In an always-on culture, there is no denying that personal care is vitally important, but separating the necessary from the noise of marketing can be challenging. So when we want to go beyond hype to the source of true wellness and healing, there is one place we always turn to: our bathrooms. It is here where our self-love rituals take place, where we dedicate precious time just for ourselves, to regain our rest; it all starts with the space around us.
One person who recognizes the inherent connection between beauty and design is Jenna Lyons, co-founder and CEO of beauty brand LoveSeen. In her SoHo loft, she created a true sanctuary to retreat to (aka self-care center) surrounded by her favorite things: Calacatta viola marble fused with unlacquered metal, of course, speak swoon! Lyons’ bathroom embraces that perfectly imperfect aesthetic it is known for, a reflection of its approach to fashion, beauty, design, and life as well.
As he told Athena on Live Beautiful;
“I’ve never felt comfortable looking perfect or being perfect; my taste is strange and I couldn’t make a perfect room if I tried. “
Read on to learn more about Lyons’ rule-breaking style and how her design process informs her approach to beauty and grooming, and vice versa.
Nicole Franzen for Live Beautiful
NICOLE FRANZEN TO LIVE BEAUTIFUL
What was the main design goal / direction of your bathroom?
I had the privilege of traveling a lot to Europe for my work and I found myself in some of the most beautiful Italian houses and hotels. I was impressed by the bold use of marble and how surprisingly warm they felt. Swirling sweeps of colors to match the books, marble so intricate it almost looked fake. I’ve never seen anything like it growing up in Southern California. I wanted to create a space that felt like it could contain anything. Somewhere that felt a long way from the peach strip malls I grew up with.
Tell us about the design process.
I worked with the most incredible interior design firm, Meyer Davis. Gray Davis took my image snippets and scribbled pencil drawings and created something even more special than I could have ever imagined. He is a literal magician.
What is your approach to beauty and how did that influence your bathroom design?
I’m not a fan of staring at a toilet, so you might notice that there isn’t one – the toilet is in its little room behind the bedroom. Because of my love of products, I went crazy with medicine cabinets. Yes, I know, they are huge but they are worth every penny of uncoated brass.
He didn’t really have a preconceived idea of what he wanted, other than that he wanted an active, dramatic, and almost ugly piece of stone. I also needed 12 tiles to cover that bathroom so I could book matching the shower, tub, and vanity. I remember visiting the marble patio and seeing them take out huge slabs to check overhead. If you’ve never done it, wow, just for the experience, it’s the most incredible show in town.
When the viola came out it was … I mean, it just was. I still wake up every morning and pass out from it, no pun intended!
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