I’ve always wanted to work for myself. Landing in London, seeing what I thought was a gap in the market, and thinking now-or-never, made me take the plunge.

2. Balineum is at an interesting stage in its development, how would you like to grow the brand?

Balineum is the Latin word for bath-house and that is all we do: design elements for the bathroom. We’re still quite new and small so for the next 2-3 years our focus is introducing more products. Robes and slippers are coming. Cleaning and care. More baskets & storage styles. Bathroom furniture collections. More shower curtain designs and colourways. We could quadruple our product range tomorrow if we had the money & resources – but being a small company and self-funded means our growth will be slow and steady. We’re definitely more tortoise than hare over here.

3. You are sitting at your desk at the start of your working day, how would an ideal day pan out for you?
Coffee. Check emails. A journalist calls in some samples for a shoot. A customer emails or calls to say they love our products. We place an order for a new product. I go home early and make bread (I am mildly obssessed at the moment with making sourdough and am trying different recipes). These things all happen – not necessarily in same day.

4. What should we be buying for our bathrooms this year?
I’m all about classics, so I don’t think you should be buying stuff seasonally or following trends. If it is time for a bathroom update - storage and organisation – get rid of clutter - can make the world of difference. Good towels are a joy to start the day and a great avenue to add some colour. Monogrammed or embroidered hand towels are my absolutely favourite update item – these are such a special touch - and we have some amazing choice of colours and styles thanks to our partnership with Matouk.

5. If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about changing their career what would it be?
Be prepared to eat a huge amount of humble pie because you will have to start at the bottom again.

6. What do you look for when shopping online?
Clarity. Clear branding. Clear product presentation. Focus. I rarely shop on aggregator shopping sites – I usually go to brands I know and trust. I like specialist retailers.

7. When you get time to relax, what is your perfect escape?
I really love long haul flights but don’t do these very often. Food, wine, cooking, travel, exercise: some combination of any of these is pretty great.

Thank you so much for taking part in this interview

Information about Balineum

Balineum launched in November 2007 selling a selection of fabric shower curtains, liners and rings online. The company was started by Sarah Watson. Australian born, Sarah spent five years living in New York before moving to London in 2006. After struggling to find a stylish shower curtain to suit her London flat, she decided to start designing them herself. With the help of textile designer Gail Bryson, Balineum's first range of shower curtains was born.