To mark the release of Phoenix’s new Vivid Slimline SS range, we’re exploring what’s essential to maximising three different outdoor spaces.
As we embrace summer in Australia, extended time spent outside prompts a rethinking of our outdoor spaces. It also calls into question how we can make better use of our natural surroundings year-round. Be it an outdoor shower for rinsing off after the pool or the sandy feet from the beach, making the most of the warmer weather in an outdoor bath, or levelling up our alfresco cooking with a dedicated outdoor kitchen, they all require tapware, materials, fittings and design accessories that last.
Designed for the Australian climate, Phoenix’s Vivid Slimline range, Vivid Slimline SS, is made from 316 marine-grade stainless steel. Developed over a year, Phoenix design lead Ban Liu says the SS range was conceptualised through an architectural lens that reveals the honesty of the material that can withstand even the harshest of Australian weather conditions. “Vivid Slimline SS is a celebration of the raw material and is designed to echo the craftsmanship and textures of 316 stainless steel,” Ban Liu says.
As we know, tapware is fundamental to an outdoor bathroom or kitchen. So we’ve put together an edit of essentials when carving out an inviting area in your own space, each selected for its durability, functionality and design finesse.
Produced in partnership with Phoenix
Phoenix Vivid Slimline SS 316 Vessel mixer, Viabizzuno P1 light, Earp Bros Moroccan Grey Old Stone Tumbled, Signorino Calacatta Viola, Phoenix Vivid Slimline SS 316 Sink Mixer 200mm gooseneck, Wolf outdoor grill, Vitra red trays, Eco Outdoor Endicott crazy paving, Frama Adam Counter indoor/outdoor counter stool, Abey Lucia large single bowl sink.
The Outdoor Kitchen
As we continue to favour outdoor gatherings in the Covid-19 era, alfresco kitchens are on every entertainer’s agenda. It’s a space we’ve seen growing interest and investment in, such as in the Harcourt House by Myers Ellyett; a Queenslander that goes against the grain by bringing the outside in and the inside out.
While they may vary in scale and intent, a few elements can’t be looked past when designing an efficient outdoor kitchen. At the top of the list are a quality tap and sink, coupled with materials such as bricks or concrete that meet the demands of cooking and an open-air environment.
Phoenix offers three mixers that adhere to the different design demands of an outdoor kitchen, all made from marine-grade 316 stainless steel; the Vivid Slimline SS 316 basin mixer, Vessel mixer, with extended body height for above-counter basins and the classic gooseneck sink mixer. These fixtures can also be used in a laundry – especially suited to those by the sea.
Earp Bros Omni Grey, Foscarini Gregg wall lamps, Earp Bros Manual Black, Phoenix Vivid Slimline SS 316 wall basin/bath outlet, Phoenix Vivid Slimline SS 316 shower/ wall mixer, Concrete Collective Meek Intra bath, Eco Timber Shousugiban cladding, Kelly Wearstler Tribute stool, Signorino Terrazzo Slab 991.
The Outdoor Bath
Nothing quite revivals a relaxing soak in an bath En Plein Air. But an outdoor bath isn’t just reserved for a rural retreat or resort-style getaway. An outdoor bath can be a welcome addition to an urban home – as seen in Doherty Design Studio’s renovation of a former Church turn Melbourne terrace, where the master suite opens up through steel frame doors to an outdoor bath.
If an outdoor area is also short on space for a pool, the outdoor bath can be an ideal place to cool down. An outdoor bath is best positioned out of direct sunlight and shrouded by greenery, timber cladding or breezeblocks to enhance a feeling of seclusion.
Like the bath, a bath outlet needs to stand up to the harsh natural conditions. Phoenix’s Vivid Slimline SS 316 wall basin/bath outlet and SS 316 shower/ wall mixer mirrors the elegance of its popular indoor counterpart while being made from marine-grade 316 stainless steel for outdoor application.
The Outdoor Shower
Once associated with washing off after a swim in the sea, the outdoor shower has become a symbol of wellness and repose at home. In projects such as Sydney architect Polly Harbison’s architectural hideaway in the bush, an outdoor shower is connected to the bathroom as an easy way to embrace the elements. This indoor-outdoor bathing experience is now a hallmark of the architect’s work.
While it’s still a must for those coming off the beach or out of the pool, tapware such as Phoenix’s Vivid Slimline SS range ensures that the coastal environment doesn’t impact the lifespan of your outdoor shower. The Phoenix Vivid Slimline SS 316 steel shower arm and rose and Vivid Slimline SS 316 shower/wall mixer reveals the brand’s commitment to Australian craftsmanship and functionality; durable yet lightweight and resistant to chemicals and heat.
