Maiolica to feast your eyes on by Dolce & Gabbana

Mosaicology's favourite fashion brand is nailing it with beautiful Italian tiles for their Summer Collection.

Discover and enjoy.

Red mosaic heart

Hi everyone,

Here's a new design at the mosaicology shop (on a tile): Red mosaic heart.

We like the idea of using faux-mosaic on a tile as this could inspire interesting combinations for decorative ideas. Hearts go everywhere. In a frame, on kitchen walls, in the living room.

Red mosaic heart is available on Girl's Tees, Women's Sweatshirts, Tank Tops, Mugs, Tiles, Teapots and Pillows.

Find out more here.

Innovative Kitchen Backsplash Ideas (Guest post by Kelsey Reaves)

Dear Mosaicology readers,

Today I am delighted to feature another guest blogger. Her name is Kelsey Reaves and she works at Modernize based in Austin, Texas. Her post travels you through the woods and natural settings of far away places where sitting around the fireplace, inspired by the mesmerizing beauty and scented wood is typical routine! How about that? Be sure to check out their site for lots of ideas for your home.

Would you like to write for Mosaicology? Email me your ideas at mgdp05 (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Innovative Kitchen Backsplash Ideas

If you want to add personality to your kitchen, a backsplash can do wonders. From spicing up a plain rental apartment to changing up decade-old decor in your house, it’s one of the most effective and exciting ways to give this central room in your house a makeover.

Here are a few gorgeous kitchen backsplashes to inspire you to have fun with your kitchen update. Make sure to head over to Modernize for more interior design and decor ideas.

Earthy, Rustic and Classic

via exotiles.blogspot.com

One of the most time-tested decorative solutions when it comes to kitchen backsplashes is mosaic art, and this nature themed panel made of soft hues make you feel like you’re in a chic and comfy cabin in the woods. The theme, reminiscent of ancient Roman mosaic floors, will definitely draw the eyes and create an unmistakably elegant and classic atmosphere.


Tile Alternatives
 

via Modernize

Who said you needed tiles to make a mosaic backsplash? You can use anything from rocks to slats of wood to wine corks. This cork backsplash is bold, yet coherent with the style of this kitchen/bar area—and thematically appropriate! It’s fun and classy at the same time. 

Pops of Color

via remodelista.com

A colorful backsplash is exactly what any sleek kitchen needs. This pattern of blue by Granada Tile in Los Angeles parallels the calm and clean vibe of this kitchen. Don't be afraid of bright bursts of color especially for a repeated pattern like this one.
 

Divine Subtlety

via New Ravenna Mosaics

The marble effect of this backsplash gives it a look reminiscent of oriental carpets, while the pattern’s central intricate motif in gray give an open, airy and majestic feel to the room. Using only two soft colours can produce a minimal and soothing design.
 

A Backsplash that Knows No Bounds

via Modernize

Who said backsplashes only go behind the kitchen sink? If you love the pattern and colors you’ve chosen, why not let the backsplash become a reigning feature of the room? This exciting red backsplash looks even better around the windows than it does on the wall.
 

Deliberate Patterns

via Modernize

Part of the beauty of mosaic backsplashes is their unpredictability, when there’s no set color or design that comes next. But sometimes purposeful patterns can be just as exciting, especially when you allow them to be the main feature of your decor. 

***

Thank you, Kelsey!

Inspiring mixed media mosaic boxes

 

 

I thought these mosaic boxes were beautiful and rather unusual. Created by students at the Whitney High School in Cerritos, Ca. Image credit ARTISUN. 

Precious Pink - Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Walker Zanger

image credit Walker Zanger
Vintage WZ Perlino Rosato Marble, Lunada Bay Mini Mosaic Burleywood, Vintage WZ Rose Tea Marble e Zlatan Klimenta

This is a collage created by Walker Zanger, a stone and tile company I have recently discovered. This beautiful collage was posted on Twitter yesterday for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I simply wanted to share it here with you.

Disclaimer: I don't receive money from posts that feature products and work of companies and artists. All I write here is based on my personal opinion and taste. If you like my style and are interested to get some writing done for your site or marketing material (invitations, white papers, newsletters), click here to find out more.

