Page 17 - 2018 Your Home Your Way

2018 • YOUR HOME YOUR WAY • THE BRANDON SUN 17

Says Italian architect Paola Marella: “Technological
progress has expanded the range of finishes available
for ceramic tiles. For example, digital printing ... has
extended the confines of images beyond the individual
piece. But screen-printed and hand-printed tiles retain
their appeal.”
That appeal is especially apparent when the artist’s
technique is obvious, as in Ornamenta’s Manifesto
collection of porcelain tiles screen-printed with ab-
stract images that were initially rendered free-hand on
canvas.
New Ravenna features a Chinoiserie bird-on-
branch pattern made of marcasite, mica, pewter and
quartz glass. The design was by artist Sara Baldwin of
Exmoor, Virginia. Also here is Manhattan artist Gail
Miller’s moody “Black Pool” painting of deep eddying
water and a storm-tossed sky, rendered in tiny, hand-
cut mosaics.
Settecento’s Animalier collection features python,
cheetah and leopard-skin prints on large porcelain
tiles. And Italian company Sicis offers intriguing mo-
saic collections patterned like realistic feathers or
lizard skin.
If you like the look of tile but you rent or can’t oth-
erwise use the real deal, consider Home Smith’s Beija
Flor vinyl mats. They come printed with a range of
patterns like encaustic, mosaic and geometrics; it’s
flooring that looks like a master craftsman or artist
spent hours working on it.
By adding a colourful shag area rug and matching cushions to your existing neutral palette, you’ve
» The Associated Press already got a retro look without buying new furniture. (Canadian Press)