Watch Mark D. Williams walk through his flagship Mysa Hus project in Minneapolis, a $6 million spec home built around wellness, where every piece of natural stone was sourced through Emser Tile. From the front walkway to the primary suite and rooftop deck, he highlights the custom cuts, patterns, and installs that bring the design to life.

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When we started designing Mysa Hus, we weren’t chasing a look, but a feeling. We wanted a sense of calm and quiet. Something that holds up over time.

And what I’ve learned, again and again, is that you don’t get that feeling from one big move, you get it from a thousand small decisions. And materials top the list.

Choosing Materials That Don’t Compete

Early on, we made a commitment: everything in this home needed to feel grounded, intentional, and refined, and that’s where Emser came in. A lot of products look good on a sample board but don’t hold up when you scale them across an entire home.

Emser tile is all about supporting everything around it. It’s texture without noise. Neutrals without feeling cold. Variation that catches light instead of fighting it. And as a custom home builder, I know that balance is harder to find than people think.

A Whole-Home Approach to Tile

In Mysa Hus, tile isn’t confined to one “moment.”

It’s everywhere.

Primary and secondary bathrooms
Kitchen
Laundry
Mudroom
Wellness spaces

And that was intentional. We wanted continuity. Each space has its own personality, but there’s a thread that ties it all together.

Melissa and I kept coming back to tone-on-tone textures. Materials that have depth, but don’t overwhelm the room. Tiles that let light move softly instead of bouncing harshly. It’s subtle, but that subtlety is what creates calm.

Where Design Meets Restraint

Scandinavian design gets talked about a lot, but living it is different than referencing it. It’s clean lines and neutral palettes yes, but it’s also tension: warmth and simplicity. Function and beauty. Restraint and soul. And tile plays a big role in that.

At Mysa Hus, these surfaces became the backdrop for everything else: oak cabinetry, brass fixtures, layered lighting. And that’s what allows the rest of the home to breathe.

The Role of Materials in Wellness

We talk a lot about wellness in homes, and materials are a big part of that conversation.

Sometimes it’s not about what you add, it’s about what you remove.

With tile, you’re reducing harsh chemicals, high-maintenance surfaces, and materials that degrade over time.

You’re introducing something that’s durable, low-VOC, and easy to live with. And when you have kids in the house those decisions matter. Because a material should hold up to real life.

Learn more about the materials we chose here!

The Moments That Matter Most

There are a few places in the home where the tile really comes alive, and the primary bathroom is one of them.

The way the light moves across the surface, the scale, the matte finish… it all works together in a grounding way.

The same is true in the wellness suite entry. That first step into the space sets the tone. And the material underfoot plays a bigger role in that than most people realize.

Collaboration That Moves the Needle

One of the biggest differentiators with Emser was how they showed up in the process.They were engaged the whole time.

We’d share a palette or a direction, and they’d come back with options that pushed things forward, sometimes in ways we hadn’t considered.

But more importantly, they helped us think through the less visible decisions like transitions between spaces or scale across different rooms. That’s the kind of collaboration that makes a project better.

Why This Matters for Clients

If a client asked me why we chose Emser, I’d keep it simple: Because they help you move forward with confidence. They understand the process, anticipate challenges, and deliver materials that hold up over time.

The Bigger Picture

Mysa Hus is about intention.

Slowing things down and choosing materials that support how you actually want to live.

And tile, something most people don’t think twice about, ended up being one of the most important pieces of that puzzle.

Because when it’s done right, you might not notice it, but you feel it.

Mysa Hus from the Ground Up with Emser Tile