For this new-build bathroom, Aimee Meisgeier, founder of AM Interior Design looked to create a space filled with warmth, texture and a bit of of elegance. “We wanted the bath to help brighten the start to any day,” said the Seattle/Tacoma-based designer.
It was an approach that was shared by her client, builder Carl Abbott of Abbott Properties. Working with predesigned plans Abbott had purchased from Landmark Designs, he wanted a fresh-looking interior with designer details to increase the home’s resale appeal. This included using higher-end materials and features like a natural stone waterfall island in the kitchen, custom-colored cabinetry, a curated lighting schedule and designer tile selections and wallpaper.
Tile Travails in the New-Build Bathroom
The tile that was originally selected (and confirmed in writing via a spec sheet) was a soft beige. However, what was installed was the same tile, but in a stark white.
“When the builder sent me pictures of the tile going in, the color looked a bit off, but I thought maybe it was because of the cell phone photo versus what it looked like in real life,” said Meisgeier.
But during the next site meeting, when she saw the color in person, the designer was confident that it was not the same tile she had specified. The builder double-checked the purchase order from the tile vendor and it called out the right colorway. The team then examined the actual boxes the tile setter picked up at the will-call counter, and was able to confirm it was the wrong color.
Fortunately, the mistake happened fairly early on in the project, so it didn’t delay completion of the house as a whole, but the entire bathroom had been tiled before the error was discovered, and it all had to be ripped out.
The challenges continued. When Meisgeier tried to reorder the tile, she was told that the original color selection was out of stock so she had to pivot to an entirely different tile. The original tile installer continued on the job as the mishap wasn’t necessarily their fault; the ordering mistake was made by the tile vendor.
In a happy ending, Meisgeier was pleased with how the tile enhanced the new-build bathroom design.
“I love how the tile came out. I think it’s an elevated look: How we wrapped the shower walls uninterrupted into the tub’s wainscot and then as the vanity’s backsplash. I also think the color of the tile is warm and inviting. It makes the start to any day like walking into a warm hug.”
Sources
Design: Aimee Meisgeier, AM Interior Design; Photography: Miranda Estes, Miranda Estes Photography; Builder: Carl Abbott, Abbott Properties; Cabinets: E & S Custom Cabinets, Inc.; Cabinet Harware: Top Knobs; Countertops: MSI; Faucets, Shower Fittings, Tub Filler: California Faucets; Lighting: Visual Comfort & Co. and Serena & Lily; Mirrors: Shades of Light; Paint: Sherwin-Williams; Sink: Alfi; Tile: Bedrosians; Toilet: Ferguson; Tub: Signature Hardware; Ventilation: Makro Heaing
