Spotlights
A Q & A with Celebrity Designer Nikki Chu
In this exclusive Q&A, celebrity designer Nikki Chu talks her design philosophy, the inspiration behind her stunning new tile collection, and her #1 tip for finding your unique home style.
You have collaborated with other brands to develop a variety of home decor items—furniture, rugs, wallpaper. What made you decide to expand your signature “global modern” style to tile?
As a designer, I’m always noticing products that are missing from the market. That’s been my success with my other lines; I want to design the items–oversized patterns on wallpaper and pillows, and neutral area rugs–that I’m not finding as I shop. So, when The Tile Shop came to me and said ‘we’d love to do a collaboration,’ it was a natural choice because tile is essentially a wallpaper that can be used where wallpaper isn’t ideal, like wet spaces. I like that versatility–I can bring my designs to spaces where you wouldn’t traditionally find something so bold and graphic.
We love the bold graphic designs featured in your new collection! Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the Zulu and Tangier patterned tiles?
Both the Zulu and Tangier are derived from other products in my home collections. The Zulu tile is based on a top-selling wallpaper I designed for York Wallcoverings. The Tangier tile originated from a rug that’s been in my line for 10 years. My clientele love this pattern, so I’m excited to offer it in tile form.
The impetus for my designs comes from textiles–prints and patterns I found in India, Indonesia and Africa. I take that inspiration and I create my signature bold, graphic and simple hand-drawn designs.
You kept to a neutral color palette for these designs. What about these tones appeals to you?
My personal design style is very monochromatic. I like using a neutral color palette and infusing it with global patterns and textures. I gravitate towards neutrals for the main elements then add color in ways that aren’t so permanent, creating this subtle and soft palette. That’s why Zulu and Tangier really work. They’re giving that neutral color palette with that great pattern, which can be challenging to find on the market.
What’s your top tip for choosing a color palette when designing a room?
When I’m working with a client who is unsure about what color to use, I advise them to to look in their closet–the clothes you buy will often reveal the colors you gravitate towards. When designing a space that has three bathrooms–a powder bath and two main baths–I say to the client, ‘if you want to have fun, let’s have fun in the powder bath.’ That way you don’t have to commit to seeing it every day, and it will be a nice surprise for your guests. Take risks there, and play it safe and neutral in the main bathrooms. So if there’s a tile that stands out to you but you’re having second thoughts because it may be too bold or too colorful, a powder bath is the perfect place to experiment.
You have said before that mixing tile is an art. Can you describe your approach to designing with tile?
The advice I give is to pick a main tile to pull your colors from. So, if you’re using a large-format marble with a lot of movement and a few different colors, you start by breaking those colors out, and pairing them with a subway or penny tile in a coordinating color. I usually stick to three tiles–a main tile, a backsplash tile and a mosaic floor tile.
You’ve mentioned bathrooms–would you say that’s your favorite room to design or do you have another space that’s also a favorite?
I love designing kitchens! When people think of kitchens, they usually imagine the traditional look of upper and lower cabinets and maybe an island, but I’m all for the design trend that reduces the amount of cabinetry to create a beautiful space that can be used for entertaining, cooking and working.
I’m renovating my kitchen in Florida and I’m removing half the cabinetry and installing glass shelves with a brass bar back, but I’m still creating storage space. It’s an alternative that allows for a lot of flexibility–you can tile from the counter all the way to the ceiling for a luxe look.
An extended Nikki Chu Tile collection is already in the works. What designs, colors or shapes can customers look forward to?
In phase two of my collection, I plan to introduce a carefully veined marble-look tile that coordinates with the other colorways in the collection. I’d also like to design a mosaic that can be used for smaller budget bathroom renovations.
What is your favorite aspect of your collaboration with The Tile Shop?
My favorite part of the process is working with The Tile Shop team! They’re fun, clever and so knowledgeable! I love the social team, the photography team. I’ve been blown away with the assets they created. I spent a year and a half developing this product, and it’s been super exciting to see how the marketing team put it all together.
And of course, I love working with Kirsty [Froelich, Director of Design] because she’s so knowledgeable about the company and the customer. She was pivotal in ensuring we had a product that fit with my and The Tile Shop’s brands.
Shop The Look
- Nikki Chu Tangier Graphite 20 x 20 in. | Porcelain | 683554
- Nikki Chu Zulu Graphite 8 x 8 in. | Ceramic | 683290
- Nikki Chu Luxor Winter White2.5 x 10 in. | Ceramic | 484443
