Friday, September 9, 2011

Minosa - Boutique Australian design company leading the way with innovative products for bathroom & kitchens

Boutique Australian design company Minosa are leading the field in innovative locally


manufactured and environmentally aware product design for contemporary bathroom & kitchens.



Minosa is an innovative Australian design company, specialising in the local boutique manufacture of

high quality washbasins and bathroom furniture and stand-alone design concepts for contemporary bathroom & kitchens

Minosa bathroom product is available exclusively from the Minosa Gallery with the idea of giving

customers greater access to high quality product by dealing directly with the designers. The unique blend of construction and interior design credentials of the company directors Daren Genner and Simona Castagna, provides customers with the benefits of product selection advice, installation or maintenance tips and if desired, a bathroom or kitchen design service with the option of construction and project management.


Genner and Castagna closely monitor international trends while infusing their own creative talents

and knowledge of the Australian context into their designs. Castagna’s highly attuned knowledge of

design and customer needs draws on experience working with such leading global brands as

Poliform, Verena and Bang and Olufsen. While Genner’s well-honed craftsmanship and design skills

are the culmination of 23 years in trades. His extensive background as a wood machinist is

complemented by specialisation in the kitchen industry where he completed an apprenticeship and

worked in contract management.

Minosa’s unique service and product offer underpinned by multidisciplinary design thinking avails a

totally integrated and seamless bathroom and or kitchen solution for a home or apartment - from the

purchase of a single washbasin through to the design and installation of a total concept.

Launched in 2001, Minosa invested extensively in research and development prior to opening

Minosa Gallery in 2003.


“Our goal was to make available in Australia, high quality locally manufactured product, that was

made to order, crafted by artisans, not mass produced, and that was up there with the best in the

world - in design, workmanship, trends, use of the finest materials, aesthetic, performance and lead

times,” says Genner.

An example of Minosa’s leadership in the Australian market was their early adoption of water saving

technology to reduce tap waterflow from the average 28 litres per minute to 4-6 litres per minute.

Not only was this an environmentally aware decision but also it facilitated the design of shallow

washbasins, which avoided splash and created a previously impossible aesthetic. Not content with a

showroom filled with overwhelming rows of product, Minosa was again years ahead of what has

today become a trend in presenting in-situ product displays.

“Our showroom depicts the lifestyle our designs and product offers and our passion for what we

do.”

“Minosa Gallery has the ambience of an art gallery. It’s a space where people can admire and

consider how the product can work in a space rather than trying to imagine that from rows and rows

of porcelain basins and chrome taps,” says Castagna.

“We wanted people to engage with the brand and engage with us as designers to get a sense of the experience, rather than expose them to a sales pitch, ” concurs Genner.


“To offer a complete solution to the market, Minosa also supply a very select range of fixtures. While these products are not manufactured by Minosa they must align with the integrity and aesthetic of Minosa products”, emphasises Castagna.


It’s keeping things at a boutique operational level that’s core to Minosa. Not only is Minosa family owned and run, likewise they work with a local network of four other niche family run businesses or artisans, each specialist in a particular process.


“Minosa washbasins are individually created from Corian® by Du PontTM by a local artisan. All of our products are specially made to order by hand and can be ready in 10 days, furniture 4-6 weeks, so they are very bespoke,” says Genner.


“While we strive to produce world-class product, we’re committed to supporting local manufacturers and tradespeople.”


“Our made to order, Australian made manufacturing process allows thorough product scrutiny and exceptional quality control and workmanship.”


“This also means a reduced environmental impact through waste minimisation and lower transport miles.”


Coupled with beautiful design and craftsmanship is Minosa’s commitment to using the finest materials available such as Corian® by Du PontTM as the material of choice for washbasins and then striving to exceed that in workmanship.


The quality and integrity of Minosa’s design and product collection is evident in an extensive awards list dating back to the company’s inception. More recent awards include:

KBDI Design Awards 2009 - Bathroom Designer of the Year NSW; Finalist Kitchen Designer of the Year.

Corian® Du PontTM Design Awards 2008 - Grand Prize Residential Design Winner

IDEA Inside Magazine Product of the Year Awards 2008 – Finalist Bathroom Product; Finalist Emerging Design Studio.


Minosa specialises in the residential market and also works closely with developers to deliver unique solutions that add value to properties.

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