Dwell: Modern World

Dwell, March/April 2022

Here I guest-edited and curated Dwell’s Mod World edition on kitchen and bath products. I also wrote some of the section, including Fresh-Faced Tile—tile being one of my favorite topics! Enjoy this little excerpt:

Your white subway tiles were outré by the end of the aughts. If you haven’t already, it’s time to ditch the chef’s kitchen look for more expressive styles that have as much personality as the dishes you prepare.

Saturated Subway: Leaving their classic white counterparts behind, super-saturated subway tiles are currently having their day in the spotlight. Pastels and pale tones dominated the last few years (and will likely stick around a bit longer), but expect to start seeing deeper and more vibrant hues, such as teal, tangerine, and burgundy.

Mod Patterns: Tile brands are reimagining retro-mod geometric motifs, the most notable being the quarter and half circle. Some, like Ceramica Bardelli, have gone even further: The Italian brand launched a new mod collection, Monoscopia, with coordinating fluted tile—dimensional semicircles in profile.

Wallpaper-esque: Mural and wallpaper styles remain popular, and in recent years, they’ve become more convincing—especially when the tiles are rectified to hide grout lines. The visuals run the gamut from large-scale monstera leaves to flocked jacquard and small repeating organic motifs like Walker Zanger’s Pop Culture Feathers.