Jamie Beckwith on Luxury Bathroom Style

A chat with the talented designer behind some of today's most beautiful bathrooms.

by Trisha McBride Ferguson

When it comes to creating decadently luxurious bathrooms, nobody does it better than Jamie Beckwith. The owner and principal designer of Nashville-based Beckwith Interiors brings a unique approach to design—drawing inspiration from exotic travels, photography, fashion, luxurious textiles, and her life experiences. We talked to Beckwith about design, inspiration and how she creates her remarkable, one-of-a-kind rooms.

HomeFurnishings.com: How do you define and execute the best style for your clients?

Beckwith: I start with a client questionnaire that includes over 50 questions to help me understand the client and the way that they live in their spaces. But most importantly, I listen. Most people don’t know what their style is or how to verbalize it, but they will innately gravitate toward certain colors, shapes, or patterns and it is up to me to help formulate their style. 

HomeFurnishings.com: How do you arrive at your design direction for a bathroom project?

Beckwith: Once a certain direction is established, I sketch different layouts of the space. With the client's approval, we zero in on the design intent. Once the functional components of the space are met, we then concentrate on finishes, lighting, plumbing, and most importantly, budget. 

HomeFurnishings.com: What inspires you?

Beckwith: My inspiration comes from travel, photography, and of course my rose garden, but it truly comes from the clients and my team. The process is so visceral...we laugh, we joke, we exchange ideas and it inspires me; inspires me to create a space that is unlike any other—one that reflects the personality and soul of the project.  

HomeFurnishings.com: What is unique about designing bathrooms?

Beckwith: Bathrooms are extremely intimate and sensual places. They are private spaces that should renew, refresh and comfort. I feel like I have accomplished my design goals when clients tell me that their bathroom is their personal oasis, one that functions beautifully but feels even better. 

HomeFurnishings.com: What are your favorite materials and finishes right now for bathrooms?

Beckwith: I love large slabs of stone for the walls and flooring. Seamless, always dissimilar, strong and permanent. I also use my own product—Projection—in many bathrooms that need a focal wall to break up the cool, smooth look of the slab stone. It gives great dimension and texture to spaces that don’t exactly need or lend themselves to artwork, such as the bathroom.

HomeFurnishings.com: Do you have any “must-have” elements that you include in every project? 

Beckwith: My “must-have” element is lighting. Lighting is a huge component in bringing life to a space. It can change the mood from fresh to sexy with the flip of a switch, or at least a dimmer. I like to try to incorporate different ways to use it in the design…not typical recessed, pendants or chandeliers, but fiber optics imbedded in flooring or ceilings, light panels built into the walls, and light that creates texture, color and warmth.

HomeFurnishings.com: Do you have any designer secrets you can share from your experience?

Beckwith: Fortunately most projects go off without a hitch, but over the years I have learned what to look out for. Make sure that you understand what plumbing you are selecting for clients; how it will function in their space, such as: Will the shower have enough water pressure to sustain a strong stream for the body spays, the shower head and rain head fixtures? Make sure your tile installers are experienced and can guarantee that the shower pans are installed correctly so there will be no leaking behind the tile. A bad tile installer can ruin your design; a good tile installer can make the room sing. 

HomeFurnishings.com: What distinguishes your design work?

Beckwith: My designs are not born from trying to be different, or to create something that is not in the marketplace, but my designs are based on artistic freedom—a passion if you will.