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As architecturally influenced people, we’re typically drawn toward certain geometries and structured pattern. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find or appreciate beauty in unstructured design. Here we present nine products — from carved wood panels to porcelain tiles — that boast stunningly random or seemingly mismatched patterns.
3form
3form: Kathali
An ongoing collaboration with small-village artisans around the world, the Full Circle series recently added a design that, poetically, pays tribute to the post-earthquake rebuilding in Nepal. Kathali, also the Nepalese word for wooden, was directly inspired by the 3form design team’s encountering aromatic wood shavings produced from the rebuilding efforts in the country. The shavings were collected, shaped and painted by the local artisans and then encapsulated by 3form in glass or Varia Ecoresin material.
Artistic Tile: Kauri Diagonal
This porcelain field tile remarkably captures the unique characteristics of New Zealand’s ancient Kauri wood in striking diagonal patterns. The large-format tiles measure 24 by 48 inches with a 3/8-inch thickness and come in Tasman Blue, Victoria Grey, Fiordland Brown, Catlins Beige or Awanui White colorways. All of the colorways are available in polished finish, while Awanui White, Tasman Blue and Victoria Grey additionally come in matte finish.
Artistic Tile
Bolon: Checked
Part of the company’s Graphic flooring collection, Checked is really a patchwork of several different micro-patterns ranging from a diagonal stripe and ticking to a basket weave. Well-suited to high-traffic areas, the architecturally inspired resilient flooring is woven with an elliptical vinyl yarn and comes in rolls or tiles.
Bolon
Cosentino: Silestone Etchings
A trusted brand particularly in kitchen countertops, Silestone is a handsome surfacing product composed of up to 94 percent natural quartz for hardness and resilience. Earlier this year, the bold Etchings design was added to the line to provide an edgy graphic in two on-trend colors — the light-blue Aquatint and stark Ink. In addition to kitchen counters, Silestone is an ideal material for bathrooms, floors and walls.
Cosentino
Flavor Paper: Cuben
Although Cuben is geometric at the core, its colorations by graphic designer Simon Page make it appear much more fluid and random, animating walls. The wall mural is digitally printed to order at desired scale and crop position to ensure you get the color movement you want. A variety of substrates are available from eco-friendly Nolar (a PVC-free, recyclable and breathable covering) to hardwearing vinyl.
Flavor Paper
Flavor Paper installation in a window of Bergdorf Goodman, New York City
Island Stone: Random Cobbles
Injecting an organic outdoorsy feel into the interior, the Random Cobbles series of stone mosaics sports the natural silhouettes of Indonesian pebbles, but with a flattened, smooth surface. The varied-size stones are available in monochromatic or mixed palettes such as a beige, tan and gray blend. Suitable for both floor and wall applications, Random Cobbles can also be installed in outdoor spaces.
Island Stone
Kaswell: Kaleidowood
Kaleidowood is composed of end-grain blocks of many different species that were reclaimed from industrial waste and melded together to form a visually intriguing and graphic wood-block flooring product.
Kaswell
Plyboo by Smith & Fong: Plyboo Sound
These acoustical bamboo panels boast eye-catching perforation patterns, of which a few are more randomized or asymmetrical: randomly spaced vertical dashes; varied-length diagonal slots that are also randomly spaced; and speckled. All are created with the proprietary QuietWall technology, which helps reduce ambient noise in public or large open spaces.
Plyboo by Smith & Fong
Wonderwall Studios: Phoenix
Whimsical and wonderful, Phoenix is a series of reclaimed-teak wall panels that creative studio Wonderwall embellished with traditional, ornate carvings, interspersing them with smooth planks. The panels, measuring approximately 600 millimeters square by 15 to 40 millimeters thick, have been sanded down to a fine finish and treated with DTM wood preservative. A fire retardant is available on request.
Wonderwall Studios
Wonderwall Studios installation at Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs (also shown at top)
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