Along Anaheim’s bustling “tile mile,” Johana Cortez stands out for one simple reason: she makes spaces you want to reach out and touch. As lead designer at Bodega Style’s 13,000-square-foot showroom, Cortez has spent the past six years transforming homes across the region with her signature focus on texture, dimension, and authenticity — often through Island Stone’s distinctive collections of natural stone and tile.
Johana Cortez of Bodega Style Showroom
At Bodega Style, Cortez has curated a showroom experience that reflects her design philosophy: materials are accessible, beautifully arranged, and easy to experience firsthand. Natural light washes over a dramatic green wall showcasing Island Stone’s textured displays, allowing visitors — often with their toddlers in tow — to easily see how surface, shadow, and light interact in real time.
Island Stone showcased in the Bodega Style showroom
"You shouldn't have to dig around to find beauty," Cortez says. "You should be able to walk in and experience it."
This hands-on, sensory approach sets the tone for how Cortez works with her clients, guiding them through the powerful impact of texture in transforming spaces. When she incorporates tactile materials, it isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about creating homes that feel right on an almost instinctive level.
Under-stair design featuring Island Stone’s Interwoven Panel in Alabaster Honed
Texture as a Foundation
For Cortez, texture isn't a finishing touch — it's the starting point.
“When you're remodeling a home, it needs character. It should feel raw, natural, alive,” she says. Whether she's refreshing a cozy condo or redesigning a sprawling estate, Cortez uses dimensional materials to bring depth and authenticity to every project.
Island Stone’s collections, with their wide variety and touchable texture, have become a natural extension of her work.
"Island Stone gives me the whole mix. Their pieces can work in a Spanish-style home, a modern build, even a beachy cottage vibe," Cortez explains. "You can always find something that feels true to the space."
Fireplace mantel featuring Island Stone’s New Wave Crystal White Honed
Signature Projects: Bringing Texture to Life
In Woodland Hills, Cortez transformed a traditional home's fireplace with Island Stone's Crystal White from the New Wave collection. The goal: brighten the room without losing its classic warmth. The result is a sunlit focal point where textured stone and natural wood beams coexist in effortless harmony.
"It just brightens up the space," Cortez says. "And I let the wood beam enhance itself."
In another project, Cortez used Island Stone's Paragon Hex to reinvent a fireplace with subtle drama. Rather than relying on bold colors or patterns, the dimensional hexagons create movement through shadow and light alone, proving that texture can be a showstopper in its own right.
One of her most striking transformations took place in San Clemente, a town steeped in Spanish-style architecture. Cortez used Island Stone’s Interwoven collection panels both vertically and horizontally to create distinct features within the same home: an entry statement wall and a seamless primary bathroom installation.
"It’s so cool to show clients how one material can create completely different experiences depending on how you install it," she says.
And thanks to some extra material and Cortez’s ingenuity, the homeowners also have the visual appeal of Interwoven tile in their wine cellar.
Bathroom walls featuring Island Stone V-Tile II (made to order in brackets)
Guiding Clients with Confidence
Cortez's approach begins with listening. She balances her clients' visions with her professional insight, nudging them toward choices that honor their personal style while embracing timeless, textured elements.
“I always listen to the homeowners about what they're looking for and what they're striving for in their home," she explains. "But I always ask, 'What would Johana do?’ It's really about elevating their ideas, not overriding them."
When selecting materials, she advises clients to be adventurous in spaces like fireplaces, where updates are easier and less costly, while choosing more classic options for longer-term installations like showers. Island Stone’s natural stone panels and tile, she notes, offer the durability and versatility needed for both.
"Natural stone can be outside, in a home, in a shower, in a sauna," she explains. "It can even be in snow. You cannot beat natural stone."
Designing for Longevity
Although trends come and go, Cortez encourages clients to invest in elements that can evolve with their tastes. Her material selections often lean toward neutral, timeless palettes — "very beige, very natural," she says — allowing spaces to be refreshed with paint or furniture rather than full remodels.
"A beautifully textured wall will outlast any color trend," Cortez says. "Texture keeps a space feeling alive."
Fireplace covered in Island Stone’s Paragon Hex Sandstone Mint Honed
Looking Ahead: A Future Built on Texture
As more homeowners seek depth and character in their environments, Cortez sees texture playing an even greater role in future design trends — a shift perfectly aligned with her aesthetic and Island Stone's products.
"Flat is forgettable," she says. "Texture invites you in. It makes you want to touch, to connect. That’s when you know you've created something worth remembering."
At Bodega Style and beyond, Johana Cortez isn't just designing spaces — she's crafting experiences. Through her mastery of texture and her partnership with Island Stone, she turns everyday homes into unforgettable environments where beauty isn't just seen, it's felt.