In the sun-dappled hills of Malibu, where avocado groves meet farmland, California interior designer Shannon Ggem of Shannon Ggem Design has crafted a primary bathroom that speaks to our innate connection with nature. At the heart of this tranquil space lies Island Stone's Perfect Pebble tile in French Tan—a material choice that exemplifies Ggem's commitment to biophilic design principles and sensory experience.
Shannon Ggem of Shannon Ggem Design
The Biophilia Advantage
"Every single project we do has something natural in it," explains Ggem, who specializes in whole home remodels for what she playfully describes as "nice people." With a career focused on the intersection of nature and interior spaces, Ggem understands that our bodies respond differently to authentic materials than to their engineered counterparts.
"The body wants to feel different textures and different temperatures, and it's great when those can be natural because natural materials are what our bodies expect," she notes. "We have hundreds of thousands of years of experience with stone, but we don't really have a connection to things that look like stone but aren't."
This disconnect between appearance and reality creates a jarring sensory experience. "You might get a weird thing like an unexpected temperature or the way that water reacts to it might be off, and the brain doesn't like that. The brain's like 'something is wrong, something is wrong.' Those primal instincts come into play when you try to use a thing that looks like a thing but isn't."
The Avocado Ranch: A Nature-Inspired Sanctuary
The bathroom project sits within what Ggem calls "Avocado Ranch," a property that borders the famous regenerative farm featured in the documentary "Biggest Little Farm." The homeowners—parents of triplet toddlers—wanted a space that would provide a much-needed retreat while maintaining a strong connection to the surrounding landscape.
"They work really hard; they're on their feet endlessly with triplet toddlers in a big house on a ranch," Ggem shares. "They just really needed that spa-like essence, that really special moment."
The family's international travels, particularly the homeowner's connection to Israel, influenced the design vision. "She has a particular connection to a place that's really heavy in limestone," Ggem explains. "She wanted to have that kind of golden hour feeling in her primary bathroom."
Island Stone Perfect Pebble Collection
Perfect Pebble: Where Function Meets Feeling
When selecting the floor material for this sanctuary, Ggem chose Island Stone's Perfect Pebble for three specific reasons:
- Authentic sensory experience: "We wanted the feeling of pebbles underfoot, whole pebbles not flat, and we wanted that spa-like essence."
- Visual cohesion: "The consistency and the color of the product that we used were really handy" for creating a harmonious design.
- Superior craftsmanship: "The thought and care that went into pebble selection to make them flat enough to use with still, but still being dimensional and crowning."
Perhaps most importantly, Ggem emphasizes Island Stone's attention to detail in their meshing system, which prevents what she colorfully describes as "toe stubbers"—a common problem with lesser-quality pebble tiles. "I think you have to use the one that has really, really put the thought, the R&D, and the time into making it so you don't get a toe stubber," she insists, noting that such issues can become significant client complaints that are difficult to remedy after installation.
Powder room featuring Perfect Pebble French Tan Natural by Island Stone
A Symphony of Natural Materials
The Perfect Pebble floor doesn't exist in isolation but plays a crucial role in a carefully orchestrated composition of natural elements. The bathroom features lime plaster walls that Ggem describes as "partially waterproof" and providing the perfect counterpoint to the textured floor: "It coupled so well with the perfect pebble because it lacks texture; it was fairly flat, and we really needed that dimensional feeling."
In the adjacent powder room, a granite trough sink imported from France sits atop a slab of oak salvaged from a tree that fell during California’s Thomas fire. "We went to the reclaimed lumber yard and found that piece," Ggem recalls. "It's such an old piece of oak. You can see how tight the grain is. I mean, it doesn't even look like oak. It's incredible."
These elements create what Ggem describes as "casual elegance"—the rare ability to be "elegant but still look natural or actually be natural."
Avocado Ranch Bathroom Renderings: A Study in Light
The Light Factor
Natural light plays a starring role in Ggem's biophilic approach. For this bathroom, she conducted an in-depth skylight study using architectural software to demonstrate to the client how light would interact with the space throughout the day and across seasons.
"I made the client little movies of what it would look like," Ggem explains. "She was so excited."
The result is a space where "light just bounces all around" from the window to the plaster walls, creating what Ggem calls a "hugely flattering" effect. This thoughtful approach to light represents an evolution in residential design philosophy: "We've become more savvy about what our human bodies want, and we want natural light."
The Rising Tide of Biophilic Design
Looking to the future, Ggem sees growing momentum for natural materials like Island Stone's pebble tiles: "Pebble tiles and natural materials are on the rise in use because people are looking more than ever as the science continues to bear out that our bodies want to be connected to nature, have to be connected to nature in order to perform well."
This scientific validation of biophilic principles has transformed what was once considered merely aesthetic preference into a fundamental aspect of wellness-focused design. Products like Island Stone's Perfect Pebble are positioned at the intersection of this trend, offering both the sensory benefits of natural materials and the practicality required for modern living.
Regenerative ranch bath featuring Island Stone’s Perfect Pebble in French Tan Natural
The Designer's Perspective
For Ggem, specifying products like Island Stone's Perfect Pebble is part of her responsibility as a designer. "I definitely invite the responsibility because I think that people don't know what they don't know," she reflects. Her role is "to know what materials they should use in their home that are going to make them feel better and perform better in the world."
The emotional connection to materials also matters: "If you know that these pebbles were specifically selected to give you a wonderful experience, well, that was someone taking care of you, so connecting people to their space, I think is important."
This philosophy has made Ggem a repeat specifier of Island Stone products, which she regularly showcases to clients at Canyon Tile and Stone in Agoura Hills. "I love the biophilic nature of the products," she says simply.
As homeowners increasingly seek spaces that nurture both body and spirit, the thoughtful integration of products like Island Stone's Perfect Pebble will continue to define the next generation of bathroom design—creating environments that honor our primal connection to the natural world while elevating everyday rituals into moments of sensory delight.