Work of art
The ceramic tile was produced by Malibu Ceramic Works. The manufacturer specializes in creating tile that appears to be from another era.
For the tile line, the homeowners chose a peacock-feather pattern that had been used on a fountain at the historic Adamson House in Malibu, Calif. To veneer the spa, they selected a mural offered by the tile manufacturer and had it resized to fit the raised wall. A flower pattern covered the pool wall.
The team designed the spa to accommodate the whole mural with as few cuts as possible. The tiles were individually hand-painted and had to be installed one at a time.
Lokker’s mason, Rigo Tejada, performed the task. He set the bottom row first, using a laser level to establish the basic line, and then a water level to make sure each piece was spot-on. He then built up each row, using the one directly below it as a guideline. Nylon spacers helped ensure proper positioning, similar to the way tiling is done in a kitchen or bathroom.
