New Era of Design at NCP
Nicole May uncovers why homeowners are stepping away from high-gloss white neutrals in favour of matte, wood-inspired finishes.
The modern bathroom is no longer conceived as a strictly functional space clad in stark white tiles and hard right angles. Instead, homeowners are approaching bathroom design as an extension of their surrounding environment – creating restful, resort-style retreats built around grounded earthy palettes and natural touchpoints.
According to General Manager of NCP Group, Tracy Wilkins, at the centre of this movement is the vanity unit. No longer treated as an afterthought or mere storage, the vanity has moved firmly into focus as the visual hero of the space.
Leading this shift in vanity design is a clear demand for dimensionality and fluid lines. Smooth, flat-panel cabinetry is giving way to textured surfaces, led by fluted details and gently curved profiles.
Tracy shares that models such as Timberline’s Emmett, Santos and Socoa have become standout selections for homeowners seeking a strong anchor for their layout. The vertical grooves of fluted fronts introduce subtle shadows and visual rhythm, softening the structural weight of large joinery while adding an architectural quality that feels tailored rather than mass-produced.
For those embarking on a renovation or building a new home, the true path to good design starts in the showroom. Since 1953, NCP Group – a family-owned icon on the Sunshine Coast – has been helping locals navigate these highly personal choices.
With five beautiful showrooms in Caloundra, Maroochydore, Nambour, Noosaville and Gympie, the team has spent decades guiding homeowners through the process of selecting baths, showers, toilets, tapware, sinks, tubs
and accessories.
Tracy said while online selection offered a glance, it often left renovators feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the physical reality of their choices. She believes that the focus should be entirely on expert, stress-free guidance.
“The bathroom is a personal place – it’s where you and your family get ready to start the day, and where you relax and unwind when it’s over,” she said. “The Timberline range of quality bathroom furniture helps you to transform your bathroom into a place that resonates with you.
“By seeing and touching the products you can tell immediately that they’re built to last. Our customers love that the Timberline vanities are made using quality materials and finishes.”
Instead of guessing how a specific cabinet colour might interact with a splashback, NCP Group encourages customers to bring their physical tile samples, colour swatches and design sketches straight into the showroom.
In the showroom, homeowners can work with expert staff to match textures, select benchtop colours, choose handles, and find the perfect basins. It is a tactile, highly personalised selection process that ensures every detail is exactly right before a single trade arrives on site.
NCP Group specialises in working directly with the end-user as well as builders and designers so while the final order can easily be integrated into a builder’s custom package, dealing directly with the homeowner on the finer details ensures that the finished space reflects their exact lifestyle and aesthetic preferences.
When it comes to design changes, the showroom floor reveals a distinct shift toward softer, more organic aesthetics. Colour palettes take their cues from native landscapes, and Laminex’s latest Australian timber-look range has seen rapid adoption, with the tactile richness of woodgrain alongside practical durability for high-moisture spaces. Complementing these timber tones are soft, organic painted shades – with olive green emerging as a clear favourite.
“We’re seeing a trend in ‘relaxed luxury’ – blending raw textures with softer geometry to mirror the quiet beauty of our local environment,” said Tracy. “The movement toward warmth extends directly to surfaces. Cold, blue-hued white marbles are making way for warmer-toned stone surfaces.”
Engineered stone benchtops like Timberline’s Taj Mahal and Albastera are leading this change. Their creamy background tones pair effortlessly with the warmer terracotta, greige and soft zellige tiles currently dominating wall and floor designs, eliminating harsh visual breaks across the room.
Basin selections have undergone a similar evolution. Sharp rectangular sinks are being replaced by rounded, asymmetric wash basins that feel softer in the room, such as Timberline’s Myrtle or Allure basins in Matte Ivory, alongside clean options like the Chase basin in Matte White. By replacing high-shine glaze with soft matte surfaces, these pieces absorb light gently.
“Trends today are balancing high-end design with relaxed informal comfort while still using products that are designed to endure,” Tracy said.
And there’s nothing like the comfort of seeing it firsthand before living with it forever.
IN THE SHOWROOM
Here are the trends NCP Group are seeing in the showroom:
Hero Joinery: Fluted and curved vanities – Timberline’s Emmett, Santos or Socoa.
Cabinetry Finishes: Native woodgrain – Laminex’s Australian range and painted natural accents, particularly olive.
Benchtops: Warm stone looks – Timberline’s Taj Mahal or Albastera.
Basin Profiles: Organic shapes in matte tones – Timberline’s Myrtle / Allure in Matte Ivory, Chase in Matte White.
Visit www.ncpgroup.com.au find your nearest NCP showroom.
