Written by Sophie Donelson
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The designers, artists and makers at Ann Sacks have been heads-down for months as they crafted, innovated, and refined a series of new products with jaw-dropping aesthetics and lasting integrity. There’s the artful Oriana, which invites subtle and sophisticated creative applications and the eye-catching Areva, which launches a new paradigm of tile brilliance: the mini stone mosaic. Whether you’re shopping for a tile to support the harmony of a sophisticated room or a stone that brings main character energy to the stage, you’ll find it in the spring lineup.
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An earthy, love-worn aesthetic from the celebrated design firm’s Ann Sacks collaboration.
What it is: Earthenware tiles in 3" x 6" and 6" x 6" in a range of six McGee colors: White, Natural, Flax, Driftwood, Harbor, and Oakmoss.
Where it shines: A richer, more textural solution for wherever subway goes: Utility room walls, backsplashes, bath and kitchen. The colorways, slightly muted, but with a point of view, are inspired directly from the paints that Shea uses in her projects.
Cool fact: The tiles were initially developed by pressing linen cloth into the wet ceramic, but the texture wasn’t strong enough. To get it right, Ann Sacks master mold maker Nesteren Demirdag wove a more dramatic type of linen cloth exclusively to translate the pleasing fibrous texture to tile.
Where you can shop: Browse the MADE Linen Weave by Studio McGee collection here.
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With this in your hands, you’re an artist, too.
What it is: 6’’ x 6’’ porcelain tiles (in Abyss, Coral, Rope, and Shore) packaged in a random mix of four textured designs meant to be arranged to your liking. Infinitely flexible and undoubtedly foolproof, Oriana is an artful addition to the value-friendly porcelain collection.
What makes it new: Inspired by plaster art, these offer movement and texture, the feeling of trowel patterns or brushstrokes in porcelain. A set of four variations in each bundle allows for myriad placement options. Get artsy, have fun, there’s no wrong answer.
Where it shines: On walls — especially big walls, says DeeDee Gundberg, Chief Designer, Ann Sacks. “This is a subtle textural, tonal design that just sings when it's put on the wall. It’s soft — it doesn’t demand attention, but with the right lighting, the wall comes alive.”
Where you can shop: Browse the Oriana collection here.
An innovative, sustainable, and transporting journey in color.
What it is: Glazed ceramic made of 100% recycled materials, available in two sizes, two colorways, and three patterns.
What makes it special: The groundbreaking WasteLAB program transforms manufacturing waste into dazzling new product. In the hands of multidisciplinary artist Nada Debs, color, light, and translucence unite for unparalleled depth and feeling.
Behind the scenes: Lebanon-born, Japan-raised Nada Debs looked to the culture of the Middle Eastern hammam to create this design. Debs explains how the three-tiered color gradation echoes the ritual of hammer: “The first room, a dry room, to set the intention, the second room for cleansing and bathing, and the third for community and socialization.”
Where it shines: True to its name, Transcendence works for any space where you’re looking to create an immersive environment of peace and transformation.
Where you can shop: Browse the Transcendence by Kohler WasteLAB x Nada Debs collection here.
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Beguiling stone gets the beloved ombre treatment.
What it is: Stone mosaic (8’’x8’’) and plank, in both a solid and a gradient, in neutral Thassos, Lotus Green and Lilac.
What makes it special: Two special ways of creating a custom ombre look on the wall or floor. The mini-mosaic is extra-diminutive, utilizing tiny mosaic stones secured with epoxy. The 8’’x8’’ sheeted mosaics are each unique, moving from the creamy white Thassos into a delicate gradient and finally a purer color, Lotus Green or Lilac. The plank is another option, offering solids and a gradient tile of bands of colored stone, sliced and epoxied into a seamless and smooth finish.
The appeal: “Ombres are so popular, and there’s a reason you’re seeing it everywhere — paint colors, textiles, graphics, even nails and makeup!” says Gundberg. “People are drawn to it because it captures your eye and moves it around and that’s so pleasing, it’s just simply enjoyable to look at.”
Where you can shop: Browse the Areva collection here.
Gravitas and elegance in a pairing of terracotta and marble.
What it is: Terra cotta tiles with accent stones Afion Violet, Botticino, Red Marble, and Red Travertine and a pair of micro-mosaic tiles in marble and terracotta.
What makes it special: Terra cotta is grounded, earthy and rustic, a mainstay of Mediterranean life and architecture, and here, is made refined with the addition of marble detailing. These evoke an easygoing, old-world elegance, the remnants of a family estate somewhere in Italy.
Where they shine: Floors, from patios to entryways and mudrooms — and then up the wall.
Unexpected joy: Gundberg added an additional micro mosaic design to the collection for pure love of the medium. “The smaller you go, the more interesting it is,” she says, citing their visual drama and tactile quality, “it's something for both your eyes and for your hands.”
Where you can shop: Browse the Terossa collection here.
Ann Sacks’ Chief Designer DeeDee Gundberg has the inside scoop on statement-making collections that exude European elan and splendor. Magnifico!
