Since we have been talking about tile this month I started reminiscing about NYC and my studies at Parsons. In one of my classes on materials the professor kept stressing the need to look at connections. How one material meets the next truly determines the success of a design. That was a light bulb moment. When we see things that seem awkward or have gaps we focus on the gaps not on the beauty. That’s why a good presenter doesn’t have stains on their blouse or spinach in their teeth. They want us to focus on their face, inflection and the information not the gaps!
When working with tile we need to focus on the connection it has with other materials.Look at this wall from the restaurant Rosa Mexicana, designed by The Rockwell Group. It is majestic.
Now look at the connection of the tile to the wavy surface that has the water fall and divers. It is a very clean line.
If it was wavy and uneven it would draw your eye away from the attraction of the divers and the theater of the room and force you to the distraction of a poorly connected or finished material.
Remember, just as in life, the connections we make and how we handle them defines us.
