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The end of summer breeds a specific kind of solemnity. There’s a notable decrescendo of days filled with poolside lounging and shorefront vacations, and we cling to what few we have left, not yet ready to let the unique freedom of the season slip away.  When fall does arrive, we’re confronted with back-to-school and busy schedules, with rarely a moment to take a breath. So before we let summer go, we want to look at designs that capture and preserve its essence all year long.  These two bathrooms by Gilded Heights Design Studio feel like the summer days we hold so dear. The bathrooms use custom-made tiles and our handmade Zellige to create a beautiful and serene retreat.

Sunny Days Ahead

Aubrey of Gilded Heights wrote in her blog post about this project, “My favorite thing about this client is that at our first meeting, she said she loved ‘quirk and color’. My job was to make sure that their joyful energy was apparent in the overall design, but in a timeless way.” Joyful and timeless energy are apparent here, where our custom-made cement tiles comfortably take center stage. Tastefully mixing quintessential colors of summer into a captivating design, these tiles are bright and fresh like ocean air. The tiles lay out multiple phases of the day–sunrise, sunset, midday, and afternoon–and create a perfect balance between repetition and variation. Brass accents and marble trim mingle with the playful pattern, grounding the design in what is still a thoughtful and refined space.

Master Bath

Next is the primary bath, built upon a palette of neutral colors and midcentury meets boho design. The midcentury details add nuance and intrigue to the spa-like atmosphere, turning the room into something we haven’t seen before.  The striping of our 2”x6” Natural and Snow White Zellige tiles on the floor evokes a sense of ease and bohemian beauty. Reflecting on the design, Audrey said, “I had been itching to do something subtle and fun with [Riad’s] zellige tile and pitched the idea of a tonal stripe with [Riad’s] Snow White and Natural White colors…I knew that this was the project to propose something a bit edgy and quirky, and I loved the thought of it for [the clients’] slightly boho aesthetic.” Golden brass accents and elegant fixtures allow every design element here to shine. The chandelier above the tub frames the space into a carefully curated picture. We can envision Old Hollywood stars from Elizabeth Taylor to Rita Hayworth basking here, just as we can picture ourselves. The shower also uses our 2”x6” Zellige, sticking to predominantly Snow White with some Natural White tiles interspersed. The natural and organic feel of the mixing tiles emphasizes the cultivated mix of tension and harmony between classic and contemporary design aspects. This shower is adorned with brass elements and a marble trim, making the two bathroom spaces cohesive amongst all their variations. We love how these bathrooms are opposing yet in concert and evoke the different aspects of summer. From wild and playful days to relaxing moonlit nights, we love the Way Gilded Heights used our tiles to create designs that look effortless (though we know they are not). If you want to see more projects from Gilded Heights, visit her website here. Follow us on Instagram at @riadtile for more design inspiration, and be sure to tag us in your designs for our Customer Spotlight series!