Everything's coming up flowers in Bisazza's 2013 mosaic collection and Milan's Runways

image credit Bisazza
posted on Twitter by @Bisazzaofficial 28/09/2012 at 12.30

Who hasn't heard of Bisazza one of Italy's top luxury design and mosaic brands? Their vitreous mosaic tiles are famous worldwide and the brand basically needs no introduction. It's a name you will definitely encounter if you are into mosaic. Artists and customers alike.

This groovy floral 70s style pattern, from Bisazza's 2013 mosaic collection, would be normally expected to be seen in a painting, a dress, a cushion. Yet, a mosaic interpretation of this motif - is one of the many ways of saying to the world that mosaic has true potential that knows no limits. When turning motifs - usually used in other artforms - into mosaic, there's always a slight risk that you will not get that seamless result. For an established brand like Bisazza there's no such risk. This motif, in the hands of their design and mosaic artists, is transformed into an outstanding decorative panel.

The brown-blue colour combination is also worth looking at. Brown, the colour of the earth. Blue, the colour of the sky. These colours together bring a sense wholeness and tranquility. A rather "reserved" combination, a work of art like this goes everywhere and would be ideal into a corporate environment.

Apparently flowers is one of this year's trends !

Simone Rocha S/S 2013 Runway

"See" the flowers on Milan's runway?

Prada Spring 2013

More flower power

Christina Ricci wearing Valentino Resort 2013

Kerry Washington wearing J.Mendel Resort 2013

Alexander McQueen Resort 2013

See more of the 2013 mosaic collection on Bisazza's Facebook. The following image will definitely convince you to go take a look!

image credit Bisazza

Disclaimer: I don't receive money from my posts when presenting products and work of companies and artists. All I write here is based on my personal opinion and taste. If you like my style and are interested to get some writing done for your site or marketing material (invitations, white papers, newsletters), click here to find out more.

Lenny Kravitz stirs us up and this time it’s not the music. It’s speaker-style tiles!

Lenny Kravitz against a background covered with the tiles he designed

Speakers

Known for his powerful and stimulating music now also known for his design skill. More than just a knack for design, Lenny Kravitz has a hidden talent. A talent that has found an outlet in the form and shape of three-dimensional tiles juxtaposed in diverse ways.  

Yes, I have found out only just now too!
 
The Goccia (italian for "drop") collection designed by Kravitz and created in collaboration with LEA Ceramiche is an expression of his alter artistic ego and not easy to label as pertaining to a particular style. Precisely just like with his music. Whenever you listen to a Lenny Kravitz song you know it's him. His voice is inimitable. Well, I guess most singers have a unique voice but Kravitz is more than that.

I recall a song of his that I guess it’s not that famous. It’s called I built this garden for us. If you haven’t heard it go ahead. This song alone shows how gifted this musician/designer is. You can tell he could do amazing things. That song was ahead of his times with a sound like no other (imho). Enchanting, emotional, powerful and stimulating. 

Lenny Kravitz is that kind of artist that stirs you up. His looks, his music and now his art. His designs have something “musical” about them as you will see if you go and browse through his official website. The Goccia collection is a vivid example. The tiles sort of resemble speakers ! At least that’s what I thought the moment I saw them. Putting them together, you get the feeling of being in a recording studio!

Besides building idealistic gardens and sounds in a real three dimensional world, Kravitz gives us new ways to use three dimensions in design. Stirring us up in any case.

More about LEA Ceramiche and Goccia HERE

A great article about the collection HERE

Lenny Kravitz official website HERE

Image credit LEA Ceramiche

Bisazza NOW at Cersaie - Just posted on Twitter

Here's a quick post to share an image just posted on Twitter by Bisazza from CERSAIE.

Bisazza

Live from #Cersaie 2012in Bologna, Italy. Here's to you "Hana Flower Light" design by Nendo part of the Bisazza Mosaic Collection 2013! Like?

Rough but irresistible: "Elite Even Crema Grecia" mosaic tiles (by L'Antic Colonnial)

Elite Even Crema Grecia by L'Antic Colonial

These gorgeous mosaic tiles here from L'Antic Colonial have truly impressed me. This is the kind of splashback you would see in those chic hotels or in a beautifully restored house on the Greek islands. This is the kind of wall that wouldn't worry you about cleaning methods and products because it's just too attractive to resist.

