Whytes of Monifieth – Award Winning Bathroom Design
B
KU spoke to Harrison Whyte of Whytes of Monifieth on the back of their win for ‘Bathroom Design of the Year 2024’ at the National Bathroom & Kitchen Update Industry Awards.
Whytes of Monifieth is located on the banks of the River Tay estuary, seven miles east of Dundee in Scotland. The business was started by Harrison’s father, Graeme Whyte, ten years ago, and its showroom opened in May 2014. It is a family business with nine staff members, and has been built on generations of plumbers. The business has developed a strong reputation in the area as a high-end supplier of bathrooms, offering bespoke design and quality installation by a team of experienced tradespeople. They strive to provide impeccable service.
Their design service and the process they use to create room designs are among their key selling features. They offer free room designs and quotations, where they meet with the client to discuss ideas and establish their non-negotiables. They then survey and measure the space, after which they create a full room design that incorporates everything, including decoration. They present the design back to the client on a big screen in their showroom, surrounded by samples to help the client see, touch, and feel the materials and products to confirm the design. Once the installation is confirmed, Whytes uses its own team of people to carry out the installation. The business is a family affair, with most of the Whyte family working for the company. They are very passionate about their work, and it’s likely that if you deal with the company, you’ll be speaking to or receiving an email from someone whose name is above the door.
16 BKU NOVEMBER 2024
The business currently does not sell online. They have a website where they put a lot of effort into showcasing their business values and services. They have a constant presence on their social media sites, sharing their latest projects. Their business model revolves around personal contact, whether it’s meeting the team or viewing design ideas showcased in the showroom. They also offer installation services covering all trades. 90% of their sales come from homeowners, while 10% come from a combination of architects and contractors. The average order value for their bathrooms ranges from £10-15k. The showroom is a crucial aspect of the sales process, providing a foundation of trust for their clients. It serves as a great environment for discussing design choices and showcasing materials, finishes, and functional products.
“Customers don’t come to us specifically for any bathroom product brand, they come to use f or a complete solution,” says Harrison. “They have usually researched ideas on social media and know for example about wetrooms or wall hung ceramics or mirrored lit bathroom cabinets. We then turn those ideas into a room design, recommending quality bathroom products
and providing a fully personalised, bespoke room design.”
That said, Whytes of Monifieth certainly do have their favoured brands to sell, and one such brand is the Kudos Showering Product, which they have been selling since 2018. The fact that Harrison has a Kudos shower enclosure in his own home is a great compliment to the quality of the Kudos product.
“I like the Connect2 Tray with its ingenious magnetic integrated waste,” explains Harrison. “The tray is really shallow, literally the height of the width of my finger. The Pinnacle8 enclosure range oozes high-end quality with minimalist handle (which is why I installed it in my bathroom). Finally the Aqua4Ma wetroom products are minimalist and cleverly designed to be so easy trimmed to fit on site.”
Regarding the latest trends: “Our customers are looking for trends that will last 10 years or more,” says Harrison. “They are buying high-end products, so they want an on-trend look that has longevity. Statement pieces are important, such as the heavy marble tiles we used in our award entry. Large format tiles and fluted glass panels for showering are great options. Warm neutrals are popular for the main pieces in a bathroom, and colour is now created from popular brushed brass or copper brassware. We are also seeing a lot of timber effect tiles coming in, and since panelling is growing in popularity in other rooms in the home, we forecast that this will start to make its way into the bathroom once it can be moisture-protected.”
01382-908008
www.whytesofmonifieth.co.uk
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