IN FOCUS... HALLAM INTERIORS

Based in Nottingham, Hallam Interiors specialises in the design and installation of luxury living spaces, from bespoke bathrooms to custom-built spa rooms. We spoke to owner Shay Hallam about his biggest influences, trends to look out for and what the future holds for Hallam Interiors.

Q. Let’s go back to the start…how and when did you get into the bathroom industry?

I started fitting bathrooms over 10 years ago for various companies, starting out my journey doing joinery and plumbing, before moving into the more niche, high-end bathrooms.

Q. What are your biggest influences throughout your time in the bathroom industry?

I take inspiration from those far-out ideas and what the future has got for the industry. I thought if I was going to do it, I wanted to go for more of the glitz and glam, the over-the-top style.

Q. What would you say are the ingredients for a successful bathroom showroom?

Large format tiles are a big thing for us now. The smallest tile we have in our showroom is a metre by metre. They’re all really big formats and just have that wow factor. I think another key ingredient is to go a bit above and beyond for customers and make sure they have a statement piece or a statement wall which really makes all the difference.

Q. Looking back over the past 5 - 10 years, what was the most challenging thing you have dealt with and what did you take on board from it?

To be honest, how we’ve built our business is by learning a lot from companies that we’ve worked for in the past. Taking all the things that we used to scratch our heads over but not being in a position to actually change anything because it wasn’t our business.

The most challenging part of my journey so far was the transition to a larger space. We started out in a small 600 square foot yard and had to jump to a much bigger premises. It was a big move, but we had a clear plan of where we wanted to be in the next 5-10 years. Now, with 4,500 square feet, it was definitely a daunting task that we successfully accomplished.

Q. Over the years, what has been your favourite bathroom trend and why?

Colours. Gold is very in right now whereas before, it was very much everything was chrome. Colours are starting to come in now and it makes the bathrooms look stunning. Every bathroom looks a bit different. Obviously black is very in at the minute, but gold is next. We’ve spent quite a lot of time, effort and money to make sure that if a customer wants to go for the gold, everything can be gold. It’s quite hard to de-chrome a room as everything just comes in chrome as standard, so these new trends that are coming in with adding a bit of colour can look really nice.

Roca Ruy Ohtake washbasin in Coffee with RAK Ceramics Mercury tall basin mixer in Chrome

Q. What industry trends do you see increasing over the next 12 months?

Brand new brochures are coming out now and we are seeing colours again – your sinks and your toilets are now starting to come in colours, not like the old avocado, it’s mainly black.

In our showroom we have a pink bathroom suite, we have pink furniture. We’ve got a brown sink with green furniture and when you say it, you think that’s horrendous, but it looks stunning. People are starting to get the opportunity to be a bit more adventurous with colour and if it’s done right, it looks really good.

Q. Have you noticed customer habits changing when looking at their bathroom design in recent years?

Storage is a massive one. I find the one thing that customers keep saying is ‘we need more storage’ More customers are wanting everything hidden. They would rather have a full wall stood off and have toilet frames hidden in the wall, as it’s a bit more elegant and an airy design. That’s what we specialise in.

Q. If you could name one thing you’re proud of, what would it be?

In March, we opened our showroom to the public for the first time. It is literally a brand-new build. Our old showroom was just a small unit and we did appointments there. Because of how quickly and how big the company is growing, we knew we needed a bigger space. It took us a while to get it to this stage, just because of the size of the building and the amount of work that had to go into it was quite daunting.

Running Hot

It’s been 6 months since we launched this years rewards programme, Ideal Rewards 2023. all you have to do is spend £1,500 to qualify to play the game. If you win, this year you get to choose your prize from the prize pot. Find out more and register at idealrewards.co.uk. You can also read more about Ideal Rewards on page 8.

New exclusive brand partner

We have formed an exclusive partnership with Scudo. Stocking over 800 products, with a wide range of furniture, sanitaryware, shower enclosures and brassware.

New brand partner

We have partnered with Bathex, who provide bathroom accessories for assisted living.

Milton Keynes depot

We have settled into our new home and Southern Distribution centre! The new site boasts a 108,000sq ft, housing a warehouse and office space. The new facility will help us continue our service promise to our customers, including our next day delivery promise!

RUNNING COLD Inflation

With the current inflation rates in the UK increasing, we are all worried about paying the bills. Energy prices still high and the price of fuel only beginning to settle, consumers are more money conscious than ever before.

Brand portfolio exits

Effective 1st July, please be advised that Aquadart, April, Niagara, and Bayswater are no longer part of our product portfolio. Stock for these brands continues to be available to you while stocks last.