MIRTH STUDIO: JOYOUS FLOORS CAN BE YOURS

 Photos courtesy of Sally Bennett

Sally Bennett surrounded by gorgeous sheltering trees in Charleston

 I first heard about artist Sally Bennett and her new line of floor tiles, Mirth Studio, when I read about her on Haskell Harris's Southern-inflected blog, Magpie. As a lucky Charleston resident, Harris is in the know down there, and has exposure to all the wonderful creative people that reside in the picturesque, storybook town. Well, timing is everything, and I caught this just in time, since Mirth floor tiles are making their big debut at the upcoming High Point Market. I emailed Bennett  and told her I can't wait to meet her and see her incredibly chic indestructible floor tiles in person, and it turns out we have friends in common. Providing the look of painted floors, these durable darling patterned floor tiles, made from engineered hardwood, are easy to install and withstand fading. Available sold by the square foot as 12x12 tiles in trend-forward patterns, all you do is glue them to the floor (with an installer), over existing hardwood or concrete. The tiles, which are also available with custom designs,  can also be ordered for temporary use installs, like weddings, events and trade shows.  I just think these are so amazing-- they add a graphic pop and their 100% resin urethane finish is UV treated, so they will always be as bright and cheery. I have a feeling these are going to do very, very well-- laundry rooms and mud rooms just got a lot more fun. Just look at these patterns!

Palm Beach, with two shades of blue and a lattice with square pattern.

This trellis is so good.

Gingham, imagine it in a pantry.

Peninsula also comes in a sharp navy choice.

Chevron

Festoon in coral and aqua for all you that love a pastel palette

Lattice is a small scale, which I like, since it reads really well from above

Macau has Regency flair

Savoy has a border similar to bedding embroidery you might see on a sham

Zippy, a reverse herringbone

Flirt, for all you that love triangles. They are having a moment right now.

Like a great palazzo floor that doesn't need to be waxed, Hex

This pattern, Tides, is a weathered pattern that can be done as a border. Shoreline homes just got more breezy

Vertigo is just eye-popping fun

TILE STYLE: TILES FROM CLE BRING ART AND FASHION WITH SURFACE APPEAL

I love unexpected finds. I came across these fantastic iphone cases the other day while perusing the Internet. Falling down the rabbit hole, as I am wont to do, I discovered Cle Tiles is creating cell phone cases with imagery of their tile designs. What a unique way to make a statement, one that doesn't require a budget, exacting measurements,  an elaborate install and drying time like the real thing.

Photos courtesy of Cle

The South African painter Ruan Hoffman's new tile collection adds an artistic air to tile. Artisinal and quirky, his hand crafted designs have a naive charm. 

An assortment of painted artsy tiles filled with quirk.

The star, Tilevera collection's Malachite that lured me in from the start.

Handpainted limestome ties bear an uncanny resemblance to the real thing.

Mosaic tiles in a demilune scale pattern in shades of green.

MC Escher optical illusions always make tiles more dynamic. The Space Kitchenette, a ceramic tile pattern.

A stark black and white square pattern is a statement.

Blue and white with a touch of red, London Apothecary cement tiles.