"Tile Obsession | Modular Mosaics"
House & Garden, February 2007, by Chloe Lieske

No shy wallflowers, new ready-to-mount designs in bold patterns and oversized graphics pack a big punch

In the dead of winter, a wall of lushly hued blossom is there for you when nature isn’t. While tile has long been a favorite for wet areas like bathrooms, show stopping mosaics in oversized graphics beg to be brought out into other rooms of the house. Italian tile makes Bisazza and Sicis now offer striking designs like sweet florals and cheeky damasks in modular formats, so a pattern can be applied in any width. Use the tiles as a narrow wall accent or arrayed as a large mural. Try a splash of glittering glass or marble somewhere unexpected: make a grand entrance with an accented wall in the foyer, turn a neglected vestibule into a patterned jewel box, or lie down for your beauty rest beneath a dazzling motif in place of a traditional headboard. Sweet dreams. 

1 Peacock Plum, in marble, $425 per sq. ft. and 2 Pumped-Up Paisley, in glass, $275 per sq. ft., both hand-laid patterns [by New Ravenna and available] through Studium, NYC, 212-486-1811, www.studiumnyc.com