Chelsea Foy, the creative force behind lifestyle blog Lovely Indeed, shows us how to work a bathroom with not one but two standout installations. "We wanted to keep the charm of the house but bring in a bit of a modern, eclectic feel, with fun and surprising little pops of color here and there," says Chelsea Foy of the renovations of her 1950s home. Chelsea used our tile as the colorful accents in her two bathroom projects--read on to see them both!
A bit about Chelsea:
My style can be described as...Clean, modern bohemian.
My design philosophy is...Go with your gut and forget everyone else's opinion!
I got my start...Surfing blogs online.
I find inspiration in...Travel.
I can't live without...La Croix and Diet Coke.
My best design advice would be...See as many beautiful spaces as you can, to build an understanding of what you love.
I love tile because...It's so versatile and very, very personal.
First, can you tell me a bit about yourself and what you do?
I run a DIY and lifestyle blog called Lovely Indeed. It's a bit about everything -- DIY, travel, food, style, our family, and all of the little things that make life lovely.
Were these bathroom projects a part of a remodel or renovation of your home? What were you wanting to change about your space?
We live in a home built in the 1950's. It was the first home I purchased and we love the neighborhood so much we never want to leave. But being 70 years old, the home needed some updates and refreshing. So last year, we renovated one half of the house and followed this year with the second half, which includes a complete gut of a guest/kids' bathroom, and the addition of a master bathroom where there was none. We wanted to keep the charm of the house but bring in a bit of a modern, eclectic feel, with fun and surprising little pops of color here and there.
Let's talk about the master bath first, how did you come up with your overall color scheme and design?
We knew right off the bat that we wanted the master bath to feel like an escape, kind of like you could have your own private spa day in there. But we didn't want it to lack color or personality. We decided to focus on one main feature that would pop, and that it would be the floor. We wanted some really great tile.
Tile Shown: Large Star and Cross in Tuolumne Meadows
In terms of tile, what sort of look were you going for?
Honestly, we were a little lost in the beginning as far as a specific style of tile. We're not afraid of color and pattern but there were so many beautiful choices. In general, we wanted something that could simultaneously look clean and concise, but still fun and interesting.
What made you choose our Large Star and Cross in Tuolumne Meadows for the floor tile? Were there any other contenders?
Initially, we were on a completely different trajectory as far as tile shape. We even went so far as to mock up a few patterns with triangles in various shades of neutral and yellow. In the end, the angles of those patterns just didn't feel right. It all felt a little too masculine and not as fun as I'd hoped. So we narrowed our color selection to a single shade: Tuolumne Meadows. (Yellow has been my favorite color since elementary school!)
And with the single color, we got a little more bold in our tile shape choice, and suddenly the Large Star and Cross felt like it would be the perfect compliment to that happy color. We decided on a simple white grout to really emphasize the shape, and I couldn't be happier with how it ended up.
Now, on to the kid's bath. What look were you going for?
The kids' bathroom also functions as a guest bathroom, so we wanted something that would be fun and a little whimsical for the kids to spend time in, and still something beautiful for our guests to enjoy. We wanted it all to feel spacious and light, again with a little fun infused into the whole project.
Pro tip: going for wainscotting in your space? You'll need some form of trim to finish the edges of the tile. Chelsea opted for glazed edges for her Ogee Drops, for more on trim, check out this blog.
What made you go for the Ogee Drops in Glacier Bay?
From the first time I saw the Ogee Drop tile I knew I wanted it in our home somewhere. The shape is so graceful and playful -- and the fact that it reminds me of a mermaid tail doesn't hurt either.
Initially we were thinking of doing the Ogee Drop in a yellow shade, but it kept just not feeling quite right. When we moved to a yellow in the master bath, we made a split-second decision to look at the Ogee Drop in Glacier Bay and it finally felt right. It was cool, fun, inviting, and felt like a great match between shape and color.
How did the installation process go? Did you face any challenges?
When we first showed the tile shipment to our installer, he looked at us like we were totally bonkers. We live in an area where people don't necessarily make bold choices with their home finishings, and this was definitely out of his comfort zone! But logistically, we sat down together and looked through the Installation Guide, and he started to warm to the whole situation. We laid out some tile together to be sure he felt comfortable with how it would all fit, and made sure that we discussed little details like corners and so on. For the Ogee Drop, because we wanted the scalloped edge on the top, we made sure that he had the correct number of pieces with glazed top edges and that he had a clear picture of what we were trying to accomplish. I think communication was key for us; we laid a lot of groundwork in the beginning and it made for a really smooth install.
You are a person who is obviously not shy of using bright color (which we love), what would you say to someone unsure of going for bold color in their home?
I think your home should always be a reflection of yourself, so if you feel like a pop of color would be fun, go for it! The guideline I usually use in our home is to let one thing stand out in each room. In our bathrooms, it's definitely the tile. Everything else is a neutral, specifically chosen to support and enhance the standout feature. So choose your bold area, whether it's a floor or a wall, and let everything else take a backseat.
Lastly, which of our colors/shapes/patterns would you love to use in future projects?
In the beginning I was pushing so hard for the Chaine Homme pattern, but it just didn't fit in the spaces we were working with. But I think that pattern in either the Azul or Serpentine shades would be so dreamy!
Inspired by Chelsea's colorful style? Order color samples online now. Need some help? Simply call, chat or fill out our Design Assistance Form and one of our talented Design Consultants will get back to you shortly.
