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A Papakura-based designer has won an award for her boutique hotel–inspired ensuite at the 2025 NKBA Excellence in Design Awards.
Melanie Sa’u received the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA) People’s
Choice Award the 2025 DNKBA Platinum Bathroom Design Award, recognising its craftsmanship and design excellence.
For Sa’u, the project carries a personal significance beyond the accolades.
“This bathroom was created with a six-month-old on my shoulder during sleepless nights and managed on site with my little one in tow,” she said.
“To have the public connect with this project means more than any other award-it’s a reminder that thoughtful design made for real people truly matters.”
As part of a broader renovation that included the kitchen and family bathroom, the master ensuite was reimagined to honour the home’s character while seamlessly connecting to the adjoining spaces. Each area serves its own purpose, yet together they form a cohesive and quietly luxurious private retreat.
The winning ensuite draws inspiration from a hotel that the clients loved during a business trip, a space that felt elevated, personal, and intentionally refined.
Sa’u said the space is shaped through a harmonious interplay of texture, tone and detail.
Dark timber, softened metals and layered tilework create a foundation of quiet luxury, while natural light moves across the surfaces, highlighting the craftsmanship embedded in each junction and transition.
The judges said: “A beautiful bathroom that perfectly meets the client’s brief, reflecting timeless elegance of a hotel-inspired space. This designer shows a sound understanding of colour and texture, with clever tile work and thoughtful detailing like the Carrara marble tile soap niche and deep green subway tiles. The calm feel is enhanced by the functional layout. A timeless, cohesive design with impressive craftsmanship and documentation.”
