While Miami’s architecture typically leans modern-Mediterranean, the homeowners wanted something a little more traditional, resulting in a stunning blend of the two design styles.

Kitchen & Dining Room

A host’s dream, the kitchen features crisp white cabinetry, quartz countertops, and antique-style chandeliers. Oh, and we can’t forget the focal point – a stunning black range hood with lavish gold accents.

French doors throughout the home lead to the picturesque backyard, which sits on an aqua-blue canal. Keep scrolling to see the incredible view (and the massive swimming pool)!

Living Room

Lofty ceilings bring an especially grand feel to the living area, with large built-in bookcases and a stunning leather-strapped chandelier.

Vintage decor mixes effortlessly with modern furniture in this space, reflecting a truly elegant, one-of-a-kind design style.

Guest Bathrooms

We love the simple elegance of this guest bathroom. The neutral color palette, gold hardware, and wooden vanity lend themselves to the homeowners’ more traditional style, and we are obsessed!

Mallorca White subway tile brings some artisan charm to the space with a pearlescent sheen and unique texture that creates a handmade look and feel.

We definitely see more of the modern Miami style in this bathroom, with a glamorous marble shower and dark accents. Maintaining a neutral color scheme throughout the space allows for a fun mix of patterns and materials that doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Mallorca White is used once again in this coastal-inspired guest bathroom. A baby blue vanity unites beautifully with silver hardware for a clean and refreshing feel.

Home Office

While the rest of the house features a lighter color palette, the home office goes bold with a deep navy on both the walls and ceiling for a moodier atmosphere.

We’ll take this space for our next Zoom meeting any day!

Powder Bath

Simple and serene, the powder bath includes a customized mirror, wood-carved fluted vanity, and a vintage-style lighting fixture.

Primary Bathroom

Maybe the most striking part of this home is the spa-like primary bath. With Firenze Carrara Honed Marble from top to bottom, it boasts luxury and lavishness.

A custom chandelier hanging above the freestanding tub adds a stunning point of contrast against the otherwise bright and light-filled room.

Sourced from Italy, the marble used throughout the space features stunning grey veining and a honed finish for a look and feel that’s absolutely breathtaking.

Backyard

We told you you’d swoon, didn’t we? The extravagant backyard definitely gives us major tropical oasis vibes!

That’s a wrap on this gorgeous Mediterranean-Inspired Miami Retreat! Stay up to date on Bria Hammel Interiors’ latest projects here.

Are you a home developer or interior designer? Let’s partner on your next project. Join our Pro Network program and receive exclusive benefits just for Pros. Learn more here.

The post Bria Hammel’s Mediterranean-Inspired Miami Retreat appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.

Last year, we introduced Bria Hammel, our first Brand Ambassador. Bria is the principal designer and CEO of Bria Hammel Interiors as well as CEO of Brooke & Lou and co-creator of Hammel House & Co. She leads a talented team of women who are dedicated to designing beautiful, inviting homes for clients. Her designs remain true to her signature traditional style with a hint of southern charm. 

We connected with Bria to talk about one of her passions: kitchen remodeling! Lucky for us, she was happy to share pointers.

Q&A with Bria

Q: Where do you start when deciding to do a kitchen renovation? What considerations should the client/homeowner have? 

A: I think it’s always important to start with the layout. Make a list of all of the needs, and then all of the wants for the space. Make it a point to capture all of the needs, and then if you can get all of the wants as well it will become your dream kitchen!

Q: When in the process should I pick out my tile vs. cabinets, appliances, paint colors, etc.?

A: We suggest to have everything selected before the actual construction starts. This really allows your whole process to run a lot more smoothly and efficiently. It ends up speeding up the process because if you have everything ordered, contractors can get in there and work quickly because they aren’t waiting on anything to come in. In what order you select things, is completely up to you. However, if you have a stand out tile that you know you want to use you can use that as your inspiration piece and go from there!

Q: What are some of the harder decisions/parts of the process for your clients and how do you navigate those? 

A: I think one of the hardest decisions for clients is where to take a risk. Clients tend to see tile as a pretty permanent fixture in their homes so it feels like a bigger risk to do something playful and fun. I always encourage our clients to pick one or two areas in the home that they can do something unique and special – and then keep the rest classic. I’ve often found that clients actually love the areas they took the risk in most!

Q: How much does it cost to remodel a kitchen? 

A: It’s all relative to size but if you are doing a complete overhaul and starting from scratch you can plan on spend up to $100,000 on a kitchen renovation alone. However, we always recommend taking your budget and figuring what details are the most important to you and take priority. For us, we recommend splurging on appliances, tile, and light fixtures and saving on hardware, accessories, and countertops (look into remnants!). 

