Backsplash is 5/8″x5/8″ flow glass mosaic which flows down inbetween the sinks onto the couter top with Grigio Perla sandstone on either side. Installed by E&A Tile Co 425-345-6727 and Clear Water construction as the builder 206-650-3872.
Archive for December, 2008
Granite; it’s a tricky stone. It has been a favorite for homeowners as counter top material since slabs became popular. Granite is known for its multicolored crystal format and either glossy or honed (not glossy) finish and relatively high durability, but it is the multicolor characteristic or massive amount of movement with in the stone itself which many forget when designing around it.
Movement, a strange almost ironic word when describing stone. How could stone have movement? It’s stone. The “movement” in granite is caused from the number of colors and crystal formations in each piece of tile or slab. It is this movement which we in the design field constantly have to remind people about when they are thinking about backsplashes.
It’s not your fault you get strange looks from your designer when you want to put every idea you saw on HGTV into your backsplash, it’s the movement in the granite. Remember less is more. You spent all this money on your granite, you obviously wanted it to be a focal point, and then you want to add a lot of extra design to the backsplash. Does that make sense?
Remember when designing with granite, first decide whether you want to highlight your backsplash or your counter top, which might cause you reconsider that granite with major waves of color. If highlighting the granite, choose a backsplash that will be a little more subdued.
When figuring out a backsplash, a good way to look at granite counter tops is like clothing. When you get dressed you don’t want to put on every piece of jewelry you own, plus your gold shoes when you are already wearing a plaid dress and carrying your reptile print purse. No, because it would be too much. Instead you would choose one signature item and use the rest to enhance that one item. Your kitchen can be thought of in much the same way.
The 70’s and contemporary tile don’t often go in the same sentence unless you are Cat (Catherine) Braconnier. Montreal designer and artistic director since 2004 for Ciot, a wholesaler and distributor. Cat has brought back the 70’s in a good way through her newest line, and one of Statement’s newest ceramic tile lines, Tonic. The edgy patterns and colors are reminiscent of the 70’s but still have the smooth lines and contemporary modern feel the design community craves. The official Tonic launch took place at the, world-renowned Cersaie International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings in Bologna, Italy in October of ‘07.
Although Cat sees her line in the typical residential applications she would also love to see it be used more architecturally for instance a dining room wall. Commercially she sees it being used in hotels, restaurants, office bathrooms and spas. With her thoughts of commercial use she would one day love to walk into a boutique hotel in Seattle and find her tile in the bathroom. She feels, “….Tonic’s low relief creates both a visual and tactile aesthetic.”
Cat’s inspiration for Tonic was obviously from the 70’s but why? She says the patterns, music, textures and colors really appealed to her. She also noticed the 70’s are a major influence in today’s fashion and it is this blending of fashion and design that she wanted to bring to the MUDtile vision. Another way of blending design and fashion was the assurance that within the warm color scheme all the colors mix and matched together like an outfit. Out of the seven colors in the Tonic line Statements will stock the white, grey and chocolate in a 10×20 plane rectified wall tile, 10×20 raised deco and a ½x10 coprisilo (quarter round) and a poly decoro in white. Tonic will join the ranks of existing Statements lines such as Solid.
With the world in an economic spiral, Christmas and Christmas trees are a little harder to handle this year. Statements has always had a tree brought in with lights from somewhere else. This year we decided to not only be green, but economical and cut down our own tree. No, this was no trip to the forest. We visited Red-wood Christmas Tree Farm local and family owned, organically grown in Woodinville.
The best part of the whole trip was the memories Susan and I had from going. We trudged out the Tuesday before Thanksgiving when it was pouring rain. Not moderately pouring, but what seemed at the time like a torrential downpour pouring. The best part was that we got to actually cut the tree down ourselves. They give you a limb saw and tell you any tree is $40 regardless of size (we definitely took advantage of that) and you get to cut down any tree you want. It was great fun and we had lots of laughs, plus how often do you get to cut down a tree when you live in the city? I also found I am not going to be able to quit our jobs and become lumberjacks anytime soon.
The final outcome was great. We love our tree, we saved a ton of money and we enjoyed supporting a local business and having a green Christmas. No pun intended.
Art Tile is at it again. This time they used the 1×6 Antares Nero stick mosaic in a really unique way to cover the entry step. Installed by Darren.
