When remodeling her home, a Texas-based entrepreneur opted for wood- and stone-inspired tile from Atlas Concorde USA to revamp the master bathroom and kids’ bathroom

by Heather Fiore

In 2015, Allison Aars created The Festive Farm Co. in Waco, TX. “A lifelong dream turned reality,” Aars started the company to “add a little joy into our lives and the world around us.” The Festive Farm Co. creates one-of-a-kind gifts, from stickers and ornaments to jewelry and towels. Aars is also the face behind the popular Instagram account, @thefestivefarmhouse, on which she shares home and decor inspiration.

When remodeling her home in Central Texas, Aars took the lead on designing her master bathroom and the bathroom her two young sons share. “I knew the look of wood flooring would add the historic charm and character we were looking for, but also knew that hardwood wasn’t a practical choice for the bathroom floor,” Aars said about the master bathroom. “We wanted the flooring to look aged and feel like it had been there, but also modern and clean. We looked at a lot of different tile samples and fell in love with Atlas Concorde USA’s different styles. They’re all just beautiful and extremely well made, and there were so many great options of the wood-look tile I was wanting.”

It was a “close call” between Atlas Concorde USA's Beacon and Haven porcelain tile collections for the master bathroom, which are both inspired by natural wood. “Beacon is beautiful, but I just fell in love with the ‘Barrel’ color in the Haven collection,” Aars said. “It’s more of a neutral brown that’s still very warm and it just looks so real.”

Aars utilized 107 square feet of the 8- x 40-inch matte tiles for the floor of the master bathroom, which embrace the authentic look of reclaimed chestnut planks from a farm barn’s door.

For the boys’ bathroom, she opted for a marble-inspired look on the floors and shower walls using porcelain tiles from Atlas Concorde USA’s Eon collection. “It was important that our tile selection captured timeless beauty that wouldn’t go out of style with the next wave of design trends,” Aars said. “This way, the bathroom could seemingly ‘grow up’ with the boys into their teenage years. I wanted this room to have a sweet, boyish look that would also be able to transition into something that feels more masculine and elegant as they get older.

“When we received samples of the Eon collection marble-look tiles, I was sold,” she went on to explain. “To maintain a harmonious look throughout the space, we installed the handsome ‘Corinthian Gray’ rectangular tile across the bathroom floor and the ‘Carrara Honeycomb Mosaic’ over the shower surround. The gray in the floor tile coordinates just perfectly with the gray veining in the hexagonal tile; the two shades are very cohesive.”

Around 46 square feet of the rectangular, 12- x 24-inch tiles in “Corinthian Gray” were used on the floor in a beautiful offset pattern, while 86 square feet of the “Carrara Honeycomb Mosaic," featuring 3-inch-wide hexagons, were used on the shower walls.

“I knew that installing tile was something we only wanted to do once, so a strong, lasting material that could stand the test of time was a must,” Aars said. “After all, even the best-looking tile won’t make you happy if the function isn’t there.”

With both spaces completed in late 2020, Aars is beyond content with the way they turned out. “I just sit in here and stare at it. It looks so real,” she said of the master bathroom.

“This project has been so special to me,” she added about her sons’ bathroom. “I took my time and DIYed every inch of the space. Everything was repurposed from around the house. The tile was the very last step of process and we are just so in love with how it looks.”