Some collaborations feel especially personal, and this is one of them. Our new Casa Zuma beach towels were designed in partnership with visual artist Kelti Smith—who also happens to be one of my closest friends. I’ve long admired the way Kelti sees the world: her instinct for color, her curiosity, and her ability to distill the beauty of nature into its simplest forms.
For this collection, Kelti drew inspiration from water, sunlight, and the movement of the tide, creating original artwork that’s woven directly into each towel’s plush, tone-on-tone texture. The result feels both artful and effortless—designed to bring a little more beauty to long beach days, morning swims, and every sun-soaked ritual in between. Below, Kelti shares more about her creative process, the inspiration behind the designs, and what an unhurried summer day looks like to her.
On her work and her eye
Tell us a little about who you are and how you work. When did making things become the way you move through the world?
Both of my parents are creatives and I honestly can’t remember a time where art wasn’t a part of my daily life. Growing up, it was our basic love language: making things together, making things side by side, problem solving together. It’s a central part of who I am at the core.
What landscapes or places are pulling at you right now? What keeps showing up in your sketchbook?
I’m always moved by color and a bit obsessed with color theory. It’s such a basic part of making art, but the possibilities are endless. It’s something that relates to all the visual parts of my life that bring me joy: art, interiors, and fashion. Lately, I’ve been loving the vibrant fashion sensibilities coming out of Portugal.
On the towels
These prints aren't painted on — they're pressed into the weave, something you feel before you see. How did designing for that relief technique change the way you drew them?
This was a fun challenge! When I was sketching and then painting the designs, I needed to keep in mind that the articulation of the design would be subtle and tone on tone. There needed to be a balance of negative and positive space that could be perceived using only a small difference in fabric thickness.
The brief was let nature inform it. How did you translate something as fluid as water, light, sun, and tide into a fixed pattern?
I decided to focus on one aspect of nature for each of the towels (versus creating a whole landscape.) Doing this made it much easier to reduce the elements of each towel’s theme down to simple line forms. It’s basically a game of visual elimination and asking myself how much can be eliminated while preserving its identity.
On the feeling
What does it feel like to see your work move off the page and onto something people will wrap around themselves, drag to the sand, and use for years?
So rewarding!! Truly the best compliment to a design is having someone live in it and use it over time in a joyful way.
What's your hope for the person who weaves these into their outdoor rituals?
I hope they provide a bit of softness, beauty, and luxury to otherwise ordinary activities. Like a warm hug from a dear friend or cup of tea when you need a moment to pause.
Off the page
What does an unhurried summer day look like for you — the kind with nowhere to be?
My husband and I have started this weekend ritual where we join a group workout class in the morning. We don’t typically workout together and it’s such a nice way to mix things up. And then find water to jump in and cool down. By then, our teens are up and we love picking up bagels or making a huge breakfast/lunch spread and checking in with them (which is the easiest way to gather all five of us into one activity.) And then maybe find some friends to share a glass of wine with later in the day. I guess my favorite kind of unhurried summer day is about community and sharing a moment to connect with those I care about.
What are the small rituals that keep you grounded when you're creating?
I have a secret stash of chocolates tucked in one of our kitchen cabinets. A simple but small pleasure that works!
What textures, colors, or sounds say "summer" to you?
Walking barefoot in grass, the smell of sunscreen, the initial chill of jumping into cold water, music in the house at all hours, linen fabric
