Interior designer Paul Schatz and New Ravenna Mosaics are teaming up again, this time for a new line of water-jet and hand-cut tile they call Miraflores.

That’s Spanish.  It means “to watch flowers.” And it’s appropriate for a geometrically patterned line of tiles inspired by Schatz’s travels through Spain, Portugal and Peru, and the palaces, monastaries and neighborhoods he found there.

“Some have the influence of flowers,” Schatz says.  “Others show ethnicity, like Turkish or Moroccan or tribal, and some show Peruvian influence.”

But all are cut from marble or limestone, with one pattern, Navarra, mixed with Fireclay tile from California for an organic effect.

Schatz specializes in Mediterranean and contemporary architecture, and is particularly interested in the Latin and Moroccan influences of Spain and Islam on the Peruvian culture.

His handcrafted mosaics are complex abstractions of classic motifs. They can be installed as floors and walls, inside and out. “The compositions are geometric, with some non-directional and some directional,” he says.

The mosaics are assembled by hand for each installation.  Measurements are sent to New Ravenna, where the pattern is adapted for specific dimensions of the backsplash or floor or wherever the mosaic is being installed. The mosaics are seamless, unlike tiles that have straight grout lines.

And they’re all about art history.  “They’re put together to bring artistry into a residence,” he says.  “They’re meant to assist architects with an aesthetic in that’s long-lasting, with non-dated designs that you might find in history books from many centuries ago.”

But with a contemporary twist.

For more information, go here.

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