Tile Creations

Judy Kohn visits mosaic designer Sally Fedrigault to see an old pedestal sink in the guest bath she completely covered with a whimsical variety of stones, shells , marbles, pottery, even glass animals, to create a mosaic work of art. Adding to the room's charm is the wall mural, painted to look like a view from a balcony. A small table top, featuring tumbled marble and stones, also received the mosaic treatment .

Fedrigault walks Kohn through the simple steps involved in applying mosaics to a surface, using a sink bowl for demonstration (figure A).

Materials:

plaster knife
mastic
water
tile nipper
grout
sponge
old sock
acetone

Steps:

1. Butter each tile piece with a dab of mastic (figure B) and set in place. Let dry overnight.
2. Mix grout with water to the consistency of yogurt. Working in small areas so it won't harden too quickly, apply grout over the entire surface with a sponge (figure C).
3. After the grout is dry, remove excess with a damp sponge.
4. Polish with an old sock dipped in acetone (which removes grout from the pores of tiles.)

(Note: If lining the bowl of a sink, Fedrigault recommends using glass pieces since they are impervious to water.)