This is simplicity at its best. It's TEXTURE, shape and angles making the statement. No design is necessary here. It would be a surplus. The stones are telling the story. A totally CAPTIVATING story.

image credit L'Antic Colonnial

Invitation to a ...Tuscan Dance (Baldwin and Barbieri at CERSAIE Bologna September 2012)

I mentioned the CERSAIE event previously on this blog when I wrote about the participation of SICIS, the mosaic art factory. What I still haven't mentioned on MOSAICOLOGY, however - and I am glad to get the chance to do it just now - is the truly gifted American mosaic artist Sara Baldwin who's going to be in Bologna with Giovanni Barbieri, Italy's maesto of material and form.

Find out more about their joint work and view the invitation to the event, where they will be introducing a new collection that blends Tuscan terracotta and Murano glass, here.

PS: I might be able to help if you need an English or Greek INTERPRETER in BOLOGNA during the Cersaie event. Email me so I can get in touch with you.

Rustic shower with mosaic tiles and stacked stale

Asian Bathroom design by San Francisco Interior Designer Jan Gunn Interior Architecture and Design

Everything about this shower is irresistible starting from the choice of colours then the rustic look, the minimalistic approach, the shell curtains and last but not least the stacked slate. Since details truly count, look at the soap bars. In hues of brown just like the tiles! The warmth and the balance in this bathroom is perfect. At least, to my view...

image credit houzz.com

5 Mosaic Tile Looks that Will Enhance the Natural Beauty of Your Home - GUEST POST

Written by Jane Fitzgerald who writes for Glass Tile Warehouse
 

Tile surfaces add a texture and a permanence that other surfaces simply cannot achieve, but it’s important to find a color and pattern than match the space. These five applications select mosaic tiles that make good use of light and texture to create looks that are balanced, vibrant and timeless.

Mixed Blue Sheen

More than one decent bathroom has been ruined by the misapplication of blue tiles to a large wall. But the mixture of this blue and turquoise mosaic shimmers in the strong light of this bathroom’s big window. The large dark vanity also helps to balance the glimmer of the mosaic shimmer, grounding it with hard lines and a dark wood finish. When you work with such vibrant mosaic patterns, it’s important not to make the rest of the space too busy, and this space strikes a good balance.

Blue Glass Tile Table

It’s always nice to see tile surfaces show up where you don’t expect them. This steel table frames the electric blue of the glass tiles beautifully, and the choice of green accessories helps pull off a complementary color balance that could easily have wound up looking dated. Here, it simply looks expertly arranged. Without the accessories, the mosaic pattern might look bare and unfinished, which just shows you that a mosaic pattern alone may not complete a space.

Rough Stone Veneer

 

Too often, the neutral tones of stone mosaics like this are relegated to the background with a centerpiece mirror. Here, the mirror is excluded above the vanity and the rough, chunky stone surface takes center stage. The single-handle antique brass faucet emerges from the mosaic almost as if it’s been there for a century. If not for the small contemporary size of the tiles, you could swear they were aged as well. The modernity of the design is subtle, allowing the texture of the rough-cut tile to dominate the space.

Wavy Glass Mosaic

A good way to shake up traditional expectations is to play with lines, and this installation definitely does that. The sharpness of the vertical lines is cutely disrupted by the wavy horizontal curves. The curves are echoed in the glass candlesticks and the paisley curves of the wall tile. All of it scatters light, mixing transparency and opacity. Whether natural or artificial light, it all looks clean in the slightly dirty-white tiles.

Wood on Grayscale

In a time when bold colors are in vogue, it’s nice to see an understated grayscale tile in play. A rich wood grain will warm up the coolness of the gray, while the boxy mosaic structure mixes with the organic chaos of the tile mixture. The straight lines of the contemporary cabinetry play off the pixilated gray tiles in a way that more traditional cabinets would not.

Image credits:

·         Stone tile: besthousedesign.com

·         Wavy-glass-tiles interiordesign-newyork.com

·         Blue glass tile tishflooring.com

·         Blue-tile-table usarchitecture.com

·         Grayscale-tile atlantalegacyhomes.blogspot.com