Designer Spotlight LaTonya Yvette

Meet LaTonya

With a decade of blogging, two children, two books, and a career as a stylist under her belt, LaTonya Yvette draws on her unique perspective to design spaces that are welcoming and nurturing to all—but BIPOC in particular. This intention led her to the Mae House, a 173-year-old home she purchased and lovingly restored (with lots of beautiful Fireclay Tile!) as a place for BIPOC to rest and commune with nature.

The Mae House recently opened its doors, so we sat down with LaTonya to chat about the restoration process and hear more about her inspiration and goals for the space.

A Place to Rest

Thoughtfully designed with community and connection in mind, the Mae House is more than a vacation rental. This New York home offers a respite away from the bustle of the big city with plenty of natural space and free quarterly residency programs and sliding scale rates to BIPOC guests.

The Mae House: Kitchen Backsplash & Checkerboard Floor

With a clear vision of what– and who– she was nurturing a space for, LaTonya Yvette transformed her colonial-style home into a retreat that emphasizes Black joy and rest. In the welcoming kitchen, she brought her checkerboard floor dreams to life with 12x12 Ceramic Tile in Feldspar and Red Rock, while a timeless backsplash of 4x4 Ceramic Tile in Hunter Green grounds the natural brightness in this thoughtfully appointed space.

The Mae House: Sunny New Traditional Bathroom

Designed with eternal summer in mind, LaTonya Yvette’s 173-year-old colonial-style rental home features a sunny primary bathroom that shines like a jewel box thanks to Glass Tile. Warm tones of 3x12 Glass Tile in Falcon Gloss across the floor complement the mustard wainscoting of 2x6 Glass Tile in Oriole, while a hand-painted mural of native plants graces the top half of the walls.

The Mae House: Mint Green Bathroom

Take a journey under the sea in the family-friendly bathroom at the Mae House. Designer LaTonya Yvette chose vintage-inspired tile to blend into her colonial-style rental home, using 4x4 Ceramic Tile in Sea Glass along the walls and shower surround and a floor of 3" Hexagon Tile in Clover with playful accents of 3” Hexagon in Eucalyptus dotted throughout.

The Mae House: Hexagon Entryway Floor

LaTonya Yvette knows a joy-filled home starts with a joyful entryway. At her thoughtfully renovated rental home, The Mae House, she brought joy to the forefront with a pink foyer and 6” Hexagon Tile in warm white Feldspar across the floor.

The Mae House: Soaking Tub Hexagon Floor

Sit back and soak in the beauty of LaTonya Yvette’s thoughtfully renovated rental, The Mae House, in the inviting tub perched atop our 6” Hexagon Tile in Feldspar. With an impressive breaking strength of 393 lbs per foot, our tile provides a foundation that’s as beautiful as it is functional.

Emulate the Mae House

Inspired by LaTonya's vision? Try out her palette in your own home with Ceramic color samples in Hunter Green, Feldspar, Ivory, Clover, Sea Glass, Eucalyptus, Haystack, and Mustard Seed.