Tile Inspires
For me every project starts in the same place and in a different place. The client is always the center, the core but then something else will lead to the "aha" moment in each project which takes it to a new level. It can be a comment from the client, their hobby, their values, or it can be a material, pattern or color that strikes me as just right for this client, for this home, for this architecture, for this time.
Lately, I have been thinking about tile in a new way. Thinking about new applications, new places to use tile and thinking about how a simple tile can become extraordinary by the way it is laid out. Tile is an interesting material and too often it is relegated to a utilitarian role...poor tile. Perhaps we could create a new role for tile...maybe it could be a star or the center attraction.
These images show tiles being used at fireplaces, on entry walls, and on curved walls. I am thinking about how tile adds texture, beauty and is a practical long lasting material. Tile showrooms are great resources for gaining inspiration and many resources can be found on the web as well.
There are also local resources for tile, installation and mosiac art which I also find inspiring.
As a designer, I know that having the best materials is only the start the inspiration from which to build the three dimensional composition that becomes a space that supports, inspires, and embraces it' occupants. By having the vision to use materials in new ways we can provoke new ideas about space, texture, and lasting choices.
