We are keen to share the brilliance of our talented people, so here’s the second in our series of Q&A’s with our new branch manager, Helen Head.
What’s your role at TBBC and how long have you been at the company?
I’m Branch Manager here and have been since April this year.
What attracted you to work at TBBC?
I had a look at their website which really stood out for me from their competition. I liked the quirkiness of their luxury bathrooms, which had individual, eclectic style about them and were quite different to what I was doing previously.
Where else have you worked?
I’ve worked at Ripples in Reigate and as a tiler working at Sussex Wall and Floor Tiling in Brighton. The latter gave me a great technical understanding of how bathroom design works in practical terms, which benefits be hugely when I’m talking to clients about their brief.
What’s your greatest career achievement to date been?
I’m really proud of being nominated for Best Customer Service Award last year in the BKU Design Awards. I got all the way to the finals and was Highly Commended. It felt really good to get recognition from the industry and on a national scale – not many people can put that on their CV!
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on a very cool basement bathroom project in Brighton. It’s a space that has no windows, so feature lighting is a must, plus the space is quite compact which always is a challenge. The client wants a black colour scheme so we’ve got some great black rubber furniture in there and a natural oak wood bespoke vanity to soften the look. As ever, I can’t wait to see it bought to life in a few months’ time.
What’s the biggest trend you see going on at the moment in bathroom design?
We are seeing a lot of coloured brassware like black and white matt taps plus those in brushed nickel and lots of Pinterest boards are featuring crittall shower enclosures which give an industrial, Manhattan-style look. In the world of toilets, there rimless designs are becoming much more popular as are shower toilets (eg. AquaClean by Geberit), due to the hygiene benefits.
What would your dream bathroom look like?
I’d love a massive double-entry, walk-in shower with a ceiling mounted head and half-height glass, because for me it’s all about the shower experience! I’d also have a half-height wall with a giant freestanding bath in front of the shower. Having a stereo system installed would be a must, as well as lots of different lighting to create different moods depending on the time of day and year. In terms of colour scheme, I’d want to use dark, natural tones like the grey of slate and have a soft finish on brassware with no gloss, as I’m not really into the shiny look. Finally, I’d have to have an AquaClean shower toilet because although they seem quite different at first, you quickly become a convert to them. We’ve got clients who rave about them!