The Retreat Within the Beach House: Inside Our Primary Suite

Natural linen, handmade tile, and a connection to the landscape create the most peaceful room at Casa Zuma.

By Camille Styles
Camille Styles’ Malibu bedroom with a low wood bed, neutral linen bedding, and woven pendant lights.

Photography by Michelle Nash

A renovation that takes this many years means certain rooms begin to exist in your imagination long before they exist in real life. Nowhere was that more true for me than in our primary bedroom.

Throughout the five years of planning and permitting, I pictured myself waking up here: sunlight moving across the walls, the doors open to the garden, and the sounds of waves in the distance. I wanted the entire suite to feel minimalist and calming, but never cold—a warm, grounded retreat shaped by natural materials.

Now that it’s finished, the bedroom and bathroom feel like two expressions of the same idea. Walnut, oak, handmade tile, aged brass, and soft linen create a sense of continuity as you move throughout—and almost everyone who walks in says the same thing: This feels like a retreat.

Camille Styles makes the bed beneath woven pendant lights in her warm, minimalist Malibu bedroom. Pin it
Layered sheer curtains and dark drapes covering corner windows with large potted tree in Camille Styles’ Malibu bedroom. Pin it
Camille Styles steps through the open doors of her Malibu bedroom onto the patio.

A Bedroom Grounded in Nature

The bed was the starting point for the room. We worked with Parkman Woodworks to build a low platform bed from walnut, with a wide headboard that extends into integrated ledges on either side. Those ledges take the place of traditional nightstands, keeping the room open and uncluttered.

I layered it with relaxed [Bed Threads linen bedding], a softly textured [Ernesta rug], and woven pendants. The painting on one wall was made by Adam’s brother, adding a focal point with tons of personal meaning to the restrained space.

In one corner, our [Lulu & Georgia chair] creates a simple, functional vignette. Across the room, a Queensland Bottle Tree and aged planter from [Inner Gardens] bring a sculptural presence and connect the bedroom to the landscape outside.

Our wood floors are from [Stuga (in color Ingrid)], wood doors and windows from Marvin frame the garden, and floor-to-ceiling window treatments from Graber let the light shift throughout the day.

Camille Styles’ Malibu primary bathroom with a freestanding tub, brass fixtures, and floor-to-ceiling garden views.

A Bathroom Shaped by Light

The first piece I chose for the bathroom was this Soleil by Starck Freestanding Bathtub from Duravit. We placed it beside a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a stone wall made from Country Rubble in Bella by Eldorado Stone. The wall creates seclusion while allowing sunlight, greenery, and shifting shadows to fill the room.

[Zia Tile natural zellige] brings warmth and handmade variation to the floors. We kept the walls simple with a Tadelakt custom blend to match the walls in the rest of the house. 

An arched opening connects the bathroom to the closet, replacing the doors shown in our earliest plans and making the suite feel more expansive. Custom floating vanities on either side pair white oak drawers with [Caesarstone Primordia] tops and integrated sinks.

At the bathroom vanities, unlacquered brass fixtures from Kallista’s One collection bring warm color—I love that they’ll continue to develop a patina over time. And I’m a little obsessed with our wall-mounted ME by Starck toilets from Duravit—they’re seamless with the room’s clean, airy feeling.

Camille Styles seated at the built-in vanity in her warm wood walk-in closet.

The Resources

We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Architecture & Finishes

Bedroom

Bathroom

camille styles
Camille Styles

Camille is the founder and editor-in-chief of Camille Styles and Casa Zuma. She is dedicated to creating spaces, stories, and products that bring ease and beauty to daily life.

Continue the tour