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24 | January 12, 2012 ALEXANDRIA TIMESAt HomeHome design’sbreaking pointBy Mary G. PepitoneThe art of creating mosaicsis ancient, but its appeal in21st-century homes is easy topiece together. Eye-catchingmosaics are working their wayup from floors onto kitchenbacksplashes and into colorfulhome decor.“People are drawn to mosaics,”says Sonia King, pastpresident and founding memberof the Society of AmericanMosaic Artists, with studiosin Dallas and San Francisco.“Unlike paintings, little piecesare assembled to make awhole, while each individualpiece retains its unique identity.”A mosaic is a surface decorationmade by inlaying smallpieces of various colors andtextures to form a pattern orpicture. In about 3000 BCE,the Sumerians of Mesopotamia(today’s Iraq) createdsome of the earliest mosaicsby pressing colored clay pegsinto walls. Later, the Egyptiansused fragments of coloredmaterials to create mosaics,while the ancient Greeksare credited as the first to usecolored stones and pebbles tomake permanent designs.The Romans built on thistechnique and cut stone intocubes, while also using firedclay and glass for special effects.The development of cementsand mortars made Romanmosaics more durableand many have survived intomodern times.HOME OF THE WEEKA home in the heart of RosemontThis beautiful home, with morethan 4,000 square feet of well-designedliving space, exhibits a wonderfulblend of old and new.The residence boasts spaciousrooms with custom built-ins, warmwood floors, and front and rear staircases.The main level has a foyer entry,formal dining room and gracious livingroom with a gas fireplace, as wellas an adjacent year-round sunroom.This floor also includes a light-filledfamily room, with an informal diningarea, and French doors openingto a fabulous brick courtyard, with akoi pond and attached garage.The upper level features fourlarge bedrooms and three full baths,including the owner’s suite and bathwith double marble vanity, luxuriousJacuzzi and separate shower.The finished lower level boastsa recreation room and full bath. Inaddition, the partially finished basementcontains plenty of storagespace.At a Glance:Location: 400 Russell Road,Alexandria, VA 22301Year Built: 1925Photo/Sonia KingMosaics can make a big splash with the backsplash design in a home’s kitchen or bathroom. Mosaicscan range from intricate designs to the contemporary, as with this “Foursquare Backsplash” made ofceramic and glass tiles.But the desire for beautyand color in one’s home is asrelevant today as it was in ancienttimes.“As people move awayfrom neutral colors in theirhomes, a mosaic can bring aspace personality and a popof color,” King says. “Mosaicsare very engaging and eachhas intellectual, physical andcourtesy photoThis gorgeous colonial home has more than 4,000 square feetof living space.visual elements that just drawyou into it.”During these economictimes, when more people areupgrading their current homesinstead of buying new ones,King says many are creatingor commissioning a mosaicthat is personal and makes astatement. Popular places inthe home for a mosaic designPrice: $999,000Style: Expanded ColonialContact: Christine Garner, WeichertRealtors, (703)587-4855,cghomes@hotmail.cominclude the front entrywayfloor, a fireplace surround anda kitchen or bathroom backsplash.“There’s a huge variety andvitality in American mosaics,”says King, who also authored“Mosaic Techniques and Traditions”(2003, Sterling Pub-SEE Design | 25courtesy photoThis charming home features an attached garage and a koipond.Community: RosemontLot Size: 7,150 sq ft.Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4.5Parking: Attached GarageADVERTORIAL
ALEXANDRIA TIMES January 12, 2012 | 25DesignFROM | 24lishing Co.) “A mosaic canadd color and life to the insideand outside of homes.”Part of what makes a mosaicso intriguing is the abundanceof materials availablefor a one-of-a-kind design.A piece used in a mosaic iscalled a tessera (or tesseraein the plural), from the Latinword for “cube.” Practicalconsiderations, such as a material’sapplication and durability,help an artist to determinewhat tesserae to use:Ceramic tesseraeTiny glazed and unglazedtiles — an unglazed tesserafeatures an earthy color palette,while the glazed tesserahas a thin, brittle layer ofglaze in a rainbow of colors.Vitreous glass tesseraeThis material is usually asquare with a flat upper surfaceand beveled underneath,available in a wide range ofcolors.SmaltiThese handmade tesseraeare most notably from Italy,made of very dense enamelizedglass, and used in mosaicssince the Byzantine era.These are expensive and aremostly opaque. Gold smalticonsists of gold or white goldbetween two layers of glass.Stones and pebblesPieces of slate, marble andother stones have natural colorvariations and interestingtextures.Marble gemsFlat-backed, these tesseraeare also called “dragon tears.”Very popular, with morethan 50 colors from which tochoose, these “droplets” havefinishes that are shiny, metallicor frosted.Picassiette (broken china)French for “broken plate,”this type of mosaic is a popularway to recycle brokendishes or porcelain heirlooms.Although most people useconventional tiles and tesseraein their mosaics, Kingsays some create mosaics using“found” objects. A populartrend is making mosaic memoryware, which can artisticallyincorporate meaningfulthree-dimensional objects —such as Grandma’s teacup, achildhood spoon and shellsfound along the beach duringa vacation — into a largerinstallation that becomes aroom’s focal point, such as afireplace surround.Homeowners also makea big splash with a mosaicbacksplash design in ahome’s kitchen or bathroom.Backsplashes have evolvedfrom standard-issue ceramicsquares to stellar glass orstone tile mosaics.“Backsplashes can make abig visual impact,” King says.“The area is contained, socreating a mosaic is a doableproject.”For intricate projects, Kingsuggests first constructing abacksplash mosaic on a flatsurface using fiberglass mesh.When the design is finished,the mosaic can then be mountedand later grouted on thewall.Mosaic designs can rangefrom the traditional to theultra-modern. Form also followsfunction when utilitariandetails, such as the housenumber, are incorporated intoa mosaic design.To maintain a mosaic,clean with a damp sponge andwarm water. The use of cleaners,which contain ammonia,may actually rub off a tessera’sdesign details. Seal outdoormosaics at least once ayear, using a penetrating groutsealant.When designed and takencare of properly, a mosaic canstand the test of time.“Humans have been creatingmosaics for thousands ofyears and it’s only natural tobring this art form into today’shomes,” she says. “Peopleidentify with mosaics becausethere are many different pieces,but all of these work togetherto create harmony anda synergy in the space it fills.”You be the boss in 2012!Hundreds o f t op f ranchises to c hoose f rom. I nvestments r ange f rom $10k t o$1MM+. H ome b ased t o r etail i n ev ery i maginable b usiness se gment i nAmerica. 9 7% of franchised businesses are still open after five years becausefranchising works. Be in business for yourself but not by yourself! Financing isavailable. Call Smart Franchise Finders to see if business ownership is for you.Caffi Contracting ServicesPlumbing • Heating • remodeling • Since 1967Tired of running out of hot water?Call thewater heaterexperts at Caffifor the best inhot watersolutions301-203-4450www.smartfranchisefinders.com$100 OFFwater heater installationCoupon may not be combined with any other offer. Expires 1/31/12Must be presented at time of service.1313 Powhatan Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314703.836.6775 • service@cafficontracting.comwww.facebook.com/cafficontractingwww.cafficontracting.com
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Breach of trust - Alexandria Times

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