Bits and pieces of ceramic tile washed up the shore of an Italian coastline. Their weight brushed against the feet of those strolling and wading in the water.
One of these beach strollers was a friend of New York author Jill Herbers. The friend, in sharing stories of her travels to Italy, planted an idea in Herbers’ mind.
As Herbers listened, she pictured the shiny bits of tile washing up to shore, but she also saw them as glittering bits of history afloat in the sea.
She then decided to set off on her own adventure in search of ceramic tiles and the story behind the art form invented by the Egyptians 6,000 years ago.
“Tile often tell stories, so their patterns are key to a culture and clues to a people,” Herbers writes.
In her new book, “Tile” (Artisan, $35), Herbers successfully shares her adventures in a narrative much like that of a friend, talking “a mile a minute” about the wonderful things and people encountered on a one-of-a-kind trip.
This coffee-table version provides a smooth ride through different periods and cultures where tile is made and found–from a plaza in Mexico to a New York subway.
Often, books of this type look good only on the outside and have flat, lifeless text on the inside.
“Tile” is different. Herbers, who has written three books on architecture and design, sets a storyteller’s pace and heightens your interest in a design subject you may not have given much thought to before.
Photographer Roy Wright supports her effort with lush and beautiful photographs.
“Tile” is a glossy, slick book whose cover features brilliant blues, daisy yellows, paprika reds, cinnamon browns, aqua greens and rose pink designs of reproduced Malibu tiles from the 1920s and ’30s.
The whimsical floral and linear designs are signature looks for the Malibu reproductions, which are among Herbers’ favorite tiles. Only five companies now make the tile whose designs are reminiscent of a California landscape.
“The brilliant colors in these tiles are what appeal to me most, ” said Herbers, who recently appeared at the new Paris Ceramics showroom in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.
Herbers’ hope is that those who page through “Tile” see the “simple joy” in having tiles in their homes and discover tile as an art form.
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“The New Apartment Book” by Michele Michael (Clarkson Potter, $30).
The first word that comes to mind is “clever”; the first feeling, confidence.
Author Michele Michael makes you believe that with her step-by-step decorating guide you may be able to pull off at least one of the creative ideas she shows.
Showing the finished looks of apartments, she tells you how to paint a room, hang wallpaper or fabric on a wall, make folding screens, paint lampshades, and use coverlets to change the look of a sofa.
You don’t have to be a handy person. Really.
Michael just asks that you give yourself creative license to experiment with looks you’d like to have but were afraid you couldn’t afford in time or money.
You’re bound to find a look or two that can work in your place–even if you’re all thumbs. And, if your heart isn’t into making things, the extensive source list at the end of the book tells you how to shop flea markets and where to find inexpensive furniture.
