March 9, 2021 (Exmore, Virginia) ….. New Ravenna, America’s premier designer and manufacturer of mosaics for residential and commercial installations, is pleased to present the Gracie collection in collaboration with Gracie, makers of handpainted wallpaper since 1898. Five Gracie designs were selected for interpretation into glass mosaics. The designs were chosen to represent international historic themes, from Roman and Chinese antiquity to the late Japanese Edo period, and French Art Deco. Linda’s Garden was inspired by an ancient frescoed Roman villa Linda Gracie admired on her travels to Italy. Blythedunes was originally based on rare antique Chinese wallpaper. Wave and Blossom has a precedent in18th century Japanese stylized stream and plum blossom imagery. Waves represents the Gracie family’s love of the ocean and is influenced by a 17th century handpainted Japanese screen of the tumultuous sea. French Deco is an elegant motif of trees drawn from the work of eminent Parisian designer, Armand-Albert Rateau. The silver leaf used in the wallpaper was replicated with antiqued mirror in the New Ravenna mosaic.
Jennifer Gracie on the collaboration, “We admired the work of New Ravenna long before we connected about the possibility of a collaboration. I lost count of their many gorgeous designs that I saved on Instagram. To see their mosaic interpretations of our designs is thrilling, and I look forward to including these in my own home. Wallpaper and showers do not generally mix well, so New Ravenna’s mosaic interpretations expand Gracie into the bathroom and kitchen!”
Gracie’s intricate designs were interpreted into mosaic by New Ravenna’s master mosaicists through varied techniques, colors, and textures. First, scaling a dynamic section of each design to new dimensions, the designs were replicated in both the original colors of the handpainted wallpaper and a New Ravenna customized palette. Central motifs were created in reflective jewel glass allowing the natural hand mixed variation of the glass sheets to replicate the feel of a handpainted surface. Tumbled Sea Glass™ was used as background material to allow the characters in each design to remain dominant, and Gracie’s metallic leaf pigments were honored by using honed antique mirror and 24 karat gold glass. New Ravenna mosaicists used two techniques: hand nipping glass into similar size shapes in the traditional mosaic method and scoring the glass to create larger organic shapes – a method which is traditional of stained glass. Depending on the intricacy of the design, a panel of any size will take several weeks and multiple artisans to complete.
Cean Irminger, New Ravenna creative director, “We have been avid admirers of Gracie for years. Our brands have many similarities: we work and innovate in ancient artistic traditions, employ artists with decades of experience, and elevate home furnishings and coverings to an art form. This is a match made in artistic heaven.”
Mosaics in the Gracie collection can be customized in size and color to suit the designer’s preferences. Vertical indoor and sheltered exterior installation is recommended. New Ravenna is available at New Ravenna showrooms throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. www.newravenna.com #757.442.3379
Top photo: Wave and Blossom, a hand-cut jewel glass mosaic shown in Tortoise Shell, Amber, Tiger’s Eye, Jasper, Obsidian, 24K Gold, Dawn Mirror, Moonstone, Alabaster, Champagne, and Rhodolite with honed 24K Gold.
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New Ravenna is America’s premier designer and manufacturer of custom stone and glass mosaics for both residential and commercial installations. The handcrafted mosaics are fashioned into decorative borders, murals, fields, and medallions. Mosaic materials are polished, tumbled, honed and cut to create distinctive styles, subtle shade variations and textures. The installations are custom works of art in mosaic tile, which often incorporate the designs of architects, interior designers and their clients.
New Ravenna mosaics are found in homes, restaurants, hotels, casinos, and businesses around the world, and are available for purchase through designer showrooms across the country and internationally.
