The Hyams Bathroom Tiles I Couldn’t Quit (and the import bill that tried to stop me)

These are the main bathroom tiles for Hyams. From Zia. And I could not let them go.

I tried to talk myself out of them. Multiple times. Didn’t work.

What they are

They’re called Lucca, in Carrara + Giallo Reale marble.

It’s crisp Carrara white mixed with this warm honey-gold stone. The pattern is tall stripes with a little checker band running through it, which is what makes it interesting without being loud. And bonus, the stripes pull your eye up, so the wall feels taller. Easy win.

The real issue (it wasn’t the look)

The tile price itself wasn’t the scary part. For a unique marble pattern you can’t easily buy in Australia, it felt fair.

The shipping from America is what turns it into a “holy moly” moment.

Once you add freight, customs, broker fees, and the random extras that pop up, you basically double the cost. That was the point where I went from “yes, obsessed” to “am I actually doing this” in about five seconds.

The part where I tried to be sensible

I genuinely tried to replace them.

I hunted locally. I tried other options on my mood board. I told myself I was being ridiculous.

Nothing gave the same feeling.

And to make it extra painful, anything remotely interesting in Australia seems to be either not in stock, or a 3 to 4 month wait, or “coming soon” which usually means not soon at all.

These tiles were in stock. I could get them quickly. I just had to deal with the import circus.

The decision that made it doable

I originally wanted the whole bathroom in these tiles. Full coverage. Big moment.

Then I did the numbers and realised I was about to overcapitalise purely because I was emotionally attached to a tile.

So I compromised in the best way.

One feature wall in the Lucca tiles, then a simple, budget-friendly white tile for the rest of the bathroom. Same vibe, controlled cost.

Importing without losing your mind

If you’ve never imported tiles before, it feels like you’re about to accidentally buy tiles and also take on a part-time admin job.

I used GE International Forwarding and they handled the messy parts. Customs, broker side, delivery. They made it feel manageable, which is all I wanted.

How I balanced the spend (without losing the vibe)

Once the feature wall became the splurge, I had to make a few smarter choices around it.

Where I spent:

• The feature wall tiles (obviously).

• The vanity from Common Wood in Marrickville. It’s custom, the quality is insane, and it’s made by a small business I trust. This is the second vanity they’ve made for me. straight onto my Logan Brae tick list!

Where I saved:

• Simple, cheaper sinks (on purpose).

• Budget-friendly white wall tiles for the other walls to balance out the hero tile cost.

The finishing touches I locked in:

• Mirrors: handmade aged brass mirrors from Morocco (I’ll link them on Shop the Look).

• Tapware: ABI aged brass because it brings warmth without needing more “stuff”.

• Floor: terrazzo from Perini Tiles to keep it feeling layered and pulled together.

What I learnt (so you don’t have to spiral like I did)

• Pick the hero first, then build around it.

• If shipping makes you feel sick, do a feature wall instead of full coverage.

• Stock and lead times matter more than you think.

• Spend where it shows, save where it doesn’t.

That was basically the whole process. One tile I refused to let go of, then a bunch of decisions to make it happen without blowing the budget.