Crossville News min read

Calming Materials & Peaceful Neutrals For Spas & Fitness Centers

As consumers and designers become more aware of the impact of design on mental health, calming and soothing design principles are being incorporated into both commercial and residential spaces for the purpose of promoting mindfulness, rest, and relaxation. To help reduce high stress and anxiety levels, interior designers are focusing on using calming materials and colors in spatial design. From resort spas and high-end fitness centers to spa-like retreats at home, these are the spaces to incorporate calming and soothing materials and colors. Let’s explore the elements that designers are including in their tranquil, healing design schemes.

May 31, 2024

Calming Materials

Clay for Calming

The historical use of clay in various cultures around the world highlights its purported healing and purifying properties. Despite its humble origins as dirt, clay is revered for its grounding energy and calming effects. Often associated with materials like terracotta and Saltillo, it’s worthwhile to remember that ceramic tile is primarily composed of clay and water. Beyond its material composition, the warm, neutral tones of clay and terracotta bring a sense of tranquility and intimacy to interior spaces.

Clay & terracotta-inspired Cotto Moderno porcelain floor and wall tile offers brush strokes and undulating colors fluidly highlight unique textures across a variety of shapes and sizes.

Copper for Healing

The historical use of clay in various cultures around the world highlights its purported healing and purifying properties. Despite its humble origins as dirt, clay is revered for its grounding energy and calming effects. Often associated with materials like terracotta and Saltillo, it’s important to remember that ceramic tile is primarily composed of clay and water. Beyond its material composition, the warm, neutral tones of clay and terracotta bring a sense of tranquility and intimacy to interior spaces. Check out Sideview glass mosaics in copper.

Wood for Relaxation

The warm and inviting allure of wood is not only visually appealing but also has a profound impact on our well-being. Environments adorned with wooden structures have been found to induce a notable drop in blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and evoke a soothing effect on individuals. Researchers have documented heightened productivity, sharpened focus, and diminished stress levels in such settings. These remarkable healing effects are attributed to the Biophilia Effect. This concept underscores the belief that immersing oneself in natural surroundings can significantly enhance the physical and mental health of individuals who inhabit, work, or socialize within such spaces. Check out our wood-look porcelain tile collections, Nest and SpeakEasy.

Concrete for Grounding

The addition of concrete surfaces brings a sense of minimalism and rootedness to interior spaces. From a psychological standpoint, grounding involves being fully aware of your body or establishing a connection with the earth. Grounding is believed to alleviate emotional stress, enhance immune functions, and uplift one’s mood, among other positive effects. Check out our concrete-look porcelain tile collections Gotham, Notorious, and Color Blox 2.0.

Cement-look Gotham porcelain floor tile offers subtle striations, aggregate finishes, and concrete colorations.

Peaceful Neutrals

Neutral colors, such as soft beiges, gentle grays, and muted earth tones, have an inherently calming effect. These understated neutrals can help to create a peaceful and reassuring atmosphere in interior spaces. Experts in trend forecasting predict a growing popularity of foundational neutrals, reflecting a shift in lifestyle choices towards seeking relaxation and equilibrium and emphasizing the importance of overall well-being. Let’s explore some of the key colors that are anticipated to have a significant influence on interior design.

Textile-inspired Ready to Wear porcelain tile is patterned with classic warp, weft, texture, and tone to bring touchable appeal to floors and walls.

Warmer, Textural Whites

The use of stark whites can evoke a clinical and sterile atmosphere, whereas the inclusion of warmer, softer whites can help to establish spaces that are inviting and conducive to relaxation and rejuvenation. In a departure from flat finishes, designers are incorporating textured whites to introduce a comforting and serene tactile experience.
Hide and Sleek ceramic wall tile in Chalk 3D is a perfect warm, textural white. Light plays along the pearlescent finish, casting shadows and illuminating vertical spaces throughout the day, causing the unique surface texture to recede and emerge in sophisticated elegance.

Barely There & Translucent

Embrace the interplay of reflected light and subtle transparencies to create a mesmerizing palette that dances with the light. A key trend in material choices for this year and beyond involves the use of veined stones, marbled minerals, and onyx to bring forth a softer, more ethereal aesthetic with translucent qualities. Designers are anticipating a surge in the popularity of pink marble and onyx in the realm of interior design.
Featuring warm and cool color from marble, onyx, and quartzite, Stones at Large porcelain tile creatively reproduces the elegance of natural stone in sizes up to 48×48 with both unpolished and polished surfaces.

Earthy Pinks

Soft, understated, and earthy pinks evoke a feeling of connection to nature and provide a comforting sense of security. These refined, neutral shades of pink have the ability to bring harmony and equilibrium to interior spaces.

For the most calming earthy pink, look no further than Hide and Sleek wall tile in Coral.

Grounding Grays

Warm grays provide a soothing and stabilizing presence, infusing spaces with a sense of serenity and grounding. This versatile color exudes practicality and dependability, with an enduring appeal that transcends seasonal trends.

Sandstone-textured and striation-rich, Moonstone porcelain tile’s landscape-inspired warm-to-cool colorways with flowing directional veining recall both ancient native rock formations and untouched celestial surfaces.

Functional Beige

Beige is a reliable and comforting color that possesses natural and artisanal qualities, making it an ideal choice for adding warmth and sophistication to various spaces. Pinterest data shows a significant surge in searches for “beige room aesthetic” last year, suggesting that beige is poised to remain a timeless and popular color choice.

This basalt-inspired line of porcelain tile has the look and feel of smooth, fine-grained stone. Civilization porcelain tile features unique crystalline visuals and subtle movement found in these unique rock formations.

Crossville porcelain, ceramic, glass, and stone tile collections are readily available to help you create a relaxing, awe-inspiring, tranquil vibe from the indoors to the outdoors. Be sure to order free samples of your favorite tile collections to bring your design visions to life!

How to order your free sample

You can quickly and easily order a sample of any Crossville tile through Crossville’s Sample Express. To order free tile samples, just set up an account here to get started. Once you have an account, ordering a tile sample is as simple as clicking a button on the product swatch you are interested in. Samples are always free!