Q: Any tips for how to best work with a designer?

A: Be open and honest about your budget. There are things designers can do to help you prioritize and creatively come up with solutions that are less expensive and can fit within your perimeters. Let your designer push you outside of your comfort zone a little bit too! We take pride in taking clients’ visions and bringing it to fruition and to the next level. 

Thank you to Bria for all this great information, and stay tuned for our next post featuring tips for renovating small kitchens.

The post Kitchen Remodeling Q+A with Bria Hammel appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.

We are excited to bring a designer spotlight to you. Bria Hammel of Bria Hammel Interiors is another designer local to The Tile Shop’s Minnesota home base, but she’s been making big waves all over the country. From her dreams of going global to staying true to her traditional Southern style, read on to learn about the woman behind Bria Hammel Interiors.

What is your educational background and work experience?

I went to college at the University of Kansas where I started out studying business and then switched majors to interior design. During that time, I had an internship working for a residential and commercial interior design firm. The designer had a showroom where she sold furniture and accessories, so I was able to see the retail side of things, too. It was great because I got a lot of experience trying out all different areas of interior design and it helped me hone in on what I was passionate about.

I worked there for a few years until my family convinced me to move back to Minnesota where I took a job as an interior designer at Ethan Allen. Retail was a great way to meet a lot of vendors, like fabric reps, manufacturers and other designers. The experience exposed me to a lot of different parts of the business. After about a year, I got promoted to design team manager at the Edina location. Being a manager gave me a lot of training for running a business and what the financial side of that involves but it was also completely related to the design industry.

Once I got married, I didn’t want to work crazy retail hours anymore, and I went to work for a high-end interior designer who was just starting her business. She brought me on as a design assistant to help her launch the business. It was amazing to be along for the journey of watching a business grow. It also helped sealed the deal on the relationships I didn’t have when I originally moved back. Once I had my son, I knew I wanted to stay home with him and start my own business, and I started Bria Hammel Interiors in 2012.

Did you always have an eye for design? You said you started school majoring in business and made the switch to interior design. Did you just realize that’s what you wanted to do or how did you decide to make that change?

My mom was a serial house flipper when I was growing up. She’s a physician, but she loved to buy houses in her spare time. We probably lived in ten different homes when I was growing up. I always refer to her as a closet designer! I grew up furniture shopping and hanging out in wallpaper stores with her, but I never thought being a designer was an option. When I went to college, everyone started calling me a young Martha Stewart because my room was the nicest out of everyone’s in the house. At one point, someone asked me why I wasn’t planning on doing that for my career. And I thought, “That’s a good idea, I think I will.” And I changed my major that semester.

What do you see as the Bria Hammel Interiors vision?

We want to become the go-to design firm in the country. I hate to limit us to just being local because our biggest projects are out of state. We really are passionate about residential interiors from the ground up. Our favorite projects are when we can help the client design the home and then decorate the home. We want to be that brand that everyone knows.

We started a new product line called Brooke & Lou in August. That’s the company I’d love to scale and build into a bigger business. I think there’s a larger need in the market to have places where people can get a designer look without having to hire one. That’s a big part of why we launched Brooke & Lou—so we can offer our look and style to anyone who wants it. We wanted to fill a need in the market for fashionable designs that were durable and family friendly, too. A lot of these products are what we’ve trademarked as “life friendly.” I feel confident saying someone can put them in a home with a 3-year-old and they’re going to withstand wear and tear without sacrificing style and beauty.

“Our travels. Your home. Each piece in this collection was handpicked during one of our many travels around the world. They’re ever changing, one of a kind and uniquely perfect for your home.”—Bria Hammel on Brooke & Lou “Collected”

Do you have a signature style, something that makes someone say, “That’s a Bria house”?

I would say we’ve kind of skimmed by this mid-century modern trend and stayed true to our roots of a fresh, young take on traditional style with a little southern mixed in. Our style is color, preppy and fresh but classic enough that it doesn’t scream 2019. We don’t design to trends. We design to our style and our clients’ styles. It’s a similar aesthetic but it also varies a lot.

“We don’t design to trends. We design to our style and our clients’ styles.”

That makes sense. That’s what your clients discover you for, your style, so that’s what they want.

Right, it wouldn’t make sense to change it completely. They come to us because they love what they’ve seen.

 Bria Hammel Interiors does new construction, remodels and decorating projects? 

Yes, and we’re starting to get into some boutique commercial design, too. We’re willing to take on these projects as long as the vision is high design. We’re not working with cubicles but with a livable, more residential feeling space.

Do you prefer starting from scratch or is it refreshing to simply decorate?

