Gwyneth Paltrow masters blending modern and antique design with this one stunning bathroom detail

May 20, 2023

Gwyneth Paltrow is known for embodying the 'quiet luxury' trend with her impeccable taste, and her bathroom certainly proves her reputation. The Goop mogul took to Instagram to show fans her hair-washing routine, but the timeless design of her shower room stole the show.

The Iron Man actress’s video opens with a view from outside the shower. The doors are made up of clean-lined black panels with glass squares in between. The back wall shows an inset shelf with a selection of curated products carefully displayed. All of Gwyneth’s hardware is matte black, from the handles to the hand-held shower head. The camera pans up to reveal the sleek white and gray marble ceiling featuring a sleek rain shower.

One detail stands out above all others: the antique-looking tiles. Gwyneth’s black and white tiles are unique, and look almost hand-painted in the style of traditional Moroccan design. The edges of each square tile are left unglazed, creating a particularly vintage look.

‘I love a tile that feels like it’s been around for a number of years and has that sort of antique feel to it’ Gwyneth gushes to her followers. ‘I thought it was really nice to offset the other very kind of modern elements in the bathroom’ she says. The look is so iconic, Gwyneth’s shower is likely to spark a new patterned tile trend.

The clean lines and glass of the shower combined with the rustic, patterned tiles, mean that Gwyneth’s shower effortlessly blends the antique and the modern.

To create a similar look that is at once contemporary and lived-in in any room, interior designer Swati Goorha recommends ‘mixing in vintage finds with modern furniture, playing with the scale of furniture, and adding fewer larger-scale pieces of furniture in a smaller space to scale the room.

I also advise using fabrics and materials to create an inviting, lived-in feel. Think vintage stools, flea market vases, and materials that patina and age over time, telling unique stories of the people who live in the space.’

By focusing on an artful blend of the old and the new, you can create an effortlessly elegant space that is truly timeless.

Love Gwyneth’s tiles and want to install them in your own bathroom? We found the perfect match to shop below!

Palazzo Tile

Meant to evoke the feeling of the Italian countryside, the Palazzo Castle Graphite 12 in x 12 in honed porcelain encaustic tile is perfect for any bathroom. The pattern is inspired by hand-painted cement tiles from Tuscany.