Designed with inspirations coming from the South Seas, the Sayan residential tower in Miami, FL, hosts a range of natural stone and glass mosaic products to create the relaxing environment its developer, J. Milton & Associates, desired. The boutique condominium complex includes many amenities, such as an oceanfront swimming pool and a world-class Asian-inspired spa and health club complete with relaxation centers and meditation gardens.

The tone is set upon entry, as guest and tenants are greeted by a four-story-high cascading waterfall that is the focal point of the tower's lobby, which was designed by The Howard Design Group. This architectural element, which creates a soothing atmosphere with its rhythmic water sounds, features hand-cut glass mosaic tiles as its backdrop.
 

The glass tiles, which were custom made by a Mexican family, are one of a kind, and as a result, can be extremely difficult to install, explained Shawn Graves of Interiors by Steven G in Pompano Beach, FL, which served as the design firm for one of the residences. "Each piece had to be set and then peeled off an hour after," he said. "Each set basically had to be set one section at a time. It was a very detailed and extremely excruciating installation."

Influenced by the Zen-like aura of the building's overall design, the same objective carried into one of the 90 units in the condominium that Graves designed. The primary goal for the penthouse, which includes several bathrooms and a large contemporary kitchen, was to create a comfortable living space using natural materials that would reflect the owner's lifestyle.
 

"We really wanted to keep [the home] very organic and very simple," explained the designer, Graves. "The project has one recurring theme, which was to work in repetition. We typically only brought in three types of materials -- glass tile, stone and metal. Everything was kept pure and non-manmade."
Graves remained true to that concept beginning in the master bathroom, which features 18- x 18-inch taupe, clay-colored shell stone floor tile. "This shows fossilized shells, and when you cut it, you get cross sections of sea animals," he said, adding that the material was supplied by Keys Granite, Inc. of Miami, FL. From floor to ceiling, every wall of this bathroom that has plumbing is clad in 1- x 2-inch hand-cut glass mosaic tile -- manufactured by Oceanside Glasstile of Carlsbad, CA, and supplied by Innovative Surfaces -- that went through a "favrille" application. "This is a French technique used in Tiffany glass to give it that opulent effect," explained Graves. "It changes colors during the day, according to the light."

To offset the shower -- which is also clad in the same glass mosaic tile -- the designer and his team inset it with a border made out of small river stone in a "vine" iridescent pattern. "The border was lined with a hand-forged glass," he said. "Everything was very detailed, touched by hand, not a machine."
 

A further feature of the shower is its limestone floor, comprised of 12- x 12-inch tiles, which are each grooved. This was done since the shower is an open application, according to Graves. "Instead of having a glass box, it's an open shower room," he said. "The floor very slightly slopes into the drain, and since each stone piece is grooved, that helps with all of the water drainage."

Keeping the Zen-like atmosphere in mind, the kitchen also was given a clean, chic look. "Every room relates to the next," said Graves. "You don't feel like you're in a complete different setting when you turn the corner."

The kitchen floor is comprised of 24- x 24-inch honed taupe-colored limestone tiles, which were also supplied by Keys Granite, Inc. More over, the same material also extends into other main areas of the home. "This stone has a beautiful movement to it," said Graves. "It almost looks like a sandstone -- it's toned like a putty color, but there's no yellow in it."
 

For the countertops, the design team selected a Smoky quartz, which was supplied by CaesarStone US of Van Nuys, CA, through Reyes Marble of Miami, FL. "We chose quartz for its function, resilience and consistency," said Graves. "The seams are almost non-existent."

Complementing the quartz countertops, Graves took a different approach for the kitchen backsplash. "We really brought in the unexpected," he said. "For the backsplash, we hand set, piece by piece, iridescent tile that looks like a basketweave. Each 6- x 1-inch piece is laid piece by piece, like brick."
The residence also includes two other bathrooms as well as a guest bathroom that all feature tile mosaics. The first bathroom once again has the recurringtheme of tiles hand laid piece by piece on mesh sheets. "It's like a piece of jewelry," said Graves. "It's beautiful in its regularity."

In the second bathroom, the walls are clad with long slivers of mosaic tiles with a special application of bamboo for insets. "The actual insets were fabricated offsite," said the designer, adding that the rest of the bathroom was installed and designed around the mosaics.

And finally, the guest bathroom features an 18- x 18-inch rose slate flooring in which hand forged inlays outline the frame of the tile details.

Drawings for the project began in November 2006, and construction was complete in February 2008. "The client was, and is, one of our most special clients," said Graves. "They have complete 100% faith in us. They really let us come up with a concept. As for selection and color, they were questioning on the direction because when laying the material on a table, it really didn't come off as polished, crisp and modern. At the end of the install, they were shaking our hands. Here we are in Miami, on the ocean, doing very earthy colors -- nothing vibrant. It was a stretch, but it really worked."