In his debut collection for The Tile Shop, Jeffrey Alan Marks celebrates endless summer

Jeffrey Alan Marks, a renowned designer, has launched his inaugural tile collection named "Summerland" with The Tile Shop. Marks, who resides in the real-life town of Summerland in Santa Barbara, California, drew inspiration from his coastal surroundings to create a collection that blends traditional aesthetics with a beach-house feel. The Summerland pattern is characterized by a soft-edged starburst design. This motif is intended to evoke the shimmering appearance of sunlight on ocean waves, the natural forms of sand dollars and starfish found on the shore, and a subtle nod to Mission Revival architecture. The collection is available in three neutral colorways, each named after a beach-inspired location. Rincon is the lightest shade, a sandy greige, providing a versatile and understated option. Miramar features a weathered blue, a hue that has become a signature in Marks's design work. Toro is the darkest of the three, a charcoal tone rather than a stark black, designed to maintain an airy feel and align with Marks's preference for a softer palette. A significant design consideration for the Summerland collection was the tile's base color. Marks and The Tile Shop team spent approximately eight months perfecting the off-white ground, aiming for a muted quality that would be durable and forgiving of everyday wear, such as scuffs from pets and children. This careful selection ensures the tiles maintain their appearance in active households. Despite this being Marks's first venture into tile design, his extensive background in textiles significantly influenced the collection. Kirsty Froelich, director of design and product development for The Tile Shop, noted Marks's association with elegant fabrics. The goal was to replicate the sophisticated look of linen without introducing surface texture to the tiles, as grooves can accumulate dirt. Consequently, the Summerland tiles feature a flat, matte finish, which aligns with a casual California elegance and the desired clean aesthetic. When viewed closely, the starburst pattern on the tile surface subtly mimics embroidery stitching, adding to its sophisticated textile-inspired character. The durability of porcelain, combined with the linen-effect print and warm white coloring, makes the tiles suitable for various applications beyond just floors. Marks envisions using Summerland for accent walls, particularly in wet areas like bathrooms. He suggests incorporating them as a backsplash for home bars or creating decorative whole-room treatments behind open kitchen shelving. He also describes a project in Manhattan Beach where he used tile on a ground-level, glass-fronted living room wall to add personality and foster an indoor-outdoor ambiance. He has even installed them in his own daughter's bathroom, from bottom to top, to make it splash-friendly. In terms of dimensions, the Summerland collection features 9-by-10-inch hexagonal tiles, offering an artisanal alternative to more common shapes like subway tiles. Marks aimed for a format that would complement traditional homes, drawing on classic Cape Cod or Hamptons aesthetics. Froelich highlights the popularity of the hexagonal shape, particularly in this size, across the country and emphasizes porcelain's versatility. She observes a shift in design trends away from the white-tiled, black-accented, wood-floored farmhouse style towards an Arts and Crafts influence, which suits the midcentury modern and bungalow homes currently being renovated. This allows for more artistic expressions in smaller spaces, bringing a dynamic energy that simpler tile choices might lack. Marks is already developing his second collection for The Tile Shop. While details remain undisclosed, his ongoing projects, including partnerships in fabric and lighting, a forthcoming rug collaboration, and a book, suggest a continued focus on breezy, laid-back Southern California luxury in his designs, regardless of their ultimate location. Marks plans to use the Miramar blue Summerland tiles in his own pool house in East Hampton, embracing the concept of bringing a piece of the beach into interior spaces. #JeffreyAlanMarks #TileShop #SummerlandCollection #TileDesign #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #CoastalStyle #PorcelainTiles #DesignTrends #JeffreyAlanMarks #TileShop #SummerlandCollection #TileDesign #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #CoastalStyle #PorcelainTiles #DesignTrends

36 months ago

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