Cool Hunting

Founded in 1956, Italian mosaic company Bissaza is a relatively young venture that has grown into a venerable business largely responsible for re-introducing lavish tile creations to interior design. In just over 50 years Bisazza has helped transform the traditional material into modern, stunning looks for today's spaces. The recent book Bisazza: Contemporary Mosaics is an overview that tells the story and presents the examples—from trompe l'oeil fireplaces to a swimming pool lined with Warhol-inspired flowers—of the way Bisazza's large-scale installations brought mosaics into the modern era with daring colors, patterns and new applications. A brief intro details the artists and designers brought on by the Bisazza family and full-bleed photos illustrate their innovations and influences. A small volume, the hardback edition makes for a lovely introduction to the beauty, inventiveness, and humor (one ceiling depicts the view up a woman's skirt) of Bisazza.

Order a copy from Assouline or Amazon.