Editor's Pick
Leading Bathroom Innovation – Highgrove Bathrooms
I first met James Sinclair, Highgrove General Manager, in 2014. After months of cold calls and emails, he finally decided to see me.
Highgrove Bathrooms was a ‘name’ I had heard of through my media contacts. In those earlier years, the brand was still new and unknown in some ways to those in the renovation, construction and interior design industry.
I entered the gates of the original Highgrove Bathrooms head office and at first, I was sceptical. An assortment of shipping containers and pallets lined every square inch of the yard.
I walked into the office and was greeted by James. He was quietly reserved, but a few minutes into our back and forth, I saw a level of professionalism and enthusiasm I rarely encounter upon a first meeting.
The product range and the 20 something stores they had opened at that stage needed a lot of ‘polishing’, but I could see James and his father Lindsay were on to something. This ‘something’ would later redefine the bathroom industry.
Fast forward 8 years, and Highgrove is still a client, and the brand has evolved dramatically. The company now has 50 stores nationally and a range of products that is the envy of any competitor.
James has always equated their success to listening to the market and what their customers want and finding the right people to partner with.
“Our business model is somewhat unique with the vast majority of our stores operating under a partnership arrangement with individuals passionate about the industry and their local communities,” James explained.
“Our partners need to be flexible though as we are constantly reengineering ourselves to keep up with an ever-evolving market. Recently one of our main focuses has been on the introduction of interchangeable components, allowing every customer to tailor a bathroom that is totally unique to them.”
Brushed nickel tapware and accessories, concrete baths and basins, and a high-end range of timber vanities are all aesthetically stunning, but it is the ability to customise, that makes this brand so unique.
“8 years ago, it was enough to offer a matt black range, 4 years ago, a range of products in pastels. Today the market is more discerning and fastidious,” James stated. “We have design and development teams to keep us relevant.”
As stores keep launching, and turnover increases, Highgrove Bathrooms reinvest back into product design, and just as importantly, the community.
On a national level, they have relationships with the Smith Family and Rural Aid. They also support those in need through devastation such as the recent Floods in Northern NSW and South East Qld and the Bushfires back in 2020.
Story By Adam Mumford
