Rhythm and materiality

This interior design project interprets the bathroom as an essential contemporary ambience marked by a precise balance of functionality, elegance and understated graphic refinement. It is a space where material quality becomes a design tool and an integral part of the architecture itself.

Created by the Milanese interior designer Luca Somaini, the project unfolds along a single axis. “The space is articulated in depth, defined by clean lines and rigorous perspectives,” the designer explains. The layout alternates solids and voids in a measured composition: the vanity unit, the wall-hung WC and bidet and the shower enclosure follow an orderly arrangement that lightens the room while reinforcing its formal clarity.

The colour palette is deliberately essential, built on a dialogue between luminous light tones and bold, decisive dark shades. The walls and sanitaryware are finished in pure white, reflecting natural and artificial light evenly to create an atmosphere that is both bright and intimate. On the floor, a black-and-white hexagonal mosaic introduces a subtle graphic rhythm, guiding the eye without disrupting the spatial continuity of the room.

Within this harmonious setting, ceramic tiles play a central role. The choice of products from Tonalite reflects the need for a material capable of combining artisanal quality, aesthetic precision and compositional versatility. Specifically, the Foliage collection in the colour Nero was used horizontally for the vanity top and vertically to clad the shower enclosure, becoming the room’s signature feature.

“The language of the wall covering is dominated by Foliage Nero from Tonalite, selected for its material character and sheen,” explains Somaini, noting that the material defines the character of the space without overwhelming it. The engraved, glossy Foliage pattern introduces a deep texture that dialogues with the surrounding smooth surfaces. Used here with restraint, the colour black strengthens the overall design by creating controlled contrasts that enhance the purity of the forms.

“The engraved motif on a light background gives the bathroom a discreet, refined rhythm, transforming a functional surface into a striking decorative element,” the designer continues. Inside the shower enclosure, the tiles clad the wall and intercept the soft light from the recessed ceiling spotlights, generating delicate reflections that accentuate the material depth of the ceramic.

Foliage Nero from Tonalite thus becomes the focal point of the room. “Discreet yet incisive”, it defines the identity of the space without excess. It is a detail that, as Somaini notes, “makes simplicity its aesthetic manifesto”.

Mirrors, fittings and ceramic surfaces engage in a coherent dialogue, creating an architectural space defined by the strength of the material itself. The result is a bathroom in which design and function find a natural balance, understated yet rich in character. Ceramics take centre stage, bringing depth, rhythm and identity to the space while maintaining essentiality and design rigour.