Mosaic tiles are certainly becoming more popular, with exciting new ranges that add a touch of magic to your living space hailed as one of the biggest trends in bathrooms in 2013.
Mosaics are compositions made up of small pieces or tesserae. They give energy and sumptuousness to a room by breaking up the uniformity of one sole wall design. They are also often found in decorative borders and swimming pools, or placed around a shower or washbasin.
Mosaics have even entered into the world of street art, which has taken mosaic artwork onto another level. The French Invader and Mark Kennedy are just two leading artists who have brought mosaics to the forefront.
The French Invader models his mosaic work on the crude pixilation of 1970s 8-bit video games. He took his name from the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders, and mainly composes square ceramic tiles inspired by video game characters. Mark Kennedy, from the UK, takes iconic images such as Ray Charles and Sofia Loren and gives them a new lease of life through mosaic.
Companies such as SICIS, Bisazza, Porcelanosa and Ezarri are all well known for their mosaics, and are considered as key trend-setting companies in the world of interior design. Mosaics bring an additional element to interior design that mixes an age-old tradition with new and exciting designs that can take centre stage in a room.
SICIS focuses on technology to develop high-end products, combining Italian creativity and style. Italian Renaissance architecture was the inspiration behind the new furniture collection designed by architect Massimiliano Raggi, from Studio Raggi, together with the SICIS Lab team.
The new collection was exhibited at the 2014 Salone del Mobile exhibition. Cabinets, sideboards and bar furniture were embellished with mosaic inserts and finishings, using precious materials, bronze and mirrored pieces of iconic Italian buildings such as the Venice clock tower, Bramante’s Tempietto situated in the S. Pietro Church in Rome and the basilica of Saint Paul.
Their expert mosaic working was also seen on the headboard of one of the beds, creating a sublime three-dimensional effect where the glimmer of the tiny mosaic tesserae provided colour and an endless reverberation of light thanks to 800 hours of their labour.
Bisazza, also a market-leading Italian glass mosaic brand for both interior and exterior decoration, has collaborated with the world’s leading figures in architecture, design, art and fashion including Marcel Wanders, Nendo, Patricia Urquiola and Paola Navone.
Founded in 1956 in Alte in the province of Vicenza, today it is an avant-garde company characterised by the use of modern technologies and special attention to contemporary design. In 2006, Bisazza brought out its “Home” line, which is a collection of furniture and interior décor that combines mosaics with other materials.
Five years later, Bisazza followed that collection with its bathroom range “Bagno” and created the Fondazione Bisazza, a new cultural space dedicated to contemporary architecture.
Back in Spain, Porcelanosa has brought out a collection called L’Antic Colonial, which combines mosaics with products from Venis and Porcelanosa, creating a huge range of inspirational ideas with a wide range of colours and finishes that use the best mosaic and ceramic products.
Ezarri, based in Lazkao in the north of Spain, claims to be the first glass mosaic company to obtain the ISO 9001:2008 quality certificate that recognises the maturity and efficiency of quality and service. Its designs are avant-garde and its products are sustainable.
The Chandelier & Mirror Company recently created a mosaic mannequin. This dazzling life-size mosaic mannequin represents a naked and svelte seated lady. She is leaning forward and slightly twisted to form a beautiful classic pose with the head elegantly looking up. The way the figure is sitting serves to create a dynamic arrangement, giving a sense of motion and exuberance. The figure is covered in small squares of mirrored glass held together with brilliant white plaster, providing a illuminated feel to the sculpture. This piece of artwork is contemporary, glamorous and flamboyant, and serves as an extremely eye-catching piece of mosaic artwork.
As a devotee of craftsmanship and savoir-faire, Stéphanie Coutas designs plush, elegant and warm spaces. She fuses her love of beautiful workmanship and romanticism to create neo-classical and contemporary interiors that are imbued with magical creativity. Her designs feature clean lines, nude tones with precious wood, dévoré velvet, Murano glass, shagreen… and mosaics, as showcased in her own home, Villa Said, a townhouse located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. (www.stephaniecoutas.com).
