It was so much fun to have the honor of making this brilliant, Gaudi-inspired showpiece for a client’s home!
My clients were building their dream pool house, which was sleek, modern, and minimal. It is a gorgeous home with clean lines and almost entirely white walls. They planned on doing a lot of entertaining, so they wanted a bright, bold mosaic backsplash in their open kitchen to serve as the centerpiece of the dining and living area. I was so fortunate that the wife of the president of an arts organization I work with are neighbors and friends with the couple building the home. She told them about my mosaic work and we met to discuss the project.
The couple wanted something inspired by Gaudí because they loved his mosaics and wanted a special artwork to remind them of their travels to Barcelona. They also wanted cobalt contrasting with vibrant, warm colors. It's so rare that clients are bold enough to put this much color in their home, so it was such a joy to work with them to make this mosaic happen.
Mockup of design option 1, colored pencil sketch.
I began with a hand-drawn sketch exploring the concept. This early option used a looser, more organic approach with stars and sweeping movement across the full width of the backsplash. You can also see the shelf cutouts already accounted for in the design, since planning around the architecture was part of the process from the very beginning.
Mockup of design option 2, digital.
From there I moved into digital mockups to work out the color relationships and composition more precisely. This version refined the design toward the sun concept and brought the cobalt and warm color contrast into sharper focus.
Mockup of design option 3 (chosen design), digital.
This is the final design the clients approved. I wanted to create something that matched their Gaudí and color specifications while still reflecting my own style. I suggested a sun because Gaudí has worked with solar imagery, but I approached it my way using geometric shapes, varying levels of translucency in the glass, colored mirror, and gold smalti. I also suggested creating the mosaic in glass rather than ceramic. I was so glad they agreed, because I couldn't have created a work this intricate in ceramic, and it would have lacked the luminosity and impact that glass brings. I still used a picassiette-style andamento traditional to ceramic mosaics as a nod to Gaudí. The whole design came together beautifully and quickly because the clients were open to ideas but also knew exactly what they wanted when they saw it.
Chosen mockup of Sun Kitchen Mosaic placed into wall elevation.
Before construction began I worked from the architect's wall elevation drawing to plan the panel layout precisely around the stainless shelves, range hood, and exact dimensions of the space. The sun was centered over the stove intentionally, both as a compositional anchor and so the focal point would sit entirely clear of the shelves. I also planned a buffer area at the top of each panel to account for any slight variation between my measurements and the actual wall, since it's far easier to trim a clean edge on site than to cut down a completed mosaic panel.
Sun Kitchen Backsplash, work in progress.
The mosaic was built on Wedi board panels, a foam core backer board coated on both sides with fiberglass mesh and cementitious resin, cut to fit the space. Working on the floor of my studio, I built each panel section by section, adhering all the glass with white mortar. I chose white mortar specifically because this is a kitchen installation and I wanted it to be as waterproof as an outdoor piece. White mortar also dramatically affects the color and reflectiveness of stained glass, even opaque glass has some level of translucency, so the mortar color underneath matters. For the translucent gems I backed them with foil so they would catch and reflect light beautifully.
Completed & grouted panel of Sun Kitchen Mosaic with removable section for washer circled in yellow.
For each panel seam I pre-cut the glass pieces that would bridge the gap after installation, but instead of adhering them I applied clear packing tape to the front and removed them. That way I could set them aside, install the panels, and then reapply them over the seams and washers during installation. The yellow circle in this image shows where one of the Wedi board washers sits beneath the glass surface. Those washers are designed specifically for foam core backer board installation and are completely hidden once the glass is applied over them. The main panel areas were grouted before installation so that only the seams and washer covers needed grouting on site.
Sun Kitchen Mosaic Backsplash during installation.
Installation day was incredibly satisfying. We first dry-fitted all the panels to confirm everything aligned correctly, and fortunately it all fit perfectly. The installers then secured the panels using mortar and screws through the washers. After that we applied the pre-cut glass pieces over the seams, washers, and buffer areas, with extra supplies and tools on hand in case any gaps needed filling. The last thing I wanted was extra grout lines giving away where the seams were hiding. Finally we grouted those areas and the backsplash was complete.
I didn't even anticipate the gorgeous reflection of the sun in the stovetop. That was a happy coincidence. In a home of clean white walls and modern design, seeing it finished and installed was dazzling. The clients are frequent hosts and their guests have told me how much they love it. They still tell me how thrilled they are with it every time I see them, which is the best possible outcome for a piece like this.
