Why tap tile and stone for your project? It’s simple: Nothing else will do.
Anyone who calls in tile and stone for a project knows exactly why they’re doing it: nothing else will do. The lasting impact, the undeniable material integrity, the connection with the natural world — tile and stone delivers an experience that other materials just can’t. There’s a reason these are the go-to materials for designers and architects determined to tell a memorable story. This spring Ann Sacks unveils a collection dedicated to doing just that: inviting evocative storytelling at home. The products included in Transformative Design, says Chief Product Designer DeeDee Gundberg, have the unique ability to evoke beautiful, globe-trotting experiences and daily good feelings. Here, according to DeeDee is why each of the new offerings made the cut.
Included among a recent mosaic offering, one specific marble tile was such a unique and beguiling color that the development team deemed it ready for its own moment in the spotlight. Though unequivocally not gray (nor purple, to be clear), the stone is veined with a most sophisticated lilac hue, at times dramatic and defined or wispy and gentle. (You get to decide which to use where, of course.) Interestingly, the hue presents itself as neutral-adjacent. There are few colors or design ideas that would be ruled out by the lilac-flecked stones; and few that wouldn’t be taken to new heights with this most unexpected stone tile which lives as field tile (16x16 and 12x24), 2” hexagon, and in a flower mosaic shape, too. Try this: Pick a shape (the field, hex or mosaic) and incorporate it throughout, be it for a feature wall, shower floor — or sheathing a whole room.
Deceptively simple, Context is a richly nuanced glazed porcelain tile that exhibits dazzling complexity when used en masse. The secret to Context success is abundance. In other words: more is more! Made by Japanese artisans revered for its sophisticated glazes, these tiles are each treated to a wisp of translucent coating. It settles on each piece uniquely, lending to the product slight variations in depth and color when installed by the dozens. Altogether the effect feels hand-wrought, revealing its beauty to those who stop to admire. The hue introduced this spring, a finely honed emerald, is the story of the season as this particular green, equal parts energetic and grounding, arrives as the must-do color of the moment. Try this: It’s so easy — chose a shape and cover floor to ceiling and then some. The advanced take: A feature wall in the 2x2 pillowed shape flanked by a field tile of the same hue.
Capitalizing on two enduring mega-trends, terrazzo and fluting, the Terrazzo Renata Collection is growing with two new vastly different colorways: Black & White and Grigio Carnico. In the dramatic black and white version, white marble chunks are tumbled into smooth, organic orbs and tossed into a resilient, ink-colored resin base, cured, and then sliced into its shape. The stark contrast is a scorching attention-getter. It’s the same process for Grigio Carnico but this time with natural, unpolished marble and a charcoal gray substrate, serving up elegance and luxe restraint. Try it: Behind a bar in an entryway, a feature wall behind a soaking tub, a floor-the-ceiling fireplace wall. Basically anywhere drama is called for.
A pairing of new shapes to play with, the iconic and malleable swiss cross and a versatile ribbed field file join the dimensional tiles of the MADE program. The endlessly fun-to-arrange swiss cross gets even more fun with geometric relief and an artisan glaze. It’s pattern possibilities aplenty with Opal Swiss Cross. Copper Concave is versatile but classic, showing off rolling wavelike ribbing for noticeable texture anddimension. Here, the glaze breaks away at the high points and pools in the low ones leaving plenty of unexpected color interpretation and boundless design opportunities. Try it: Use dimensional tiles like these for a double-take moment in a white kitchen —the effect is streamlined and polished but upon the second glance, a surprise discovery in an otherwise monochromatic space.
This luxe, sheet-tile marble mosaic appears lively in the hand, but underfoot or wrapping a wall, it’s a sublime celebration of marble sophistication — and now with a hit of color inflection. With the handful of neutral offerings becoming rapidly more popular, the collection cried for a hit of color. This spring Rosa and Lilac styles join the classics, each a perfect blend of their pink and purple hued marbles alongside Bianco Dolomite. The result is even prettier than slabs of the primary stone itself since from the stone slabs is culled only the most choice palettes and veining patterns, thereby precise in capturing the loveliness of the unique stone hues for the enjoyment of those who live amongst it. Try it: Feature wall, a great expanse of floor, anywhere it can spread out and flaunt its geometry and hues.
The kitchen reno conundrum: It’s hard to decide where to splurge, easy to carelessly overspend; and the choices you commit to are lasting. Here, some industry pros talk honestly about where the money’s worth it, where not—and why. There’s one thing they all agree on: The easiest choices are guided by love.
