Team making bathrooms beautiful

By Aimee Wilson. Printed in Volume 33, Issue 9 of Business South Magazine. read the original article on page 100 in the Business South archives here.

When two Otago tradesmen got together back in 2020 and realised they both loved working on bathroom renovations, they joined forces and haven’t looked back.

Mosgiel-based Lanark is now the mar ket leader in the wider Dunedin region for bathroom makeovers, thanks to the vision of Donovan Iisted and Ryan Macdonald. Employing a strong team of plumbers, builders and electricians, they can carry out the entire bathroom renovation project, with expertise right across the board.

Donovan says when they first started out in business a lot of builders were not interested in getting into the finicky detail of bathroom renovations – particularly in Dunedin where houses vary greatly in size, age and design.

“You have to be so specific and accurate. There are so many risks with water leaks etc. Now we have builders ringing us.”

Setting themselves up as a one-stop bathroom-renovation shop, and having all hands to the pump on every job, means the company has full control on every project, with no surprises.

Currently working on a new bathroom every one or two weeks means the team is

kept interested, and nobody understands the Dunedin market quite like they do.

“Dunedin is an old city and no two spaces are the same. We do have to make our designs quite bespoke, but that’s what we love, because a lot of people really struggle with visualising what they can do with their old bathroom.”

Donovan says trends in bathrooms are forever changing, but tiles and marble are starting to make a comeback.

“There is quite a big resurgence at the moment, but with colour added too.”

Brushed brass tapware and other upmarket features continue to be popular, as well as LED lighting in places you would never imagine – inside showers, vanity drawers, and anywhere that showcases the bathroom design. Lanark can also create a wet room masterpiece from conception to completion

Donovan and Ryan also share a love of motorsport and have become good friends away from the workplace, and their good vibes are shared throughout the team, where everyone is a valued member of staff.

“The importance for our company is that staff are happy, but they also need to be the right fit. And I think it really works for us,”

Donovan says next year will be a big year for Lanark with some new larger jobs on the go, while the team also looks after several key clients with bathroom maintenance work – ensuring the business is stable and strong for the future.

But as some of the bigger building jobs start to become scarce in the area, Lanark is aware there is always room for competition in the market – and they embrace that.

With three certified plumbers (including Donovan), three licensed electricians (including an apprentice), three licensed builders (including Ryan) plus an apprentice, as well as gas fitters, drain layers and office staff, Lanark has every bathroom project covered.