We love to start from scratch because that’s when we can be the most creative and we can push our clients to think outside the box the most. But there’s nothing like a really good decorating project where we have a really beautiful palette and we make it feel livable, functional and usable.

If you have a turnkey project, what is that process like? Where do you start, find inspiration and decide what that vision is going to be for that specific home?

It’s so important for me that what you see from the outside is a reflection of what you see on the inside. I don’t like walking into a home and thinking, “Whoa, I was not expecting these paint colors or this furniture.” That is always the number one indicator of what we’re going to do—the architectural details and the exterior elevation. From there, travel is probably the number one place I seek inspiration. I’m always picking up things for a project or finding amazing things I have to have. So, as far as what we include in our designs, that’s a big piece of it. On Brooke & Lou, we have a collected section that’s all one-of-a-kind antiques and pieces we find on our travels. People don’t have to travel the world to find these pieces—we find and curate them on our website.

Collected Objects from Brooke & Lou

As far as our process goes, it’s always really important to have our clients share inspiration with us. There are a lot of different things we can do within our style, so it’s so important to incorporate the look they want—whether it’s formal or casual, high contrast, more neutral, more colorful and anything in between. We lean heavily on client onboarding meetings to bring in their inspiration like magazine clippings, Pinterest boards, Houzz pages, blogs or even a piece of fabric they’ve always loved—whatever inspires them.

Is there a favorite part you have about designing a home, like a certain room or using a certain material? Anything that’s a highlight from house to house?

I wouldn’t say I have a favorite room to design. We just did this under-the-stairs bookcase nook and, in an 8,000 square foot home, it’s one of my favorite spaces. To me, it’s about finding these spaces where we can make a big impact, those moments where people aren’t expecting to see so much beauty. It makes the space feel really special.

“To me, it’s about finding these spaces where we can make a big impact, those moments where people aren’t expecting to see so much beauty.”

What’s your dream client or project?

I have two. As far as location, I would love to do a large home in Europe and get more into international design. And I’d also love to design Reese Witherspoon’s house. She’s very on brand with us.

I was going to say, your style definitely has Draper James vibes. (Draper James is Reese Witherspoon’s clothing and lifestyle brand and store.)

For sure, I have the same wallpaper in my dining room as their fitting rooms. (See the wallpaper and take a virtual tour of their store here!)

Was that a coincidence or planned?

It was definitely planned!

Do you have any favorite Tile Shop tiles you find yourself coming back to and using over and over?

The one we used time and time again is the Hampton Carrara marble collection. It’s so classic and we can have a lot of fun playing with the installation. I also love the Annie Selke collection. At the New York City launch event, I got to speak with Annie. I love how color is infused in the collection. It’s not over the top, and it’s usable in a lot of different styles of homes. You don’t need a lot of it to make a big impact. The line allows us to play with design and get creative. I was really impressed with that collection.

Do you have any tips or anything you’ve learned throughout your years working with tile? A lot of people don’t know how to pick tile out or whether to choose things like cabinets first or tile first. What have you learned?

We like to start with tile, especially in those spaces like a bathroom or on a fireplace where we use a lot of it. One thing we’re always telling our clients is to push the envelope with their tile installation and think outside the box. With subway tile, people often default to a classic brick pattern. But if we install it in a unique pattern, we can get so much more impact. Just thinking of different ways to use the tile makes the space feel so much more special.

What advice do you have for aspiring designers?

If you’re thinking about going to school for interior design, make sure to try everything out. There are so many different avenues. You can work for a brand manufacturer or a commercial or residential designer, but use your schooling and internships to test the waters. Then when you graduate, you can start out where your passion is. The more you can expose yourself to the parts of the business, the better you’ll be when you’re out of school.

The Fun Five

What’s your dream vacation?

Lake Como, Italy.

What are you streaming right now?

I love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I love the fashion and interior design in that show.

What is your favorite hobby when you’re not working?

Hm, do I have a hobby? I feel like work is my hobby! I guess I’d say traveling. But work really does feel like my hobby because I love it so much.

Who would play you in the movie of your life?

Probably Reese Witherspoon! (We had a hunch she’d pick her!) She just feels so grounded and down to earth. I feel like I’m her best friend, and I’ve never met her before. I love that she’s an entrepreneur, too, and she’s found ways to share her passion and make money. She just has a very approachable style.

If you weren’t doing what you’re doing, what would your career be?

Oh my goodness. I would probably be in some kind of business management role. I love the business side of this job, crunching numbers, figuring out how we can grow, what’s working, what’s not working and putting new systems in place to make us better.

Thanks for chatting with us, Bria! Keep up with her adventures in design on her Instagram, Houzz and blog.

The post Spotlight On: Bria Hammel Interiors appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.