Design Spotlight Design Spotlight: Eye For Pretty

A California Classic, Reimagined

There’s something special about a home that feels effortlessly collected — one that balances sophistication with the warmth of lived-in comfort. That’s exactly what Nicole Salceda of Eye for Pretty achieved in this Danville, California home, a modern yet timeless renovation brought to life in partnership with Barale Builders and captured beautifully by photographer Jessica Brydson.

The project, lovingly known as the Rutherford Residence, is a masterclass in elevated simplicity. Natural stone, soft color palettes, and tactile finishes define each room, creating spaces that are grounded, gracious, and quietly luxurious. Every material tells a story — from the handcrafted zellige tiles to the rich veining of polished quartzite — blending craftsmanship and California ease in equal measure.

For this project, the goal was clear: design a family home that exudes calm and cohesion, with each space connected through thoughtful material choices. Working closely with Barale Builders, known for their meticulous craftsmanship and hands-on approach, Eye for Pretty transformed the home from a dated shell into a modern retreat that feels both enduring and full of personality.

The Master Bathroom: Modern Tranquility

The master bathroom embodies the essence of Eye for Pretty’s design philosophy: serene, natural, and grounded in materials that last.

Flooring: The floor is laid in Bluerun 12" x 24" Matte Porcelain Tile in Historic Greige — a subtle stone-inspired base with soft variation and understated movement. The matte surface complements the room’s organic aesthetic, adding a calming, tactile foundation that wears beautifully through the years.

Shower & Walls: Inside the shower, Zagora 2" x 6" Glossy Zellige Field Tile in Ivoire brings handcrafted charm to the vertical surfaces. Each tile carries gentle tonal shifts and a reflective glaze that dances in the light, creating a sense of depth and artisan character. The interplay of matte floors and glossy walls adds a delicate contrast — modern, but with soul.

Countertops & Vanity: The vanity is topped in Calacatta Borghini Mist Honed Marble Slab (2 cm), lending quiet elegance to the space. The soft white marble, veined with hints of warm grey and gold, ties into the broader palette of the home. Its honed finish diffuses light, reinforcing the tranquil ambiance. This material choice fosters a space where every element feels intentional and composed.

The result is a bathroom that feels both sophisticated and intimate — a retreat-like environment where each element speaks gently but with clarity.

The Kitchen: Bright, Layered, and Luxurious

In the heart of the home, the kitchen synthesizes the design themes of light, texture, and timeless materials. It’s a room that balances visual interest with practicality, inviting both daily life and elevated entertaining.

Backsplash: The backsplash is clad in Zagora 2" x 6" Glossy Zellige Tile in Blanc. The handmade tiles reflect light differently across their subtle surfaces, creating a luminous, organic tapestry that breathes with life. Imperfections are embraced — no two tiles are alike, yet together they form a cohesive whole.

Countertops: A standout choice: the Black Vermont Leathered Granite Slab (3cm). This surface combines timeless elegance with durability. Its leathered finish introduces a tactile quality — soft to the touch, yet exceptionally resilient against fingerprints, heat, and everyday use. The granite adds warmth and grounding character, pairing beautifully with the softer tones in the room.

Design Harmony: Throughout the kitchen, the layering of finishes — glossy tile, matte stone, soft woods and metals — reinforces a sense of balance. Each surface anchors the next, creating a refined but comfortable space that feels alive, not sterile.

The Laundry Room: Subtle Texture Meets Practical Beauty

In many homes, the laundry room is an afterthought. In this house, it’s another opportunity for design to shine.

Walls: The walls are clad in Avondale 2" x 8" Matte Brick Tile in Early Gray. The elongated shape adds dimension, while the matte finish evokes a slightly aged, lived-in texture. It’s a gesture of care — even the utility space is composed with authenticity.

Countertops: Once again, the The Black Vermont Leathered Granite Slab (3cm) reappears, uniting the palette and providing a durable, elegant surface. The tactile finish hides wear patterns and softens mechanical harshness — appropriate for a hardworking room.

Floor: Beneath your feet lies Andhra Black 12" x 24" Gauged Slate Tile. Its natural cleft texture and deep charcoal tone ground the space, creating a subtle contrast against lighter cabinetry and countertops. The slate holds up to heavy wear, while adding visual gravitas.

Together, these selections show how texture can transform a functional room into something elevated and cohesive — giving even everyday spaces beauty and intention.

Modern Bathrooms: Understated Sophistication

Eye for Pretty also embraced bold classics and tonal restraint in secondary baths, proving that restrained design can feel expressive.

Checkerboard Floor, Warm Metals: One bathroom uses a modern twist on checkerboard floors. A mix of Celine 4″ × 4″ Matte Porcelain Tiles in Taupe and Black forms a custom layout, softened by the matte finish so the contrast isn’t harsh. The pattern feels graphic and fresh, not retro. Warm brass fixtures and simple millwork elevate the space, making it a standout moment in the home’s design narrative.

Countertops & Accents: The countertop material, Apollo Polished Quartzite Slab (2cm), brings natural pattern and depth. Its polished surface reflects light, balancing the matte floors and bridging the design between bold and quiet.

