Valet Ko Te Huinga Paraihe Wharepaku by Tom Doull and Michael Bowen

Valet Ko Te Huinga Paraihe Wharepaku by Tom Doull and Michael Bowen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award Rino in Hoahoa Taputapu Wharehoroi me ngā Taputapu Horoi Competition Category.

RinoTaputapu Horoi· 2023

Valet Ko Te Huinga Paraihe Wharepaku

by Tom Doull and Michael Bowen

Client: Valet

A' Design Award Rino Winner in Taputapu Horoi Category

20,528

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #147430

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Valet Ko Te Huinga Paraihe Wharepaku

He kaha te mahi a Valet me te ahua pai. Ka taea te horoi i nga wa katoa me te ngawari, ko Valet he paraihini wharepaku katoa-i-kotahi me te rokiroki taapiri i roto i te waahanga iti me te kore uaua. Ko te mea tuatahi i runga i te maakete, kei a Valet te whaihua me te whānuitanga o nga whakaoti hei urutau ki tetahi wharepaku. He mea hanga te paraihe mai i te silicone anti-microbial me nga paraihe poto, ka taea e ia te horoi pai me te patipati kia maroke. Ka penapena pai te paraihe ki roto i te ringaringa. Ka rere te karekau ki roto i te kapu o raro ka taea te wetewete mo te horoi ngawari me te whai hua ma te horoi i roto i te peeke ringaringa.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Rino

Ko Valet Ko Te Huinga Paraihe Wharepaku te toa o te A' Design Award Rino, he whakaaetanga whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa pai e whakatutuki ana i ngā hiahia ngaio me te ahumahi e tūmanakohia ana mai i ngā mahi kua hoahoatia pai. Ko ngā toa Rino e whakaatu ana i te pukenga nui, te tohungatanga teitei, te māramatanga mātanga me te kaha auaha o ō rātou kaihanga. E tūmanakohia ana ko Valet Ko Te Huinga Paraihe Wharepaku he mahi whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he whaihua, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Rino e whakakotahi ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa o te ahumahi, ā, he āhuatanga hangarau pūkenga tōna e hono ana ki te mōhio me te pūmanawa. E whakahonoretia ana a Valet Ko Te Huinga Paraihe Wharepaku mō tōna tōtika, ā, i hoahoatia hei whakapai ake i te kounga o te oranga me te āwhina i te ao kia pai ake.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Valet is an all-in-one wall mounted toilet brush and additional roll holder. Designed specifically to fill a gap in the market, Valet is eminently functional yet elegantly uncomplicated, and visually harmonises with existing bathroom decor. The brush is stored in a sleeve which drains into a bottom cup. The bottom cup can be easily removed and rinsed in a hand basin, encouraging regular and effective cleaning. Additional rolls to be stored over the sleeve, closer to the toilet pan.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 50mm x Depth 117mm x Height 435mm
Tags: toilet brush, valet, hygienic, toilet paper roll, sanitary ware, bathroom
Production Technology: The brush bristles and stem are made from silicone, selected for its anti-microbial properties, cleaning chemical resistance, and durability. The bottom cup shown here is translucent ABS plastic. The storage sleeve is hygienic stainless steel. The wall bracket and handle are brass. The whole brush can be customised with a range of typical sanitaryware finishes such as various powder coated colours, brushed brass, nickel, or chrome.
Design Challenge: The main challenges were: 1) Housing a brush within a sleeve that was altogether slim enough to store additional toilet rolls. Remaining operational as a brush without displacement of the stored rolls. 2) Making the device easy to clean while retaining its elegance. The result is a slim and uncomplicated combination of detachable parts made from carefully chosen materials such as silicone and stainless steel.
Research: Valet is a response to a gap in the market for a toilet brush that is easy to clean and hygienic coupled with the functionality of additional roll storage, recognised by architect Tom Doull through domestic design practice. Product design began as drawings and digital models and progressed through a process of 3D printed prototyping and domestic situational testing. Data was collected from these and the product further refined to reflect prevailing feedback to produce the final result.
Inspiration: The idea came over 10 years ago when designing residential bathrooms and exploring the vast world of sanitaryware only to find that when it came to toilet brushes the offerings were either uncomplimentary to the rest of the bathroom fixtures or at best expensive and difficult to clean.
Project Duration: Valet is a new product designed and developed in Australia. Originally conceived more than 10 years ago it was not until Architect Tom meet with Engineer Michael in 2021 that the Valet started to take shape. Development and testing progressed over the following year to arrive at the current resolution.
Operation Flow: The brush is made from anti-microbial silicone and has short bristles, allowing it to clean effectively and tap dry. The brush is stored neatly in a sleeve. The sleeve drains into a removable bottom cup which can be detached for easy and effective cleaning by rinsing in a hand basin. Additional rolls can be stored over the sleeve. The unique slimline design allows the brush to be withdrawn from the sleeve and used without disrupting the rolls.
Patents: Patent Pending
Team Members: Tom Doull
Michael Bowen
Image Credits: Copyright all images: Tom Doull, Michael Bowen