Emma Chamberlain's LA bathroom uses a unique material choice to master mid-century modern

Emma Chamberlain’s Los Angeles home gained instant attraction upon its unveiling last year. A grown-up take on mid-century modern interiors, the home is a unique and deeply personalized space that was designed by LA-based interior design studio Proem Studio.

Every room in the home has been considered carefully to serve as a highly functional space, with a playful and modern twist on mid-century modern decor running throughout. Whilst each room serves as a design masterclass, today we’re honing in on the bathroom.

Pictured above, a closer look at the bathroom reveals its fresh approach to mid-century modern, most notably through the choice of materials used. The marble sink in a warm rose tone brings sophistication to the space, contrasted against the playful square bathroom floor tiles that continue halfway up one of the walls. Perhaps the most interesting part of the room, however, is the cork walls. 

Becoming a more recognized material choice, particularly in mid-century projects, cork is praised for its thermal and acoustic characteristics, making it a practical choice of material in the home. It is also incredibly durable and is an eco-friendly building material thanks to its natural origin. 

We spoke to the interior design experts to understand more about the use of cork in the home. Daniel Ian Smith, Principal at boutique interior design firm Village West Design comments on the use of cork in Chamberlain's home: ‘Cork has great sound absorption qualities and is an excellent choice for balancing out the stonework to ensure this stark and very tall space does not turn into an echo chamber.’

‘The cork’s natural warmth is also a perfect foil to the hard stone, glass, metal, and porcelain materials in this bathroom.’

Smith also notes the benefits of the use of cork as flooring ideas: its elasticity and light weight make it a comfortable underfoot surface, ideal for areas in the home where standing for long periods of time is common, such as kitchen flooring ideas.

Pictured above, the New York-based interior design firm of Amanda Jesse and Whitney Parris-Lamb showcases the use of cork tiles in a creative workspace. They note that not only do the cork tiles add ‘warmth and visual interest’, but also double up as a pin-up space for work projects.

Shop Emma's look

Looking to upgrade your own home with the addition of cork? You can shop the tiles below to bring mid-century modern ideas to your space and see the benefits for yourself for its visual - and practical - appeal.