Baina's Co-Founder Has a Very On-Brand Tiled Tub in Her Sydney Home

PublishedSep 10, 2025 4:19 AM EDT

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Picture this: towering Moreton Bay fig trees, flowering frangipani, and electric bougainvillea draping over the streets of Clovelly, a super-chill, ocean-hugging Sydney suburb. The local beach isn't your typical sandy stretch—swimmers use the cove-like pocket of water as a lap pool and perch on the rocks above instead of a pool deck. This is where bathing brandBainaco-founder Bailey Meredith takes her lunch-break dips, a quick 12-minute drive from her apartment. Dreamy, right?

"There's not a lot of places in the world where you can do that," she says. Fair point!

Originally from New Zealand, Meredith; her husband, Ali Williams; and Gruff, the dog, settled in Sydney in June 2022 and started hunting for a place to put down roots. She vividly remembers driving down their future street in nearby Kensington and just being drawn in by its warm, inviting beauty. Perfectly positioned between city and ocean, and just 10 minutes from Baina's offices, the spot was calming without feeling like you were out in the suburbs.

Just as important as the landscape was the character of the house itself—and this area has it in spades. "You have this really interesting mix around here of Federation-era homes and then these elegant brick apartment blocks from the 1930s," Meredith explains. In June 2023, one of the latter stole their hearts—an intimate, two-story building of just eight units. The lovingly-preserved exterior gives way to gorgeous details in the shared spaces, like a wrought-iron balustrade and stained glass window. "It's those little details that set buildings apart," she says. Having never lived in an apartment before—New Zealand is all about standalone homes—Meredith wasn't sure how she'd feel living so close to neighbors. But it turned out to be the best surprise; she says their inherited community feels like winning the lottery. "Several of us have dogs in the building and they all play happily together in our shared backyard," she says. I mean, come on!

Meredith credits the layout of their compact two-bedroom for letting the couple spread out without feeling on top of each other. An extended hallway runs the length of the apartment, with each room branching off. The kitchen and dining area come first, followed by a small nook and a vintage linen cupboard Meredith refinished with her mom. (How sweet is that?)

The living room, as she puts it, is just far enough from the kitchen that there's a real sense of retreat. "One of us can be sitting in the dining room reading a book and the other can be in the lounge listening to a record, and you don't really hear or notice each other, which is really nice," she explains. Goals, honestly.

In between those spaces is the bathroom, with its original penny tile and a deep enamel tub ("If we can't save the bath, we're not touching it," she says of a potential renovation—love that commitment). Plus, a sneak peek of Baina's forthcoming apothecary line! As for the towels? "I find myself reaching for ones that add warmth and depth while still evoking a sense of softness and calm," she notes. "The palette oftabac and noiris perfect for cool evenings and crisp mornings."

Since the apartment was a former rental, cosmetic improvements were sorely needed—but they were in no rush to tackle a big renovation after their last house project in New Zealand. "I certainly learned how important it is to really live in a space before you do too much to it, to understand how you utilize each room and the way that you flow through it," she says. So to start, they simply swathed the apartment in creamy white, swapped out the lighting fixtures, and hung fresh curtains. Sometimes less is more at the beginning.

After a year of living in the unit—learning how light moves through each room and which nooks they naturally gravitated toward—it was time for a proper refresh of the kitchen and dining area. Banquette seating and a stainless-steel countertop were two must-haves, balancing serenity and functionality in both material and vibe. Now there's this gorgeous, relaxed atmosphere near the action. "My husband is the primary cook in this house," Meredith says. "He'll be in the kitchen, and I love to lounge at the dining table." Honestly, the dream.

The primary and guest bedrooms are tucked away at the very back of the property, soaking up the most sun thanks to north-facing windows. Throughout the home, simple yet striking ceiling molding and traditional pine flooring bookend the eclectic and minimal furnishings—like a curl-up sofa and modular console bursting with records in the living room, or a vintage dresser paired with modern light fixtures in one bedroom.

Meredith's approach to decorating is totally in sync with her Baina philosophy, which pushes back against hyper-seasonality and finite timelines. "It's that idea of layering to create a unique setting," she says. "I love pieces that hold meaning beyond the physical; it's a memory or marker in our lives." And those spur-of-the-moment dips in the ocean? They don't hurt either.

Samantha Weiss-Hills is the managing editor for Domino. She edits and writes home tours and features, and she's the friend who everyone texts for glassware, sofa, and sheet recommendations. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Alex, and their beagle-corgi, Elsa.

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