Pattern Pulp

A Portugal Tile Study




Big treat for you today! Our dear friend, (and super star stylist) Amy Stearley is on a bit of a world tour at the moment. Following her on Facebook’s been really fun, as she’s trekked through Slovenia, India, Frankfurt, Paris and now Portugal.

Viewing the world through the eyes of our friends is a gift and it’s been a treat to see her creative interpretations streaming through Instagram and Facebook…particularly as it relates to print and pattern.

Back in 2008 I visited Lisbon with a few girlfriends and everywhere we went, I was that friend who had to photograph everything…the floors, the walls, the subway ceilings, practically any and all exposed surfaces.

Without a doubt, Portugal’s one of the most colorful and geometrically adorned places you can visit. In Amy’s photos, cobalt grids appear to dominate with splashes of lime, terracotta, hay and blush.

While I collaged these spreads together for spacial reasons- the large-to-small ratio is quite popular at the moment (and a personal favorite). Abrupt mix and matching can be a cool fusion, so long as the silhouette’s polished.

The tiles are truly inspiring. Every building features a new color way, texture, print or pattern. I’m constantly dreaming about what cut of dress I would construct with each new blocking that comes my way. I hope everyone can enjoy as much as I have. Thailand is next on my list…excited to see what that beholds! – Amy Stearley

So that brings us to you, our lovely reader. What surfaces inspire you? Where do you find yourself snapping and are there any trips on the horizon before summer ends?

July 25, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Following Mosaic Collages Around the World




We’re mixing things up today! Whenever creative city tours go live, we usually try to focus on hotspots in a single city (not a bad thing, right?)- though today, I’m stringing a multiple city tour together, under the umbrella of a reoccurring pattern.

While I’m constantly in touch with friends and colleagues living abroad, grilling them on pop culture and random social trends, I’ll say that I’m quite fortunate to have a job that has me on the go when I’m not on the wacom tablet. Scouting inspiration and observing daily routine in cities and suburbs around the globe is absolutely fascinating and something I probably wouldn’t have fallen into had I not left my full-time job six years ago.

So today’s feature. Of the 9 photos, I took 5 of them over the past year. The theme is graphic with unexpected patchwork, reminiscent of mixed media mosaic tiling.

From the curated art world to reactionary street art to the commercialization of home, fashion and printed goods, it’s interesting to see how this trend has seeped into society’s subconscious, revealing an exciting departure from pixelated patterns.

From stucco wallpapering in Lake Como to cement work in Atlanta (via little_ekd in my instagram feed!), to painted patchwork in Glasgow (thank you Pinterest) to a painted grate on Hoiser Lane in Melbourne and a segmented condo facade in Hong Kong, it’s easy to see an outdoor architectural trend here.

In the home sphere, the reinterpretation on soft goods is also obvious. The featured geometric pillows from La Rinascente in Milan are quite similar in color and form to the stucco wall in Lake Como. The unbelievable quilting and embroidered techniques from Alabama Chanin which was recently featured recently in NY Times T Magazine mirror the Glasgow wall with stunning precision.

Mimicking this technique in print, The overlapping hearts are a simple yet striking design I spotted last month in Tokyo. Giving gravity to the theme and tying loose ends where necessary, John Squire’s current show in London features dazzling mosaic work undone in chaotic organic nature.

 

January 19, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Color: Green and Graphic




green-mosaics

It’s common knowledge that nature inspires design.  When we saw this tomato worm on one of our favorite design and inspiration blogs, Lovely Morning, a few months ago, we knew that Summer ’09 was going to be both green and graphic.  The natural pattern found on this stunning caterpillar is visually connected to the beautiful tile work backing a shot of Kid America by the infamous photographer, The Selby.  We then found a black and white retail display at LA’s The Lab, that was distinctly reminicient of the scalloped mosaic.  Much like the caterpillar’s transformation to a butterfly, graphic design inspiration can evolve in equally magnificent ways.

July 1, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Tracking Repetitive + Awesome.
On Instagram.