Photography by Laure Joliet, courtesy of Salt + Bones
When interior designer Carissa Duncan of Salt + Bones was commissioned to update the iconic Esalen Institute in Big Sur, the Carmel native decided to reimagine the space while staying true to it's New Age roots. Come with us on a tour.
Duncan “focused on keeping the spaces simple, earthy, serene, and sensual.”
The kitchen backsplash is made of two-by-nine-inch Heath Ceramics field tile with gunmetal chalk glaze—a color reference to the nearby ocean and in harmony with the house’s original palette.
German psychologist Fritz Perls delivered his gestalt workshops from a chair near the stone fireplace.
Wooden headboards have warm-hued LED strip lighting installed behind them.
Bedroom curtains are simple white linen. Walls are finished in natural earth plaster by American Clay.
Duncan had a redwood closet built with locally sourced wood.
In the bathroom, the stone shower, concrete countertops, and wooden walls are all original.
The sink and shower fixtures are unlacquered brass from Waterworks.