortable. As for the washbasin, it brings a touch of lightness and some welcome curves to the overall aesthetic. Our design inspiration mainly comes from Pinterest and other social networks.
Tell us what you think of your project now that it's finished:
Our objective for this room was to make it feel like a hotel bathroom and we definitely think we’ve achieved that!
Anything else you’d like to convey to our readers? Do you have any advice for future Riluxa customers wanting to create their dream bathroom?
Design your bathroom according to your needs of course, but make sure to add in a sprinkle of fantasy to conjure up another world. It’s a room that you’ll use every single day so it has to be functional, but it also has to inspire you and provide a little bit of a retreat, a space to get away from it all. The Riluxa products we used were hugely central to achieving our own dream bathroom and we’re beyond delighted with our choices.
If you would like your bathroom project to be featured on Riluxa's Client Projects Showcase, tag #riluxa @riluxa on Instagram or upload your images directly by clicking here. We love nothing more than seeing how our customers have used Riluxa products to create their dream bathrooms.