4 Design Features for a Minimalist Water Tank

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Water tanks are no longer just for rustic country properties, but are now an essential design feature in many contemporary urban homes. In fact, installing a water tank, such as one from Kingspan’s residential range, can help improve your home and lifestyle by having a positive effect on household spending and budget. So if you’re thinking of building or renovating, you can now choose from compact and made-to-measure styles and customise the design for a minimalist aesthetic to suit your home, even on a small urban block.

Kingspan Water & Energy

Made-to-Measure Slimline Water Tank by Kingspan; image: Lomani, Bryon Bay

Why Should I Install a Water Tank?

With more people currently working from home, water usage has increased, which has a flow-on effect to your water bill. If you’re keen to lower utility bills to assist your household budget, installing a rainwater harvesting system can make a noticeable difference. The Federal Government’s HomeBuilder grant also lets eligible homeowners claim $25,000 tax-free if they’re renovating their home or building a new one, which makes now an ideal time to install a water tank or work one into your future building plans.

Household budgets aside, water tanks can also improve your access to water during times of drought or water restrictions, when the ability to water the garden or fill the pool is limited. Some renovations and extensions require alternative water sources to mains water, such as rain water tanks, to achieve the required water target for a home. These include those set by the Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) in NSW.

Kingspan Water & Energy

Made-to-Measure Slimline Water Tank by Kingspan

4 Design Features for a Minimalist Water Tank

1. Choose a size and style to suit your exterior

For a contemporary aesthetic, the precise length, width and height of your water tank should be customised to suit the style of your home’s exterior – as well as your individual household’s water needs. Kingspan’s made-to-measure designs include Round, Square, Modline and Slimline, which is pictured here and is one of the most popular options in urban settings due to its small footprint and large water storage capacity.

Curves in a home’s facade can be echoed with curves in your water tank for a contemporary, complementary look. Likewise, bold modern exteriors can be reflected in the shape of more modern tanks.

Does your home feature linear materials such as weatherboard, cladding, timber battens and corrugated roofing? If so, you can count yourself lucky – these textured materials complement the corrugated form of your water tank to create a pleasing rhythm in your facade.

Kingspan’s made-to-measure tanks are manufactured in Australia from Aquaplate food-grade polymer-coated steel and give a nod to vernacular design in local architecture. Check out the interactive 3D model on Kingspan’s website to learn more about tanks and tank accessories.

Kingspan Water & Energy

Made-to-Measure Slimline Water Tank by Kingspan

2. Customise your colour palette

Renovators can choose from the full range of Colorbond colours to ensure the colour of their water tank fits the palette of their new or existing facade.

For a minimalist approach, opt for a neutral shade, such as black, grey or white. Alternatively, you can take inspiration from the colour of your roofing, guttering and downpipes. To let your water tank fade into your facade, try matching its colour to your external paintwork for a seamless aesthetic.

If you have multiple tones in your exterior, try coordinating the colour of your water tank to the dominant colour in your home. Selecting a shade mid-way between your brickwork and mortar can also achieve a minimalist style, which the owners of this brick home have done with Kingspan’s Slimline water tank in a complementary shade.

Want to further soften your scheme? Pair plantings in matching pots nearby or disguise your water tank altogether with strategically placed greenery.

Choosing a darker colour for your water tank will make it visually recede, while brights and whites reflect light and appear to advance – an important tip for small spaces. And remember, rainwater harvesting systems can also be celebrated as a design feature in their own right by using a contrasting colour.

Kingspan Water & Energy

Made-to-Measure Slimline Water Tank by Kingspan; image: Lomani, Bryon Bay

3. Location, location, location

Where you position your water tank on your property is vital to achieving a minimalist look – or hiding it from view altogether. Look to suitable external niches in your side or rear walls, or try working a water tank into your site plan below a deck for the ultimate in discretion.

Slimline water tanks, which are well-suited to tight urban spaces and hold 600 to 8,700 litres, can often be fitted to the side of a home, hiding them from view from the front or back facade. Alternatively, their rounded ends are an attractive addition to contemporary gardens and make for a sleek, modern look.

Kingspan Water & Energy

Made-to-Measure Slimline Water Tank by Kingspan

4. Ensure form follows function

As all minimalists know, form follows function, so the efficacy of your water tank is not to be underestimated. If calculating your home’s catchable roof area and water use or finding local rainfall data and gutter locations is proves too challenging, it’s wise to call in the professionals. Experts can advise you on the best tank size and location, base requirements and any plumbing and electrical components, as well as the most suitable pump for your household’s water needs.

To maximise the water-harvesting potential of your home, it can help to get quotes on different styles of fully installed rainwater harvesting systems. This takes the guesswork out of the process – a boon for time-poor and decision-overloaded renovators.

Kingspan now offers a design-and-install service and site visit in Metro Sydney, which is complimentary for a limited period of time.

More: To explore more water tanks and rainwater harvesting systems, visit Kingspan’s website.

This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.