Moroccan design in two modern, eclectic bathroom remodels.
We have been living in our 1930s home in North Cental Phoenix for 14 years now and only just finished remodeling our bathrooms. Some things take time - and we do think it was worth the wait! Moroccan zellige tile and custom sink vanities from India led our design vision, and of course we had to make both spaces memorable and very Tierra Del Lagarto!
We knew that we wanted to use soldier set Tamegroute green zellige tile in our primary bath. We custom ordered it in Marrakech in a 6" x 2" size and are so glad we sized up a bit. The color is the perfect foil for all the terracotta tones that flow through the rest of our home.
Wanting a real wow moment for our two matching sink vanities, I had custom mother of pearl inlaid dressers made with quartzite tops and marble sinks in India. I was concerned at first that they would be too flashy and formal with our more rustic tile, but I love the juxtapostion of the super intricate inlay that quite literally sparkles, and the other humble, handmade surfaces.
Of course we also knew that we would use our favorite Heritage Salitllo from our dear friends at Handcrafted Tile for the floor. We used their large rectangular pavers elsewhere in our home, but chose a star and cross pattern for this room to reference the inlay in the vanities.
I love how the two types of tile, zellige and Saltillo, play off each other. In both one can see the obvious touch of the hand - in varied finishes and edges imperfect yet beautifully flowing together. Factory made tiles with uniform color and texture just do not have the same soul.
We used polished nickel fixtures throughout the space to pick up the mother of pearl inlay; I even had our bronze peacock hooks from Java plated in a pewter finish to match.
The other large bath in our home we did a few years ago, thankfully, as we were able to use it while the primary was under construction. Since it is upstairs supporting our TV lounge area and guest room, we knew we could get a little more wild! I chose Justina Blakeney's Jungalow Tigris wallpaper as a jumping off point.
Wild and wonderful, we loved the repeated palm and tiger motif, and the colors that go so well with the blue Moroccan zellige tile we selected for this room in a color we call peacock at TDL.
Painting the walls a deep orange, and taking it right up on the rather low ceiling created a deeply drenched space that feels like a magic little treasure box. The water closet was without a door so I hung rows of overscale tesbih beads we sourced in Turkey. They catch the afternoon light and are a fun bit of whimsy. To further separate the space we used a dark teal paint in there to match the tile.
The shower floor was another score from Handcrafted Tile - a new product under their Azul line with a gorgeous star and cross mosaic.
My favorite thing in this bathroom is the antique majuce cabinet we used for the sink vanity. We source these pieces in Rajashtan in India. Originally used as dowry chests and household storage, they are made entirely of teak and often have hidden compartments within their various opening doors. We topped this piece with more of the Azul mosaic tile and placed a simple inset sink within.
This bathroom may be "a bit much" for some people - but for us it's a favorite space!
Above here are a couple of before photos, we all love seeing these right?? Well, truly these are in-process photos - but you get the idea! Builder grade travertine, unfortuate vanities, and some truly awful pendants. It does make me question how the heck we lived with it all for so long! But real homes take time - and we are lucky to get to enjoy these spaces now - woohoo! Our primary bath is at left and the upstairs bath at right.
If you are considering doing a bathroom remodel we can help with cool one of a kind pieces to convert to vanities like we did. But we also have a series of vanities we designed in India with quartzite tops and inset marble sinks. Take a peek below - these four are styles that we get in regularly. They are functional with lots of storage, easy to clean tops, and space to drill for fixtures. In solid mango wood, they hold up beautifully and have rich finishes that fit in well with lots of design choices!
