Designer Corner – Kristen Forgione of THELIFESTYLEDCO

Image: Bianco Venatino Honed 12 x 24 (Custom Cut to 8 x 24) Marble Shower Wall Tile & Ivory White Honed Quartz Shower Bench from Arizona Tile

Designing a new home or a large-scale remodel is no easy feat and is where experts like Kristen Forgione enter the scene. Kristen is founder and owner of THELIFESTYLEDCO—a company she started 12 years ago out of her love for design. Beginning as a one-woman operation based in Arizona, she has now developed a full-service design firm; multiple brick-and-mortar retail shops; has clients nationwide; and employs over 40 talented individuals, including her husband, Vince.  Now CEO, Vince brings knowledge, passion, and contagious energy to the team. Kristen has successfully taken her “passion to profession” and created a signature approach to modern, minimal design: organic desert living.

To help express her style, Kristen recently documented the design and construction process of her new home on her YouTube channel and Instagram (@THELIFESTYLEDCO @KRISTENFORGIONE). In doing so,  her followers can really understand her style preferences, how she expresses organic desert living through muted colors and endless texture, her obsession for detail, and the passion her team has for original design.

Kristen wanted to create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind home for her family. So she collaborated with the designers at Arizona Tile to create a spa-like primary bathroom with timeless, high-quality products. Together, they created a tranquil space that is perfect for unwinding after a long day, but that also perfectly represents her and her brand.

Image: Primary Bathroom with Bianco Venatino Honed 12 x 24 (Custom Cut to 8 x 24) Marble Accent Wall & Ivory White Honed Quartz Vanity from Arizona Tile

Her Design

Living out her passion for design, Kristen’s new build project, #theODLhouse, is special to her for many reasons. Kristen and her team explain that the ODL House is special not only because it is Kristen’s very own home, but because

“it exudes her personal representation of THELIFESTYLEDCO™’s trademarked aesthetic, Organic Desert Living™. Organic Desert Living™, or ODL as it’s lovingly called by those who know it well, was created by Kristen because she was tired of trying to explain exactly what her style is – it’s a little bit modern, a little bit earthy in tone and texture, and completely inspired for her love of the desert region in which she lives, works, and plays.”

Image: Primary Bathroom of Kristen Forgione of the Lifestyled Co.

The ODL Aesthetic

Kristen wanted a spa-like, earthy feel that evokes tranquility in her modern bathroom design. With her ODL aesthetics in mind, she achieved such balance by integrating natural stone in the large shower and bathroom walls, natural wooden floors, and large windows. This bathes the room in natural light and creates an earthy, yet modern bathroom design that is fresh and grand, but isn’t over the top. .

Kristen told Arizona Tile that she has forever had a love affair with marble and that our Bianco Venatino Honed marble tile was the perfect choice for her shower and bathroom walls because of the color and veining. Kristen said,

“I wanted a bold, focal moment, and the Bianco Venatino Honed marble did just that. I used the Ivory White Honed quartz as the bench top in my primary shower to earth up the space and add some visual interest with the contrast in materials.”

Image: Bianco Venatino Honed 12 x 24 (Custom Cut to 8 x 24) Marble Shower Wall Tile & Ivory White Honed Quartz Bench from Arizona Tile

Kristen connected the Ivory White Honed quartz through the bathroom to create a large, solid vanity where this quartz is beautifully displayed without any interruption of drawers, cabinets, or clutter. Though Kristen designed this area without storage, within the marble shower, she added recessed shower shelving to place her favorite products. It’s possible to get creative and also make creative designs to tackle your personal storage needs.

About the Products   

Both Bianco Venatino Honed marble tile and Ivory White Honed quartz gave Kristen the superior aesthetics she desired, as well as the functionality and durability the space required – all while staying within the parameters of her ODL vision. Mastering the design of a space doesn’t only include achieving its aesthetic appeal but accomplishing a certain design by using the proper products—products that can withstand daily use while maintaining their beauty and integrity.

Image: Walk-In Shower Featuring Bianco Venatino Honed 12 x 24 (Custom Cut to 8 x 24) Marble Shower Wall Tile & Ivory White Honed Quartz Bench from Arizona Tile

Bianco Venatino marble tile is a crisp white marble with pencil-thin grey veining. Natural stone tends to have a bit of variation; however, Bianco Venatino happens to be very consistent between blocks, thus making it a good marble stone tile to use if you prefer less variation. Ivory White Honed quartz pairs quite organically with Bianco Venatino. It is an ivory-colored quartz with diffused white detailing, and because of its faint detailing, it has the appearance of natural stone. Both tile options were ideal in Kristen’s organic desert living design which left her obsessed with this modern bathroom.

Marble is a natural stone that does require a bit more maintenance than some other tile options because of its porosity, but with proper sealing and attention, it is worth the additional care. Quartz, on the other hand, is one of the hardest materials in nature and almost maintenance-free. Please refer to our Care and Maintenance page for more information about caring for each type of material.

Find Your Design

No matter who your favorite influencers are and what design styles you love, Arizona Tile would love to be part of creating your dream home. Whether you stop in a showroom, a slab yard, or browse our online tools, you will be sure to love what Arizona Tile has to offer. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.