This Bathroom Material Gives Off Spalike Energy, According to Designers

We’ve heard everyone from real-estate agents to HGTV hosts use the term spalike to describe a bathroom, but it has never been totally straightforward as to what makes a space feel like a retreat. For some, it might simply be a bamboo tub tray; for others, it’s a rain showerhead that covers their whole body. But recently we pinpointed one thing that, when speaking with designers, was deemed “spalike” across the board. That feature? Fluted stone. Here are three ways to apply the It material to your space. 

A Statement Sink

While designing his space for this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Dallas, Ahmad AbouZanat of Project AZ called on Chad Dorsey, who has become known for his fluted stone fireplaces, to create a Breccia Fiore–honed marble vanity. With its warm red and pink hues, the material alone enhances the hammam-inspired feel of the bathroom, but the ribbed detailing that spans the outer edges takes things a step further. “The luxurious carved basin and substantial surface area together create a refined and distinguished look that doesn’t overpower the space,” shares AbouZanat.

Sven Simon, managing partner of DasMOD, likens the design he used around a bathroom sink to Kit Kat bars. “It was also inspired by the wood tambour on the main bathroom walls,” he says. “We loved the look and feel of the wood so much that we wanted to bring it into the bathroom.” After the stone was cut and beveled, it was honed and installed against fiberglass mesh netting.

A 3D Shower

Given the bathroom in this Venice, California, home is located right next to the gym, Katie Gebhardt of Solstice Interiors felt it fitting to go for a “badass Equinox vibe” in the shower. She thoughtfully covered only one of the interior walls in the fluted Ann Sacks tile, opting for simpler, easier-to-cut-around squares on the side walls that feature the plumbing and shampoo niche. “It added so much depth and dimension to the shower, especially paired with our patterned floor tile,” she says.

A Tub With a View

The rippling Calacatta Gold tile that lines the wall behind the tub in this Sun Valley, Idaho, home serves two functions. The bumpy surface elevates the texture and drama of the marble’s bold veining, and the stone, which designer Julia Miller of Yond Interiors sourced through Artistic Tile, serves as a natural waterproof barrier. Soakers can splish-splash all they want.