Ikat Reinterpreted: A Contemporary Mosaic for a London Residence
An inside look at the creative process behind reimagining an Ikat rug pattern as a large-scale mosaic installation.
A few years back, Saskia D’Aguilar, a designer with an eye for the extraordinary, commissioned us to create a floral mosaic for her tea room in Nassau, Bahamas. Fast forward to today, and she’s back for another project, but this time, for her private London residence. Set in a chic riverside neighborhood in London, her apartment’s contemporary interiors and abundant natural light made it an ideal canvas for the mosaic, allowing the Ikat-inspired design to come alive.
The devil, as they say, is in the details. And this project was all about the details.
Each stage is shaped by dialogue, refinement, and a deep respect for the client’s vision, allowing the design to evolve with clarity and purpose. Through sketches, mark-ups, and material exploration, the artwork becomes a true collaboration.
If you have a concept of your own, our team can guide you through the same journey, translating your ideas into a bespoke mosaic made with intention. Here’s our artful project lineup for you to browse through.
Translating a Textile into a Mosaic Concept
She brought not just a design brief, but a deeply personal vision, a South Asian rug design inspired mosaic that would feel as alive as the woven textile it referenced. Having collaborated with us previously, she was no stranger to the process, but this commission presented an entirely new set of challenges.
The artisans at our studio made sure to execute her vision as precisely as possible. Through our custom design process, every approach was weighed to ensure the mosaic reflected her intent.
The piece was large-scale, measuring 258 centimeters tall by 105 centimeters wide, and it needed to harmonize perfectly with a sculptural black sink in her home. From the outset, it was clear that every detail, from the subtleties of color to the flow of pattern, would demand careful attention. The design itself was as beautiful as it was enigmatic.
Reworking Pattern Rhythm and Motifs
The initial mock-ups were where the conversation truly began. When we shared the first version, Saskia immediately noticed that some segments, particularly the borders of certain motifs, felt too black and overly literal.
While the solid black offered dramatic contrast, it lacked the true feel and depth of an Ikat textile. So we translated an ombre-effect color on one of the segments (as shown below) to give it the color and feel our client was envisioning.
Material Experiments and Tile Selection
She asked us to make the transitions more subtle by reintroducing warm browns, blending them with the blacks to maintain variation and mimic the way color naturally shifts in woven threads.
To achieve this softness and depth, we focused on:
- Creating gradual ombré transitions instead of sharp contrasts
- Layering multiple brown tones to restore warmth and textile-like nuance
- Selecting tiles with natural variation to echo the irregularity of woven fiber
The result was a palette that felt truer to the textile’s character while remaining visually rich within the contemporary interior.
Refining Color, Depth, and Texture
This adjustment was as much about aesthetics as it was about translating the material quality of a textile into marble and glass, so that the mosaic would mimic the fabric’s softness and the illusion of movement, rather than feeling rigid or static. Beyond color, Saskia was highly attuned to the rhythm and repetition of the pattern. Ikat, by its nature, has recurring motifs, but she felt that in the mosaic, some areas were too predictable. This presented an interesting challenge to the team.
To refine the visual rhythm, we focused on:
1. Identifying motifs that felt overly repetitive or too literal
2. Introducing subtle variation to recreate the irregularity found in woven textiles
3. Balancing predictability with organic flow to keep the design dynamic
She requested that certain segments be omitted or reconstructed, repositioned to break up monotony and create a more organic, flowing composition. This was a subtle yet transformative intervention. By adjusting the placement of these motifs, we preserved the essence of the Ikat design while allowing the mosaic to breathe and feel alive, avoiding the flatness that can come from mechanical repetition.
Every annotation she provided, whether in sketches, digital mark-ups, or written notes were super helpful.
Iteration Through Collaborative Feedback
Responding to these directions required multiple revisions and careful material experimentation. Each marble and glass tile was considered not only for its hue but also for how its finish interacted with light, how it contributed to the illusion of textile softness, and how it settled with the surrounding architectural elements.
From our experience with previous clients, we’ve seen that every custom mosaic requires a different approach. The design goals, lighting conditions, color temperature, surrounding finishes, and even the scale of the space all shape the decisions we make. No two mosaics follow the same formula, each one develops its own set of priorities, challenges, and solutions as we refine the materials.
Delivery, Installation, and Final Reveal
Throughout the production process, the collaborative dialogue continued. Saskia’s insight allowed for interesting decisions, which black melange tiles to retain for contrast, where brown tones should reappear for warmth, and how to maintain subtle variation to suggest depth without disrupting the overall composition.
We integrate sustainable practices at every stage, from choosing eco-certified materials to optimizing layouts that reduce offcuts. It ensures each custom mosaic is as considerate as it is creative. These choices align with the broader ethos of eco-friendly mosaic art, which emphasizes reduced waste, conscious material selection, and long-lasting design.
Saskia was thrilled to see the final version our team designed.
This project is a perfect example of how inspiration can come from anywhere, a textile, a photograph, a memory, even a single color detail, and still evolve into a fully bespoke mosaic. What matters isn’t the source, but how it’s translated with intention.
With the right process, any reference can become a custom artwork tailored to a space, its mood, and its story. This commission proves that great design doesn’t have to start with a template, it starts with an idea worth shaping.
