Borderline Genius: A Midcentury Bathroom Makeover

Four Ovation border corners come together to form a medallion—a rhythmic focal point above the tub that echoes the original shirt design that sparked it all. Bold, geometric, and handcrafted to the last detail.

The spark that started it all.

This bold, four-color retro print shirt spotted on a Salvation Army clothing rack planted the seed for what would become the Ovation tile design—proof that inspiration can come from the most unexpected places.

You never know when inspiration will strike. For Nawal Motawi, it hit in the aisle of a Salvation Army store. There, nestled among the racks, was a shirt with a bold, geometric pattern that practically begged to be turned into tile. Naturally, she snapped a photo. That little fragment of design sat quietly on her hard drive for years… until it became the spark for a showstopping bathroom.

The bathroom itself? It’s the only one in Nawal’s cozy 1950s Cape Cod home—a house that once held six kids under one roof, raised by a woman named Esther Taphouse who, like Nawal, had a love for gardening. It’s a space with history and heart, reimagined through tile, color, and a little design serendipity.

From Shirt to Shower: The Ovation Pattern Is Born

That shirt design didn’t translate easily to tile. Nawal played with countless iterations in Illustrator, trying to capture the essence. The first tries? Not quite right. “I went through a bunch of iterations getting the details just right—the border itself has a lot going on visually.”

When she sliced the border diagonally and mirrored it to create a corner, something clicked—and four corner pieces rotated toward each other came together to form the symmetric medallions seen on the wall above the tub.

The final design, named “Ovation,” became a tile design that feels like applause frozen in ceramic: bold, rhythmic, and perfectly suited to the space.

A floor that feels like a rug: storm blue tile frames a golden yellow path, bringing warmth and rhythm to this compact midcentury bathroom. Heated from below, it’s as cozy as it is eye-catching.

Playing with Color and Restraint

Like many of us, Nawal started with bold ideas—navy, lime green, screaming yellow—echoing the shirt’s original palette. But her bathroom is just 4.5 by 9 feet, more galley than grand hall. “It would have been overpowering,” she says.

So the palette softened. A stormy blue, a quiet gray instead of black, a rich golden yellow, and a creamy white—just four colors, but together they sing. “It’s peaceful,” she reflects. “But with enough going on.”

The border tiles act like a wainscot, anchoring the room. Above and below? Fields of calming, solid-color tile. It’s a play on contrast and cohesion, like jazz in visual form.

A Sink with a Story

And then there’s the sink. Oh, the sink. It’s more than just a basin—it’s a story.

Ten years ago at the Coverings trade show, Nawal spotted it in a Japanese ceramics booth: a simple vessel, rich in a warm, golden yellow glaze with subtle, imperfect beauty. Wabi-sabi in bowl form.

She couldn’t buy it, exactly—but she could charm the booth staff. They ended up giving it to her with a wish to “spread the word about Japanese ceramics.” It sat in a closet for a decade, waiting for its moment.

This bathroom became its stage.

A decade in waiting, this golden yellow Japanese ceramic sink adds warmth, elegance, and a touch of wabi-sabi simplicity to the space. Its soft glaze and minimalist form make it the quiet hero of the room.

The Floor as a Rug

The floor might just be Nawal’s favorite part. A border in stormy blue encircles a golden-yellow field—“that’s my rug,” radiant with underfloor heating. “It’s cozy and beautiful.”

The effect is subtle yet striking. “It feels like a runner under your feet.”

Designing for a Midcentury Mood

Although this bathroom wasn’t a deliberate homage to 1950s décor, it definitely channels that spirit—just without the Pepto-pink or blinding mint. “I thought about going retro mint,” Nawal admits. “But with such a small room, I wanted something easier on the eyes.”

It’s a space that honors its home's roots while feeling fresh and personal. And it’s proof that great design doesn’t have to shout.

A Laboratory for Living Art

Nawal has designed stunning bathrooms in every home she’s lived in. “My house is my lab,” she says.

In this bathroom, the experimentation paid off: a forgotten shirt became a modern heirloom, a long-stored sink found its forever home, and a small space was transformed into a daily dose of joy.

Feeling inspired?

Take a closer look at the Ovation collection or stop by our Design Gallery to see the tiles up close. Who knows—maybe your next great design idea is already sitting quietly on your camera roll.

Three Ovation medallions add a burst of pattern above the tub, framed by a crisp field of bone subway tile. It’s a bold moment of symmetry and craft in an otherwise serene space.