ANN SACKS, a leading designer and manufacturer of fine tile and stone, has collaborated once again with internationally acclaimed designer, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, on Eutopia, a new collection of exquisite glass mosaics. The collection captures Bullard’s reverence for historic reference and homage to time-honored handcraft and how artistic expression can translate differently depending upon the medium chosen. One of the most prolific and engaging designers of the 21st century, Bullard is known for his unforgettable interiors and fearless approach to design, pushing the boundaries of traditional sensibility by enveloping interiors in a celebration of rich color, pattern, and textural layers. With an international list of celebrity clientele, vast commercial and hospitality projects, and a sophisticated line of licensing agreements, Bullard now adds another dimension to his body of work with his tile designs for ANN SACKS with the unveiling of Eutopia.
“Eutopia has a different look from my last collections and captures my current passions for how I see design evolving,” said Bullard. “The beauty of the floral designs could create a magical look in a shower enclosure or indeed a statement wall. The power of the design works as art and can replace artwork on the walls. The smaller design like Sultan’s Garden would be perfect as a backsplash in a bathroom or create ambiance in a powder room. Even used as a floor covering it would imitate a beautiful rug and give such unexpected glamour to wherever it’s used. With such unexpected color combinations in the tiles, you can pull almost any of the tones out and make the ambiance your own. From the deepest blues to the freshest greens there are a multitude of ways to design around all the tiles from the boldest statements to the softest romance with our pink and amber undertones.”
Handcrafted in the United States and exclusive to ANN SACKS, Eutopia employs the ancient technique of Pietre Dura, a decorative art form skillfully perfected by gifted 16th Century Italian Renaissance artisans to visually articulate intricate, ornate patterns from small, colorful marbles. The Eutopia designs are instead handcrafted using glass as its medium, the small, hand-clipped glass chips expertly hand-laid to form the field and inlaid, repetitive botanical designs. The collection is offered in 49 colors and two finishes: Glossy, with a soft, buffed surface, or hand-polished Sea Glass, which brings forth a high sheen, drawing out the remarkable coloration and creates slight juxtaposition between the combined finishes adding to the overall visual impact.
Strikingly beautiful with breathtaking intricacy, Eutopia appears as though it was transported from an earlier era, the timeless designs a heady convergence of dimensional depth of color, exquisite detail, and textural nuance, heightened by the glass’s sparkling, reflective qualities and shadow and light effect. Eutopia is a statement-making tile and sophisticated choice for all vertical surfaces, including feature walls, backsplashes, fire surrounds, showers, and submerged areas such as fountains and pools. Due to its natural composition, Eutopia is not affected by freeze/thaw conditions and can be used in outdoor settings dependent upon climate and method of installation. The tiles lay up in a repeat pattern with a tight, almost imperceptible grout line for flawless applications.
“As a designer, I believe we constantly grow and expand our tastes and the evolution of what inspires us and what we are exposed to, from our travels and experiences to the books and magazines we read,” concluded Ballard. “Eutopia is an expression of my taste today, inspired by historic and traditional decorative motifs whist feeling fresh and modern in scale and proportion. The mix of old and new, exotic shapes and balanced scale was important in my previous collections and is of course reflected in the new collections helping them still feel connected, still expressing part of my integral designer make up and passion for all worldly design.”
