Rachael Sommerville Interior Design - At Lapicida

We follow many designers and interior lovers on Instagram, and one of our favourites is inspirational interiors blogger Rachael Somerville whom we were delighted to work closely with on her recent renovation. We caught up with Rachael who, over the last two years, has renovated her entire house in a modern farmhouse style which has a chic, neutral colour scheme
Read on for the inside story on some of her choices of high-quality flooring and surfaces.

THE HUB OF HER HOME

Where better to start than one of the busiest rooms in her home. The kitchen is where you’ll usually find Rachel, her husband, 4-year old daughter Nancy and her mischievous cocker spaniel, Huckleberry. Our eyes were instantly drawn to the symmetrically designed cooking zone.

This features a splashback of our Qualis Rice Natural porcelain tiles with an opalescent easy to clean glazed finish. Rachael explained why she selected these tiles with an irregular surface that add depth and character to the space.

A BIG DESIGN STATEMENT

Some people might overlook the design of a utility room – not Rachael. Her utility room is a surprisingly large room. She decided that it was the perfect space to make one of the biggest design statements in her home.

Rachael colour drenched her walls and cabinets in a warm beige but wanted the floor to have lots of interest and character.

She opted for our large format Bordeaux Argento Parquet which has an authentic rustic feel. These beautiful beige coloured limestone tiles have a natural tumbled finish for an antique look.

LOVING THE LOOK OF WOOD

The main bathroom of any home is always an important space. Rachael has always liked the look of natural wooden floors but, for her family bathroom, she really needed something more practical.

Our Lenke Honey plank style tiles were exactly what she was looking for. These warm wood-effect porcelain tiles bring a rustic aesthetic, are compatible with underfloor heating and are as beautiful as they are hardwearing

IMPERFECT CONTINUITY

Rachael wanted some continuity between her two bathrooms and decided that tiling the walls with the same tiles would do just that.

She used our Qualis Rice Natural tiles, set in a brick pattern, and absolutely loves the way the opalescent glaze on the uneven surface reflects the light in both bathrooms.

Their neutral tones also fit the colour scheme of the house perfectly.

“The glaze on them is stunning, I also love how each tile is different with small imperfections.

SIMPLY SERENE EN-SUITE

Continuity also came into play in the en-suite of Rachael’s principal bedroom. Having taken the walls back to brick, wood wall paneling was painted and cream cabinetry selected.

To complement these, our Lenke Honey porcelain wood planking was again selected. With their unique textured finish, these floor tiles are incredibly smooth underfoot and so easy to clean.

CLASSIC HERRINGBONE

So enamoured was Rachael by the beautiful limestone tiles she chose for her utility room, she was delighted to see that we also offered a smaller, slimmer sized version called Bordeaux Argento Herringbone. Rachael just knew they would be perfect for her guest en-suite and ground floor WC.

INDIVIDUALLY CRAFTED AND CHARACTERFUL

Inspired by antique flooring, these beautiful rustic beige tiles, set in a herringbone pattern, are supplied on a mesh backing.

Each piece comprises 16 individually crafted tiles measuring 200 x 30 x 20mm. The fact they don’t fit together seamlessly and have inconsistent grout lines adds even more character.

GUEST STARRING ANTIQUE PORCELAIN MARBLE

In addition to the Bordeaux Argento Herringbone limestone tiles, the walls of the shower enclosure in guest en-suite feature another star Lapicida surface.

Rachael not only selected our award-winning large format Antique Marble Calacatta Oro marble-effect porcelain tiles, she had the shower enclosure made to the exact width of the tiles so they would stack above each other with minimal cuts.

THE WARMTH OF LIMESTONE

The wonderful warm tones and rustic texture of our Bordeaux Argento Herringbone tumbled limestone tiles lent themselves perfectly to the area around the log burner in Rachael’s delightful lounge.

“We also used Bordeaux Argento Herringbone tiles at the back of our fire place and I just love how they add so much interest to these small spaces.”

It is just another example of the careful and considered continuity that runs throughout her entire home.