eBay Guides - Why invest in a Kitchen Backsplash Mosaic

What is mosaic? What makes it so special?

At the most simple definition, mosaic is a picture or other design constructed from smaller pieces. As well as the subject and style of the design, it is the choice of materials, plus the skill in creating and placing the pieces that contribute to the personal, artistic and practical value of the mosaic.

A special feature is that the pieces are normally solid and durable. The physical qualities of the materials add greatly to the significance of the mosaic. Materials may be reflective or iridescent (glass, gold, mirror). Mosaics can be 3-dimensional, and can incorporate objects and unusual items.

Mosaics can be
- A medium and expression of creativity
- Fine art
- Public art
- Integrated into architecture, indoors and outdoors

Mosaics, marbles, ceramics and tiles

Tiles and mosaics are so closely connected it can be hard to make distinctions. Geometric tile arrangements are mosaics, and many mosaics are made of tiles, whether marble, ceramic or glass. Often the tiles are cut, shaped, patterned or decorated. They may be purpose-made for the mosaic.

If you get interested in mosaic, you're likely to be interested in marble tiles and ceramics (such as architectural ceramics), brickwork patterns, flooring patterns (such as Cosmati work) as well.

Compare and contrast - How does mosaic relate to some other art forms and crafts?

Painting – At first sight, not a great deal in common perhaps. Mosaic was often chosen as an alternative to painted frescos in Byzantine buildings. Much later, the style of painting known as Pointillism, most associated with Georges-Pierre Seurat (1859-1891), used dots of paint, rather than brushstrokes (see picture, source: Wikipedia). Pointillists used a limited range of colors, but had discovered that, side-by-side with other dots, these colors would be blended by the viewer's eye into other colors, giving a special vibrancy to the work. The painter Marc Chagal (1887–1985) designed extensively for mosaic murals. Ultimately, individual placement of pieces within a mosaic can be as delicate as the brush strokes of a master painter.

How are Mosaics being used today?

Nowadays, Mosaics are being used intensively both in indoors and outdoors areas.

Indoors Mosaic Installation includes the kitchen backs splash, entry ways, floors, mural, dining areas, fireplace surroundings, archways, columns and even incorporated in furniture.

Outdoors Mosaics are mainly used in pools, fountains, garden areas and as a table top.

Mosaics are also considered a great alternative to paintings and photographs, giving the whole space a sense of authenticity that cannot be felt using any other art work or decoration.

Historically, baths has been a very popular location to place mosaic due to its ability to withstand water and humidity (ONLY when properly installed), unlike other art forms.

When you buy and install a Mosaic at Mosaic Discovery you also buy added-value to your home

The great value of a Mosaic is reached once it is installed and part of the construction. Below is a great example of how you could transform a dull kitchen back splash into an amazing piece of art. Here is an example, in numbers, to show you how mosaics are a great added-value to your home:

Let’s say you make a full custom back splash in your kitchen. This back splash is around 40 square feet. Your mosaic will cost between $1,700.00 and $2,200.00 delivered to you. Installation would cost around $500.00. So your final investment (and it is a life time investment!) is around $2,500.00.

Here is the best part. Imagine now you are selling your home. With a back splash like the one shown below, you will guarantee an additional $10,000.00 for your home as kitchens and bathrooms are the most valuable areas when estimating a house. Mosaics are original, customized to fit perfectly your area and as 16th Century Italian Artist Giorgio Vasari wrote: Mosaic is the most durable picture that exists. Other paintings fade with time, but mosaic continually brightens with age.

A good example of a "before" and "after" look of a kitchen using marble mosaic from Mosaic Discovery.

BEFORE