Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Syzygy Tile: love it

As any of you who read my blog know, I love love love tile. I'm not sure where the obsession comes from, but if you want to make my day, all you have to do is show me a fabulous tile company that I haven't heard of. So today my day was made. I was lucky enough to get to visit the not-quite-open showroom for BDG Design Group.

There, I found Syzygy Tile, and I just had to share with you. I am not sure images do this tile justice. The glazes have a wonderful Craftsman look to them, mottled and very earthy. The colors are gorgeous! I think it was the mosaics that appealed to me the most, but I had to throw in one of their deco tiles just to show you how fabulously three dimensional they are, like little pieces of architecture.

So visit their website, but more importantly, when BDG opens in January make sure to drop in! While you are there, check out their very own line of concrete oversized tiles. They are very retro-chic, sort of Frank Lloyd Wright meets Mad Men.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Home made garden art

Today's eye candy is a hand made sphere by Mosaic Gardens of Eugene Oregon. It is made of Honey Quartz ledgestones drystacked with some mortar on the inside to add strength. It reminds me a bit of an Andy Goldsworthy rock sculpture. For more fabulous images of their gardens, check out their blog here.

I can't say enough nice things about their work. I adore their use of color in their gardens (foliage color for the most part). In this garden you can see deep burgundy from a Japanese Maple, bold chartreuse from the Ginkgo biloba in the foreground, pale celery green from the Euphorbia 'Tasmanian Tiger' just behind it, all contrasted with the coppery brown of the CorTen steel wall. We don't have the cool wet weather of Oregon, but a lot of these plants will work here.