Tonal, Calm Bath: In another bathroom, Eye for Pretty leaned into tonal tranquility and minimal detailing. The Sahara 3″ × 12″ Matte Porcelain Tile in White offers soft variation underfoot while keeping the palette light. Zagora 2″ × 6″ Glossy Zellige Field Tile in Neige Blanc wraps the shower, with its glossy surface brightening and visually enlarging the space. The same Apollo Quartzite repeats here, reinforcing the intentional material choices across rooms. The composition feels simple, calm, and confident.

Design Cohesion: The Power of Repetition

Across the Rutherford Residence, a few strategic design decisions weave the home together:

• A foundation of honed stone and matte finishes
• Neutral foundational tones, anchored with deeper accents
• Repetition of key materials — quartzite, porcelain, zellige, slate
• A balance between matte and gloss, texture and smoothness

This repetition of tone and surface not only brings harmony, but also showcases how versatile Bedrosians’ materials can be when layered thoughtfully. The glossy zellige echoes across rooms, the slate becomes a grounding thread, and the quartzite offers a unifying contrast. Each tile, countertop, or slab contributes to the overarching narrative of balance and warmth.

The home feels cohesive yet dynamic — each space distinct, but in conversation with the rest.

Designer Showcase: Eye for Pretty x Barale Builders

• Project: The Rutherford Residence
• Location: Danville, California
• Designer: Eye for Pretty
• Builder: Barale Builders
• Photography: Jessica Brydson

This collaboration brought together design sensitivity and construction precision. Eye for Pretty’s vision and Barale Builders’ execution ensure every material moment is intentional, beautifully crafted, and built to last.

Materials Featured (At a Glance)

• Master Bathroom
• Floor: Bluerun 12" x 24" Matte Porcelain Tile in Historic Greige
• Shower: Zagora 2" x 6" Glossy Zellige Tile in Ivoire
• Counter: Calacatta Borghini Mist Honed Marble (2cm)
• Checkerboard Bathroom
• Floor: Celine 4" x 4" Matte Porcelain Tile in Taupe & Celine 4" x 4" Matte Porcelain Tile in Black
• Counter: Apollo Polished Quartzite Slab (2cm)
• Hall Bath
• Floor: Sahara 3" x 12" Matte Porcelain Tile in White
• Shower: Zagora 2" x 6" Glossy Zellige Field Tile in Neige Blanc
• Counter: Apollo Polished Quartzite Slab
• Kitchen
• Backsplash: Zagora 2" x 6" Glossy Zellige Tile in Blanc
• Counter: Black Vermont Leathered Granite (3cm)
• Laundry Room
• Walls: Avondale 2" x 8" Matte Brick Tile in Early Gray
• Floor: Andhra Black 12" x 24" Gauged Slate Tile
• Counter: Black Vermont Leathered Granite (3cm)

Behind the Design: Philosophy, Challenges & Lessons

When digging deeper into a project like the Rutherford Residence, you begin to see a guiding philosophy: design should feel effortless, but take careful thought. Nicole Salceda of Eye for Pretty often speaks of "quiet luxury" — spaces that feel rich without shouting. It’s about restraint, depth, and intentionality.

In this project, some of the challenges included:

1. Balancing contrast and cohesion - Keeping a consistent palette across so many rooms (kitchen, baths, laundry) without letting the design feel repetitive required thoughtful shifts in scale, texture, or finish. The mix of matte and glossy, large slabs and smaller tiles, light and dark tones, is what brings movement and nuance.
2. Scale & proportion - Choosing 12″ × 24″ tiles for the floor in the master bath gave a sense of calm expansiveness, while 2″ × 6″ zellige tiles bring human scale and detail. The proportions needed to feel right in both large and small rooms.
3. Material durability + beauty - In a family home, surfaces must endure daily life. The selection of leathered granite, matte porcelain, and slate ensures that beauty aligns with performance. Especially in the laundry and kitchen, durability isn’t optional.
4. Transitions between spaces - The flow from room to room needed to feel seamless. That meant careful thresholds, consistent undertones, and repeating key materials. The quartzite, zellige, and neutral stone choices become visual threads.

From these challenges, a few lessons stand out:

• Repeat, but vary — Use the same materials across rooms but shift scale or finish to keep things fresh.
• Mix texture deliberately — Pairing matte and glossy surfaces or rough and smooth textures adds depth without complicating the palette.
• Let materials speak — Whenever possible, allow the natural character of stone or clay to show rather than hiding it.
• Calm contrast — Strong contrast doesn’t have to feel jarring. With soft edges, tones that lean into each other, and transitional pieces, even black and white can feel warm.

Why This Project Matters

The Rutherford Residence exemplifies what thoughtful design and high-quality materials can achieve: a home that’s elegant but not precious, layered but not cluttered, expressive but calm. It’s a reminder that real beauty often lies not in spectacle, but in restraint — in choosing fewer, better materials, and weaving them together with intention.

For professionals and design enthusiasts alike, this home offers inspiration in how to balance coherence and surprise. It shows what’s possible when craftsmanship, material selection, and vision align.

If you’re looking to bring cohesion and personality to your own project, consider how repetition, texture, and thoughtful contrast can create depth. And if you want surfaces that tell a story, the stone, tile, and finishes in this home are proof that materials can be as expressive as furniture or decor.