I'm a huge fan of designboom.com. I think it's the best for the latest on anything to do with industrial design. If you haven't checked them out- I highly recommend giving it a read. AND If you were lucky enough to get a new ipad for your birthday (happy b-day Christa!), designboom.com is a great favorite to add.
For today's FUN post- I'm reaching all the way back to the 2004 designboom contest that was entitled 100% Tiles. It was a whopper of a tile contest featuring amazing judges including Barnaba Fornasetti, and over 1500 participants from 79 countries.
The whole report is the best- so I encourage you to click here and explore it in detail. There's nothing quite like asking 1500 top designers from around the globe to go for it and challenge our notion of tiles. Smarts AND good looks all in one package- now that's what I call fun.
Today I'm presenting the two winning entries along with some Tile Envy honorable mentions. If any of them snag your interest- be sure to click on the photo to read more-
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designboom's 100% Tile contest winners
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TILE ENVY'S PICKS
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The Post-it Tile
If you've ever inherited a challenging tile installation in a home- you've doubtless fantasized about the following invention-
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The Nesting Tile
The heraldic and very homey Housemartin has been experiencing tough times recently. Be it global warming or limited nesting possibilities- this beautiful tile allows for a safe harbor.
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Highway Exchange Tiles
We love the limited edition artist cups from Illy Cafe. One of my personal favorite home items is our set of Illy Cafe Rauschenberg espresso cups with images of various maps from around the globe. Love 'em. These tiles remind me of those but with a more graphic - black and white perspective. Very fun!!!
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Subway Tile
I should have grown tired of subway tiles by now- aren't they everywhere? But like denim or pearls- I think subway tiles will always be a classic. So these decorated tiles were a big hit for me. I love any classic with a twist- and what a great twist is this? The whole series represent various images of a landscape or object in linear motion. Each tile in the series is a winner. So be sure to check them all out. But don't blink- you might miss them:)
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Wavy Tile
These tiles were inspired by water flowing over rocks in a river. That's got to be one of my favorite images. This is an interesting take on that- but I have to admit - not nearly as fun as sitting by a river watching the water go by.
There were far more tiles than one could ever imagine. So if you've got some time and I've piqued your curiosity- give the whole article a read and see which ones are your own faves.