Navi by Centre

by Flack Studio

Designed by award-winning local interior design studio Flack Studio, the new Navi bathroom and kitchen showroom offers the beauty of European design coupled with a team back by over 70-years of plumbing experience.

Located in Glen Inis, Melbourne, Navi is a bold new showroom and is a feast of the senses, with its glamourous interior design, luxurious features and curated selection of practical fittings throughout.

Managing Director, Cliff Bodsworth, brought together a dream team to deliver what is tipped to become the stand-out bathroom showroom in Australia; which included the charisma, flair and inviting design of interior architect David from Flack Studio.

Dynamic design duo Pop & Pac managed the brand work and delivered a visual package which perfectly balances the down to earth character of the business with the elegance and excitement of this new luxurious space.

“The showroom is certainly beautiful, but we also want it to be a place where everyone can feel welcome and comfortable – from architects and designers to home renovators.

This is a third-generation family business at heart, so we wanted to bring all this experience and combine it with a carefully curated selection of tapware, fixtures and accessories.”

Features of the project include Italian brands such as Studio Bagno, Bocci, Zucchetti, Paco Jaanson and a unique marble tapware range by Marmo. Whilst a Shower Therapy gallery showcases the latest system for shower well-being, from the different types of jets, to coloured lights.

Showroom manager Shantal Ng-Youne couldn’t be more excited about the showroom and brings a wealth of experience in kitchen and bathroom specifications to Navi in this new and exciting showroom.

“The space has been designed to ensure people enjoy the decision-making process and allow us to guide them through their options, so they can create exactly what they what – their dream kitchen and bathroom.”

Inspiration behind the name of this new showroom Navi (pronounced Nay-vee), came from a 70-year old family heritage in plumbing, and reflects the trade roots of the industry, with navy being the traditional colour of a plumber’s overalls.

Initial design brief for Navi, was to push the envelope of a traditional plumbing showroom, and create something outstanding, whilst still maintaining the essence of the parent brand; 60-years of expertise service and knowledge in the business of plumbing.

Flack Studio created a space more akin to a high-end retail store, or gallery space, whilst maintaining an environment which encourages collaboration and creative exploration. With an interior design that compliments and enhances the brand and celebrates the everyday object.

The palette was inspired by materials derived from the plumbing industry. Balancing the raw with refined, and the cool with the warm. Light, volume and room for the product to breath was essential in the creation of this project, with the idea of providing smaller, more intimate spaces which offer relief to the visitor.

With a design emphasis on materials used within a home, to further evoke a warm welcome to visitors and a comfortable space to explore ideas for a project. Each space provokes the feeling of play, light, texture and form by utilising natural materials, including stone, timber and brass.

This results in a mixture of high and low materiality via the selection of unique materials such as warm carrara marble, dramatic blue marble, European oak flooring, steel, leathered granite and custom lighting throughout.

It was essential to the design of the project, that the space not feel stark or over scaled. Monolithic elements are juxtaposed against smaller, repetitious elements which work to balance the scale and texture into an easy relationship.

Navi marks a significant turning point in retail design, where an industry relatively unfamiliar with considered interior architecture, can play a major role in Australia’s design future.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns.

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