Dustan Morgan isn’t your typical tile guy. With roots in music, foothill grit, and a love of cats, he brings a unique tempo to tile. In his early years, Morgan was a professional touring musician. The focus, discipline, and creativity required onstage shaped his tile style, balancing artistic flair with execution.
Morgan founded Morgan Tile in his hometown of Nevada City, located in Northern California’s Sierra foothills. His work in the area is a natural extension of that home base. Nestled along the shoreline of Lake Tahoe, a recent custom home project Morgan completed is as much a feat of architecture as it is of craftsmanship. Morgan relied on LATICRETE products and systems – the professional’s choice – to deliver stunning aesthetics to the home’s seven bathrooms, each a distinct experience unified by thoughtful detail.
The home was built by Jim Galletto, a longtime collaborator known for precision, unwavering standards, and a world-class team. On the interior, designer Catherine Kwong brought her signature blend of refined minimalism and material richness, creating spaces that feel both grounded and elevated. Architecture firm Fergus Garber masterfully balanced bold expression with site-sensitive restraint.
“Dustan and his team brought both expertise and a true sense of craft to this project,” said Kwong. “Precision is essential in stone and tile work. But it’s having an artist’s eye that reveals the beauty in handmade material.”
The “artist’s eye” is something Morgan continues to sharpen. In 2024, he was selected for the A.R.T. (Artisans Revolution in Tile) mosaic making training and class, which is sponsored by NTCA and LATICRETE and supported by LATICRETE onsite products. The hands-on workshop, a rare opportunity to learn from some of the trade’s most respected mosaicists, deepened Morgan’s artistry, precision, and detailing, which are present throughout this home.
Unique challenges, elegant details
The home’s primary suite features limestone, while the neighboring bath showcases rustic zellige, imported from Morocco. The bathroom floors and the tiled hallway spaces feature basalt, Bleu Chinois, and Pierre Noir – exotic stones chosen for their texture and depth. These layouts, dictated by precise plans, demanded alignment and flow to complete the home’s visual story – areas where LATICRETE products deliver.
The project wasn’t just about setting tiles. It was about integrating form and function in a mountainous environment where freeze-thaw cycles and moisture control are critical. Physically, the build included entry at the top of the four-story home, with three bathrooms on the lowest floor, two above, and one on the main level.
“There were days when it felt like I was hauling stone through a canyon,” Morgan said. “Working top-down on a four-story home is no joke, but that’s part of the craft. You’ve got to show up for the hard stuff.”
Each bathroom balances design and execution. Four showers were clad in glazed thin brick, paired with bold layouts and minimalist color palettes. One of the exceptional spaces was a tiled shower in the boathouse at the end of the dock – literally on the lake. With every layout dictated by plans, there was no room for improvisation, only alignment and precision.
A LATICRETE-led installation
With the stakes high, Morgan relied on LATICRETE system solutions to serve as the backbone of the installation. Morgan Tile chose LATICRETE for its adaptability in demanding conditions. Kyle Mayer, the local LATICRETE technical sales representative, provided expert support in every phase.
That collaboration reflects Morgan’s long-standing relationship with the brand, which extends beyond products into advocacy for the craft. This shared passion also strengthened his friendship with Ron Nash, President and COO of LATICRETE North America. The two connected in 2020 over a mutual love of art and photography, a connection that later brought Nash and his daughter Ava to the Tahoe home to capture the project’s craftsmanship firsthand.
“I’ve used LATICRETE for over 15 years,” said Morgan. “On a project this complex, their systems delivered exactly what we needed: reliability, versatility, and consistent performance at every step.”
Collaboration with LATICRETE was instrumental to the project’s substrate preparation. For efficient radiant floor heating, the brand’s STRATA_HEAT™ system was installed first. Morgan Tile then ensured a level floor with a full-home pour of NXT® Level Plus, a premium self-leveling underlayment that provided superior flatness for subsequent flooring additions.
In shower installations, Morgan Tile relied on quick-setting 3701 Lite Mortar to float and smooth the shower floors and walls, creating a perfectly plumb, even substrate for waterproofing. This step ensured proper slopes and flatness for precise tile alignment, while delivering the same coverage at half the weight of a conventional thick-bed mortar. For waterproofing, HYDRO BAN® Sheet Membrane was installed over the mortar bed on the shower floors and pans. This was paired with versatile LATICRETE bonding flange drains for secure, adaptable connections. On the shower walls, HYDRO BAN® Board served as both the substrate and the waterproofing layer. Its lightweight, reinforced construction simplified handling and eliminated the need for cement or fiberglass-based backers. Due to the large format and weight of tiles used throughout the bathrooms, installers set them with TRI-LITE®, a lightweight, high-performance adhesive mortar designed for large and heavy tile, thin-bed, and wall installations.
A standout feature was the edge detail. Master fabricator and owner of Czarnowski Marble And Granite Works, Patrick Czarnowski, executed miters and stair nosings, tackling the challenge of handmade tiles and limestone. His craftsmanship elevated the project’s finish.
This full suite of LATICRETE products handled elevation shifts, varied substrates, and mountain weather – all without compromise.
It takes a team
It took a team to bring the project across the finish line. Alongside Morgan Tile, Dave McGuirk of California-based DLM Flooring contributed his expertise in floor preparation and setting, while Kris Kemp of Louisiana’s Kemp Tile brought specialized skills in large-format stone installation. The tile itself was provided by Youngs Carpet One of Grass Valley, Calif., ensuring access to the premium materials that defined the project’s finish.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Morgan noted, “This craft is built on the backs of artists. I’m working to make sure we don’t forget that – and that we keep pushing the art form forward.”
The completed home is a unique statement carved into granite, standing firm on its foundation, nearly touching the lake – wrapped in tile work that’s as enduring as it is expressive. And while this Lake Tahoe home is private, it holds sway as a public example of tile artistry meeting technical excellence, trusted partnerships, and a relentless commitment to the craft.
