April 2, 2019 (Exmore, Virginia) ….New Ravenna, America’s premier designer and manufacturer of mosaics for both residential and commercial installations, is pleased to introduce Bright Young Things, a collection of 26 mosaics in stone and glass with shell, brass, aluminum, and zinc accents. The Bright Young Things collection was inspired by the exuberant and glamourous British aristocrats and socialites of the 1920’s. It was a time that saw the emergence of art deco, jazz, and a bohemian spirit in literature, photography, and theatre. The collection introduces two new finishes; the leather worn surface of Orpheus Black stone seen in Beaton, Lya, and Lytton. And the hand sanded metals in Huxley, which create a velvet texture with brilliant shine. The honed Orchid glazed Basalto of Evelyn reveals sparkling geode inclusions. Cubist influences are found in Bismarck, Eliot, and Harper, while the organic floral textiles of the period inspired Chloe, Eleanor, Rosamond, Sybil, and Zita. Geometric rivets, tufting, beading, prisms, and facets are characteristics of style moderne embellishments and have been replicated in Byron, Essex, Lawrence, Belen, and Yorke. Quintin is a Jazz Age interpretation of subway tile with brass or zinc liners. Tennant, Lombard and Lucet are a geometric Deco pottery motifs. Whistler and Loelia are reminiscent of softer textile patterns, that flow with the elegance of a brushstroke.
Cean Irminger, creative director of New Ravenna, says of the collection, “It’s been almost 100 years since the Bright Young Things Charleston-ed their way into the media and eventually history books, living life to the fullest as England’s “it crowd” and contributing one of the most glamorous eras of the design pantheon. It feels like we are once again on the brink of a giant cultural and aesthetic shift with the youth of today poised to shake things up and rewrite all of the norms. Inspired by the brilliant bohemian spirit of those 1920’s darlings, we created our Bright Young Things collection. We referenced Art Deco style, while creating something totally unexpected and modern. Our design team visited all of the aspects of the era, from fashion to lighting, architecture to illustration. Patterns are named after a “Bright Young” person, and each has a distinct personality, brimming with possibility and brio.
These colorful characters gave us the perfect opportunity to introduce our gorgeous new and exclusive stone, Glazed Basalto. The basalt’s natural geode inclusions show through a hand applied glaze, giving a textured, shifting jewel-hued range reminiscent of dyed velvets. When honed, the material has an organic raw edge while holding onto its color, and the geodes add a flash of diamond-like sparkle from within a matte field. It truly is a versatile, unique, and stunning addition to our material family, and a perfect way to capture the bon vivant spirit of this collection.”
Bright Young Things and all other New Ravenna products are available at New Ravenna showrooms throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, and Dubai. www.newravenna.com #757.442.3379