Looking Back on Unforgettable Projects – and Captivating Conversations with their Designers
Our relationship with our interior designer partners can only be described as a love affair for the ages. Luckily, the feeling seems to be entirely mutual. As we look back on our conversations, we can’t help but realize just how much we’ve learned from their expertise. We want to share those learnings with you, too.
From Leanne Ford to ‘Property Brothers’ Drew and Jonathan Scott, we’re rounding up some of our favorite designer interviews — complete with their undeniable wisdom.
1. Leanne Ford uses NativeStone to add ‘a modern touch to a farmhouse aesthetic’
Pictured here: Designer Leanne Ford, left; NativeStone Farmhouse Quartet in Pearl, right
Our love affair with Leanne Ford — and every single project she touches — has been in earnest ever since HGTV’s “Restored by the Fords” premiered in 2016. The Pittsburgh/Los Angeles-based designer, whose signature aesthetic involves all-white everything, oversized lighting fixtures and repurposed and reclaimed materials, used our products during her HGTV show as well as in “Rock the Block,” and throughout subsequent projects, including this one featured on Domino.com (with two NativeStone farm sinks) and this one featured in House Beautiful.
We feel so fortunate to have her share her interior design advice.
“These Native Trails sinks have been my go-to for years now,” says long time loyalist Ford.
And when describing a project from an episode of “Restored by the Fords,” Ford explained, “The project was a modern farmhouse, so the main elements were really traditional, but we added modern touches throughout the space. That sink was so perfect. It had a traditional element to it, but it also had a really understated feeling of modernism so it was exactly what we needed.”
Read our full interview with Leanne Ford here.
2. Noz Nozawa focuses on what a home — and a client — are asking for; notably, her Japanese style bathroom, featured in Architectural Digest, called for a NativeStone bathtub
Pictured here: Designer Noz Nozawa, right; NativeStone Avalon 72 in slate, right, photographer: Christopher Stark, styling: Yedda Morrison, architecture + construction: SF Design Build
In an industry often defined by creating one personal aesthetic, Noz Nozawa doesn’t conform. Rather, she characterizes herself by her eclectic nature, preferring to focus on remaining open — and fluid. “I’m always going to be shape shifting,” she confirms.
And that’s because her designs depend heavily on a variety of mutable factors: “what the client is asking for and what the home is asking for,” says Nozawa, “the architecture of the space. What is inspiring me about that combination.”
As for her interior design advice?
She considers carefully “what place and time we are in, where is the home situated,” as well as “the family that lives in the space. What is my context?” She asks herself. “And what [those factors] are inspiring me to bring to light.”
So, when Nozawa landed a dream client, a Bay Area based family looking to streamline and rethink their interiors, she looked to natural materials and quiet hues to create a Japanese aesthetic. Our Native Trails NativeStone Bathtub fit the bill, perfectly — and the rest is history.
Nozawa’s design was featured in Architectural Digest; she was additionally awarded a place on the Luxe Gold List (2024), 1stDibs 50 (2023), Architectural Digest New American Voices (2020), House Beautiful Next Wave (2020), and Sunset Magazine’s Best Designer of the West (2020).
Take a deep dive into her project (and ethos) on the Native Trails blog here.
3. Jennifer Chipman of Bond Design Company aims to ‘catch her clients vision,’ and did so beautifully by marrying off-the-grid living with earthy and organic materials; Native Trails offerings fit in perfectly
Pictured here: Designer Jennifer Chipman, left; Santorini in Polished Copper, right
This luxurious, off-the-grid log cabin project in Kamas, Utah, changed the course of interior designer Jennifer Chipman’s career.
“There was an original cabin from the ’50s or ’60s that my client had purchased on a gorgeous piece of property. They wanted to remodel it and do a huge addition. It was a major project and pretty complicated because they wanted it to be totally off grid and self-sufficient. There’s a whole solar field with solar panels, and it has its own well. Even though the addition was big, modern and fresh, they still wanted it to have the charm of the original log cabin. We wanted it to feel really organic, kind of earthy, and also like there’s a history there.
Her interior design advice: “As a designer, it’s really important to me to catch [the client’s] vision. It’s not my home; it’s theirs. I worked really hard to try to understand their dynamics and their vision and bring that dream to life for them.”
Our concrete and polished copper sinks and bathtubs fit the desired aesthetic so much so that there are a total of eight Native Trails sinks and two tubs within it — not that we’re counting or anything. Jennifer’s fresh take on log cabin style also incorporates locally sourced timber, natural textures and oversized windows that capture the elegance of the surrounding mountain landscapes.
Tour the entire home on our blog here.
4. Drew and Jonathan Scott like to design houses for real people; they also love a statement piece, believing that you never wow anyone by playing it safe
Pictured here: “The Property Brothers” Drew and Jonathan Scott, left; Santorini in Brushed Nickel, right
Identical twins Drew and Jonathan Scott filmed 14 seasons of “The Property Brothers,” putting their complementary talents — Drew is a real estate expert while Jonathan is a licensed contractor — to work for homeowners across the U.S. and Canada. With episodes spanning from 2011 to 2019, Native Trails products appeared on the hit show over 10 times. They’ve used everything from our Santorini tub to our mirrors and bathroom vanities in productions that have run the gamut from modern rustic to sleek and contemporary.
They sat down with us to talk kitchen and bathroom design. Their biggest interior design advice? Design a house to be lived in. Which we can’t help but love since we design our products to be gorgeous and functional, too.
“Sometimes you’ll see designs that don’t actually function for real families,” says Jonathan. “We like to design houses for real people.” In addition to functionality, the brothers prefer to lean into designs with character, making our Native Trails offerings the ideal fit for their projects.
Drew agrees, noting that Native Trails sinks work to showcase a space, adding instant depth and character. “We don’t like putting in the norm. Something needs to stand out. You never wow anybody by playing it safe or just doing the norm. Everybody wants their space to be unique, and that’s why we like that eclectic feel.”
Read our full interview with Jonathan and Drew here.
Pictured here: Farmhouse 3018 in Pearl
5. Hema Persad believes that there’s no space more sacred than where we live and create; her every design choice is based on that belief
Pictured here: Designer Hema Persad, Sagrada Studio, left; Farmhouse 3018 in Ash, right, photographer: Jenna Peffley
A sumptuous jewel-toned kitchen and the noteworthy use of a NativeStone sink; these led us to discover attorney-turned-interior-designer Hema Persad, whose design of actress Poorna Jagannathan’s home graced the pages of Architectural Digest.
Founder and Designer at Sagrada Studio, Persad believes that there’s no more sacred space on earth than where we live and create.
As to how she discovered Native Trails, Persad says, “Our thought process in that house was that everything is going to get used and nothing can be precious. It’s almost like, if something already looked like it had been in use, that’s what we wanted. That’s the beauty of a concrete sink. It’s never going to be perfect, even from the day you get it. So you don’t need to worry about it remaining pristine or getting scratched or anything because that just adds to the beauty of it.”
“Concrete is really so functional for a kitchen,” she adds. We couldn’t agree more.
Read our full interview with Hema Persad here.
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