We're big music fans here at Tilevera and our design studio is always cranking out all kinds of music while we work. You name it - it's on the stereo- Theivery Corp, Glen Campbell, Feist, Johnny Mathis, Robert Plant/Alison Krause, Radiohead, Jiminy Cricket (love his version of "when you wish upon a star")
I'd love to know what tunes are on your playlist these days! (come on - everyone has a playlist to share!!!) Not much happens at Tilevera without tunes.
Heavy Metal
I must admit that heavy metal isn't on our playlist, just not really our cup of tea. But my sons are new baby rockers and they are BIG metal fans. It is very cute and not a little bit curious to watch these young rockers belting out old heavy metal classics. Go Metallica!
Metallics in Vogue-
However when it comes to fashion, metallic finishes are everywhere glazing leather, canvas, snakeskin, linen... And because I am fashion's ultimate slave, I am all about metallics!
As the hot thing in fashion for several years now, metallic finishes on the runway are trickling onto interior fashions.
And my recent big trend prediction is that burnished gold is going to be emerging as a popular finish for hardware, plumbing, etc. It popped up a few months ago when I was cruising Kohler's website and I went - ooooohhhhhh!!
NOT shiny, new gold! But soft, weathered and worn gold. Kohler calls it Moderne Gold. Tile Envy calls it - Your Grandmother's Wedding Band.
As I started to collect photos for this post- I noticed that a lot of the photos that were emerging were in one of my newest favorite color combo's - grey, gold and ivory. Strange coincidence?
Grey and Ivory, as a combination, are always dee-lish- but add a warm golden metallic and it's everything modern, calm and elegant!
Suffice it to say that "metallics" as a key accent finish and color continues to spark our interests.
At Tilevera, we are getting ready to launch a series of metallic-finished stone tiles. Very murky, but twinkly - think Pan's Labrinth. My favorite quality is that when they begin to wear- the metal will expose the luxurious stone beneath. I'm really drawn to hidden luxurious surfaces- a sort of reverse patina.
You probably guessed that Tilevera has a few metallic-finished tiles amongst our collections- but my latest favorite is the authentic Mercury Glass from our Hearst Castle Collection. As with all of our tiles, it is completely hand made and the finest quality. It deserves the award for aged opulence.
Adding these tiles to any area that will revel in some luminescence and you will have added a beautiful, mysterious reflective presence to that space. All that with some tile???
Tile Envy -
But that's why I'm celebrating these metallic finishes. I'm sure there must be some positive feng shui to all the reflective qualities- but sadly that's not my area of expertise. What I do know pretty well is tile that I love - to look at, feel, design, and of course- envy.
So let's have a quick look at some of my more favorite versions of this hot and heavy look. This post, I'll be focusing on two companies that I really applaud for their clarity of vision. One company is more inclined to a traditional spin- Walker Zanger. The other Casa Dolce Casa- has a clean, austere offering. Could it be because Walker Zanger is filled with some of the best creative folks in the US and Casa Dolce Casa is profoundly Italian??
Walker Zanger
About a year ago I was at KBIS seeing not a whole lot that made me jump up and down. But then I happened upon Walker Zanger's booth showcasing their latest wares. Wow!! I haven't had a case of tile envy quite that badly in ages. My version of envy strikes when I'm equal parts bummed I didn't come up with the idea, and thrilled that I live in a world where people manage to have such ideas.
If you haven't seen WZ's latest offering, I would encourage you to take a trip to one of their showrooms. I think their online catalog is also worth a visit. Hat's off to the creative team at WZ! They've outdone themselves.
And because their latest tiles are so "right on"- they naturally have a number of metallic-finished tiles, and some that I think are simply dreamy. One of them is called Tracciato and is uniquely crafted from carved stone that has been covered in gold leafing, then buffed and waxed. How's that for the ultimate art tile process?
The other series that made me shiver is from their Contessa series (love the name) and features these wonderful arabesque shaped pieces of terracotta (actually more like saltillo) with hand rubbed leaf finishes of silver or gold. I'm not sure that they are the most durable finishes or tiles- but still a tile worth swooning over. I'd find a space for them in my home. They are a great mix of Glamor + Morrocan. Very cool!
Casa Dolce Casa
The folks at Casa Dolce Casa may cringe at my description- but I think they are the Giorgio Armani of tiles. Clean, sophisticated, modern and classic, these guys still manage to appeal to the larger US market while staying very Italian.
Here are just a few of their metallic-finished tiles. They have many more, but frankly, the others are too flash for me. I love metallic, but save the bling! The following Tile Envy fave's can go big spaces or small. I've grown tired of glass mosaics, but Casa Dolce Casa's Vetro series holds their own because of the very best neutral shades finished off with just the right dusting of lustre.
Gold!
Ivory
Grey
- Grey-Ivory-Gold Plaid?
So there you have it- some of my own heavy metal favorites. But I'm sure I'm not the only one who has metallic tile faves. Let's hear about yours!