This really is very cool. Trend USA, already one the coolest makers and distributors of stone and mosaic tiles have brought the world iTrend, a very funky little iPad app which shows you what a room would like like adorned with their wonderful tiles. That’s what makes them ‘very cool’ rather than just ‘cool’.
Their vast product collection is all on there and it is a thing of beauty. It’s a valuable tool for designers and their clients and, it has to be said, rather good fun for the rest of us!
You can take a picture of your room or use one of the library shots, wiggle your fingers about and add glass mosaic, engineered stone or even wallpaper patterns of mosaic tile. And, should you be so inclined, you can share your creations with friends, relatives and even clients. The app also features completed Trend USA designs and the ability to search for a Trend USA distributor near you.
Trend have thoughtfully provided a video to show you exactly how it works. Or, of course, you can just pop on over to the iTunes store and grab yourself a copy. And the price of this clever little piece of technology? Nada, nothing, zip. Thank you Trend.
Modenus’ friend and regular guest contributor, journalist and social media consultant Saxon Henry visited the grand opening of INAX USA’s Manhattan Gallery last week.
The caveat “opposites attract” has been around a while where relationships are concerned—who amongst us hasn’t heard it when a courtship goes south? It’s the rare instance, however, when the the sage ism applies to design elements from a singular manufacturer. I walked into the showroom debut of INAX in Manhattan last week expecting to find lots of sleek white bowls of varying shapes and forms, and there were those aplenty—toilets, sinks and tubs in the round, the square and the beautifully fluted rectangular. But there was also a surprising textural playfulness going on within the long space that was an unexpected pleasure. It was the intermingling of bathroom fixtures with some of the most fabulous tile I’ve seen since covering Cersaie in Italy two years ago.
Be very careful if you decide to embark on a DIY project. It could change your life forever. In 1987, fashion designer Karen Thompson was restoring her home and taught herself the ancient craft of mosaics. It became her career, replacing fabric and buttons with ceramic and glass. Working with a vast range of materials Thompson has developed a specialty in custom mosaic installations for both interiors and exteriors. This work has allowed her explore areas that she may not have discovered on her own. A commission to create two intricate wall panels depicting flower filled urns, inspired the idea for a series of botanical panels. Thompson remembers, “I needed a unifying template for the panels and I liked the idea of using a traditional illustrated manuscript page. This format allowed me to have a central main species surrounded by smaller flowers, insects and fanciful patterns.” Continue Reading…
At first glance the artistic world of Mark Bulwinkle appears happy. Animals cavort, flowers bloom, a boy has hearts for eyes, the sun shines. The cartoon like images seem to be laughing at us, as if there is some private joke incised into each of them. Upon closer inspection, an energy emerges with manic overtones. We notice that a cat is blind, a dog appears rabid, a grin seems more like a grimace, and a trio of menacing beasts swallow each other whole. The flat, graphic images in Bulwinkle’s ceramic art emerge from his background in printmaking. From paper to ceramic, by way of steel and rust, the journey’s narrative imagery is rooted in the perennial perspective of a thirteen-year-old boy, crafted by an adult.
Some of us, no names mentioned, love to luxuriate in a well appointed bathroom. It helps when it is a bright, pleasing and well designed space rather than a utilitarian room full of sinks, tubs and showers. Ideally a spa-like space for relaxing and catering to our body’s well being. Laura Mannes of Laura Mannes Design is responsible for this transformation. She tells us she set about creating a clean and modern aesthetic that was also natural, warm and inviting.
The tub you are currently admiring is Napoli by Victoria + Albert with a Hansgrohe tub filler from the Axor Massaud collection. Victoria + Albert’s Englishcast bathtubs are made from natural volcanic limestone which has exceptional strength and heat insulating properties. We love Victoria + Albert, and not just because they are sponsoring Blogtour. Laura’s choice just shows that she is a designer with impeccable taste.
A quick word about what Laura has done with the windows. She has used a woven wood top down-bottom up shade which is transparent enough to allow light to filter through while still providing privacy. Inexpensive, works well and provides a good counter balance to the tub and tile .
And the tile? The large format wall tiles are from Laura’s favourite Porcelanosa. The floor tiles may look like concrete but are, in fact, porcelain. We agree with Laura who has a taste for fully tiled walls, much more common in Europe than the USA.
Elizabeth Mercer Aurandt of Mercer Interior no less, was asked to make full use of her talents on the kitchen you see before you. The client wanted all of those things we all want in our kitchens, better appliances, better organisations, an incredibly attractive cook or chef. Oh, sorry, that wasn’t the client that was…, well anyway. The other thing the client wanted for her corner of Brooklyn was for it to be brighter and a spot of color. And did she ever get it! Thanks to slightly off-white cabinetry, cool greys on floor and counter tops and a fun punch of color in the back-splash tiles and accent wall color. Also, by moving the cook top to the island the client now no longer has to turn her back to friends and family when she’s cooking.
An art history scholar and painter, in 2009 Jacqueline Moore found herself “anxious, afraid, stunted in creativity and at a crossroads.” The journey that began in England and had brought her to Southern California, led one afternoon to a garden in Montecito. She was strolling amidst lush plantings, breathing air fresh from a recent rain and captivated with what she considered “wee art works”: old hand painted tiles that dotted the landscape. Moore had an epiphany on that sunlit stroll. Using her extensive knowledge of art history, design and architecture, her virtuoso skill with a brush, near forensic study of materials, and trust in her artistic voice, she began creating decorative tiles. As an expert in Restoration and Conservation in Decorative Antiquity, her chosen substrate was wood, a material she knew intimately. Continue Reading…
Bobby Silverman thought he wanted to be a social geographer, the study of spatial patterns, investigating how and why we live and work where we do. On the way to getting his degree, he took a detour to Japan. There he witnessed the daily use of beautiful handcrafted objects, born of traditions that were thousands of years old. He became an apprentice to the master potter Samejima Saturo. What might have felt serendipitous at the time was actually, according to Silverman “preordained.” His family had actively collected antiques and decorative objects. The Japanese ritual of utilizing art that was functional felt familiar to Silverman.
Out main illustration shows ‘conTEXTual Red translated to Bar code’ (11.75” x 11.75). More on the ideas behind this is a second.
Dwell on Design opened on June 24. In amongst the 200 exhibitors are a good many old friends and some new faces we feel the need to introduce you to. Here’s our top picks all in one place!
This really is very cool. Trend USA, already one the coolest makers and distributors of stone and mosaic tiles have brought the world iTrend, a very funky little iPad app which shows you what a room would like like adorned with their wonderful tiles. That’s what makes them ‘very cool’ rather than just ‘cool’.
