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This Surfer Mom Channeled the Beach With Her SoCal Kitchen Tile Refresh
Leah Bradley, an interior and landscape designer from Southern California and an avid surfer, sought to infuse her Costa Mesa ranch-style mid-century home with a laid-back coastal vibe. Six years ago, she and her husband purchased the home, aiming to enhance its flow and reflect their surfing lifestyle. Her vision began with a two-part renovation of the kitchen, which ultimately involved transforming the space to evoke a beach aesthetic.
The initial phase of the renovation involved significant structural and aesthetic changes. Bradley removed two non-load bearing partitions in the kitchen, opening it up to include the entryway and dining area, thereby improving the home's overall flow. She replaced the original vinyl flooring with engineered oak planks, installed a new island, and added custom oak cabinetry. To further enhance the kitchen's look, she swapped the existing white porcelain tiles for unglazed terracotta tiles. However, after living with these changes for some time, Bradley found that the extensive use of wood and brown tiles resulted in an overwhelming expanse of earth tones, lacking the vibrant pop of color she desired for a true coastal feel.
Determined to bring more color and a clearer representation of her love for the Pacific Ocean into her kitchen, Bradley embarked on a second renovation. Her inspiration came from Domino’s new line with Concrete Collaborative, which features hand-pressed concrete tiles in various colorways inspired by sun-soaked coastlines. These durable and beautiful tiles offered an artisanal quality and were suitable for busy family life, capable of withstanding the daily activities of her three children, from cooking assistance to art projects.
For the tile color, Bradley selected a subtle blue hue called "Rain," which she felt perfectly captured the essence of floating in the ocean, a profound connection to her surfing background. This choice was not just about color but also about durability and ease of maintenance, crucial for a high-traffic area like the kitchen. Instead of a traditional monochrome installation, she opted for a striped pattern, alternating the "Rain" tiles with Concrete Collaborative's "Blonde" color. This design choice created a gentle visual splash that complemented the home's mid-century architecture without overpowering it.
The finished kitchen now exudes an open, welcoming, and breezy atmosphere. The crisp vertical lines of the striped tiles draw the eye upwards to shelves displaying cherished travel souvenirs from various surfing destinations, which had previously blended into the earth-toned background. These items, including old wood objects, books, and vintage art, are now highlighted. Bradley notes that the tiles, with their hints of creamy sea foam and Pacific blue, beautifully mimic ocean currents. A subtle detail of the stripes extends below a picture window, subtly pointing to the view outside, where the family's surfboards are stored, ready for their next adventure. The renovation successfully created a kitchen that not only functions as the heart of the home but also deeply reflects the family's passion for the ocean.
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