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Partner Story
Celebrating the versatile beauty of concrete, Concrete Collaborative offers hand-crafted surfaces that can endure real life—from cool patterned tiles to colorful terrazzo—in modern style.
Leaky pipes are not the most auspicious origin of a home makeover story. But in the case of Kate Balsis, founder of modern tile brand Concrete Collaborative, it was the nudge her family needed to embark on a full renovation of their 1970s SoCal bungalow, which had been put off until the moment was right.
“In reality, there is never a good time to tear your house apart,” says Balsis, adding, “The construction team basically said: If you ever wanted to move anything, this is your chance—and it kind of just snowballed from there.” She and her architect husband had been tackling projects piecemeal for years, including a garage revamp and various interior updates. So they saw the silver lining in having to do a major demolition: emerge from the mess with their dream home.
The couple started work in January of 2025 and were determined to be done in a year. Miraculously, they pulled off that timeline—in large part thanks to their hands-on approach.
In the outdoor area, Balsis selected tile from the Concrete Collaborative x Domino collection to create a trio of distinct nooks. Offered in eight colorways—each available in square or slim rectangular sizes—the versatile line opens up a world of pattern possibilities. (Another bonus: the hand-pressed tiles have a custom quality but are ready-to-ship.)
For the freestanding bar beneath the pergola that Balsis, her husband, and sons built together, black and white tile form crisp cabana stripes. Below the nearby flip-out kitchen window, a grid of splashy blue and gray tile enlivens the kick panel. And peppered around the backyard, breezy checkerboard tile blends in with the greenery. “We had just gotten the palm trees in from the nursery, and large planters can be so expensive. So we thought: Why not just build planters around them?” Balsis recalls. They made a base structure out of plywood, followed by a layer of fiber material, then added the tile in warm sand and creamy hues.
That willingness to get scrappy—and incorporate stylish, durable surfaces in unexpected places—continues inside the home, where resort vibes meet midcentury touches, with playful swaths of color and statement finishes that last.
“I’m Australian and I am definitely influenced by growing up in a tropical climate, and by places we’ve traveled, like Vietnam and Hawaii,” shares Balsis. That reference point can be found in the palm-print wallpaper on the dining room ceiling, as well as more subtly in the relaxed, beachy feel across the board. “We have three boys, and this house is definitely designed to be lived in,” she says.
Still, laid-back and luxe can coexist. Pulling from her Concrete Collaborative playbook, the primary bathroom was transformed into a spa-like oasis. A soaking tub sits nestled into the center of the space, and a walk-in shower with double rain-head system spans the length of a wall. Balsis’s husband configured the new layout to include his-and-hers entryways from the bedroom, while she focused on the serene, streamlined look. A key detail for the overall sense of calm? Color-matched lichen green grout. “The finishes are so rich and there’s a nice sheen on the surfaces,” explains Balsis—glossy but not shiny, like the soft understory of a jungle on a misty morning.
To create a consistent backdrop elsewhere in the home, Balsis used stained plywood sheets—a cost-effective but high-impact material—for paneling the walls in the family and dining rooms, as well upstairs in the primary bedroom and bathroom, where she added battens along the seams and edges. Built-ins—such as the wall-length tiled bench in the TV room, cabinetry in the dining area, and terrazzo-topped storage in the primary bedroom’s sunken living zone—are equally practical and chic.
The kitchen—site of the leaky pipes that started it all—underwent its own evolution. While the walnut cabinets and custom tri-color fridge stayed put, slabs of sage-hued terrazzo refreshed the countertops, backsplash, open shelving, and trim around the new pop-out window that connects to the outdoor bar. Balsis chose fluted oak paneling to cover the exhaust and top-half of the walls. When contractors had to cut through the floor, she elected to keep the border, but used polished concrete tiles to form a checkerboard pattern—which serendipitously turned out to be one of her favorite elements in the renovation.
“I love creative problem solving,” says Balsis. “We’ve done everything on a budget and a lot of it ourselves over time. The outcome of the house is almost because of the things we had to figure out and work through.”
