A mosaic is a collection of smaller pieces of material brought together to make one larger piece of art. While everything we make is a mosaic by definition, for this blog we're focusing on those tile installations that take the artistic aspect of our creations to the next level. These are mosaics that depict specific ideas, scenes, or concepts. They are expressive, bold, intricate, and best of all, they are modern. Here are 6 modern mosaic tile ideas to motivate you to add some modern mosaics to your next remodel...
1. Have Your Tile Say Something
This project is near and dear to our hearts. It's also conveniently located in our Minneapolis factory so we get to enjoy it every day. Our owner and founder, Mercedes Austin, teamed up with Minnesotan artist and muralist, Adam Turman to create this looker during Art-A-Whirl 2019. This is an original illustration by Adam, then Mercedes worked with our Tile Elves to find a creative way to fill it in with our handmade tile.
Wondering why there are pliers in this illustration? We call it a tile nipper. That's what we use to break tile apart. Once the tile is nipped, we connect the organically broken pieces together to make a more traditional looking mosaic. This style of mosaic making is how our company got started; Mercedes would make custom pieces for clients with this classic process. You can learn how to do it yourself with our Tile Classes.
Want to see more ways to incorporate text into your tile? Read our blog "Creative Ways to Use Tiled Lettering with Mosaics"
3"x8" Subway Tile, Custom Shapes - 366 Satin Black, Custom Colors.
2. Layer and Mix Shapes
We can't take credit for this amazing piece of art, but we are proud to say it's created with our tile. For this project we donated leftover tile to GoodSpace Murals, here's what our Founder Mercedes Austin has to say about them:
We pride ourselves in being involved with various communities and organizations by creating custom mosaics and donating tile. A few of our favorite past projects include Mainsprings and 200 Orphanages Worldwide, YouthCARE, and Garfield Park Academy in New Jersey.
Want to get super creative with your tile? Learn about the process of making a custom mosaic with us by reading our blog "7 Steps to Designing a Custom Backsplash"
A lot of spare tile in many shapes and colors. :)
3. Go Minimal
Making something artistic and bold can still be minimal. There's no better proof than Chowgirls Killer Catering unique statement wall in their office headquarters. We created this unique cluster of Hexagon tiles to represent the hive of energy that their office holds. To top it off we had friend and fellow woman business owner, Susan of Lazy Susan's Pottery help us with screen printing honey bees onto a few tiles to complete the look.
Learn all about this project with our blog "Chowgirls Killer Catering New HQ with Handmade Tile"
Large Hexagons - 1950E Indian Summer, 1950W Indian Summer. Photo by @Laurenbphotog.
4. Add a Bold Pattern
Turn any space of your home into a piece of art by adding a bold pattern to your tile. We love how intricate this one is, each side of tile only measures 2" - isn't that just dainty and adorable? This design was inspired by the popular cement tile that first appeared in the 1850s in Catalonia, Spain. We wanted to make a ceramic tile version, because ceramic tile is much more durable than cement tile. Our ceramic tile has glaze that's fired in a kiln at temperatures around 2000 degrees for 8 hours, making the surface impermeable. Compare this to cement tile which is never fired and dried at room temperature, making it porous and prone to absorption.
Learn more about our tile making process with our blog "Handmade Artisan Tile Step by Step Process"
2"x2" Subway Tile & Triangles - 366 Satin Black, 301 Marshmallow, 39 London Fog, 1013 Denim.
5. Create a One-Of-A-Kind Image
Do you have a theme, symbol, or image that you'd like to create in tile? We love to turn your ideas and tile dreams into a reality. For this project, the homeowners had a mountain modern cabin, where fishing would be plenty. We created this simple fish design for them as a fireplace hearth. What better shape to surround the fish than Moroccan Fish Scales?
See the beautiful finished fireplace and a second Moroccan Fish Scale install in their kitchen with our blog "Mountain Modern Kitchen Backsplash & Tiled Fireplace"
Custom Shapes - 1025 Heirloom Silver, 1083 Honeysuckle, Custom Color. Medium Moroccan Fish Scales - 913 Old Copper.
6. Make a Scene With Color
Rather than using a complex mixture of shapes to depict a scene, try this clean and modern approach. Use one shape and create your final image with color. Our talented layout team does this by custom cutting shapes with such precision that tiles with 3 different colors still maintain the perfect hexagon shape. Once we're finished with a complex tile design like this, we glue the entire project on mesh sheeting so easy install.
Get the details about our easy-to-install mesh sheeting with our blog "Mesh Sheets: The Answer to your Install Questions"
Small Hexagons - custom colors. Photo by @caro_cappuccino.
Feeling Inspired?
Order tile samples to see, touch, and fall in love with our handmade tiles in person. We would also love to hear what inspires you! Tell us more about your future project and get the ball rolling.
The post 6 Modern Mosaic Ideas to Try appeared first on Artisan Tile Company: Handmade Ceramic Tiles by Mercury Mosaics.
for a chance to be featured in our gallery.
