Achieving that ‘luxe’ look with mosaic tiles

FOR South East Gate Philippines, each mosaic tile design like this jacuzzi from Megaworld’s Bellagio 3, is custom-made for a specific customer.

Contrary to popular belief, enhancing the look of your space – be it a house, a room, or even just a corner – need not cost you an arm and a leg. A change can be simple, practical and effortless and still exude elegance and sophistication.

Something like a mosaic tile, for instance, can surprisingly and readily dress up any space to give it that warm and “luxe” touch, reminiscent of old grandiose churches and of medieval Europe.

Alessandro Boni, president of South East Gate Philippines, told Inquirer Property that mosaic, which was once only commonly used in grand structures and by the rich families in Rome, is now a “product that everybody wants.”

Boni explained that the use of mosaic tiles has become a trend, a part of interior finishes that can provide an accent just about anywhere – in the kitchen, bathroom, in the floor and even on the wall, like an art form.

Mosaic refers to surface decorations made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored materials to form pictures or patterns. Any material, according to Boni, can be used to form a mosaic – be it glass, marble, metal, wood and even mother of pearl.

Considered a timeless piece, the mosaic is probably one among the more versatile finishes as it is adaptable to any area that it covers, from curves, flat surfaces, contours to small or big spaces.

“The beauty of the mosaic is that it can be cheap, it’s very easy to install, requires practically zero maintenance and you don’t need to retouch it,” Boni noted.

Some of the biggest developers in the Philippines, he further claimed, have readily embraced mosaic and have been using it quite extensively in their developments for some time already.

THE POOL at Ayala Land's Serendra is made more enticing with the use of mosaic tiles.

Interior designers are also more inclined to use the mosaic tiles to spruce up a space because it gives them the leeway to express themselves by mixing and matching materials and colors, according to the Italian businessman.

“This is why the mosaic is accepted by many interior designers [for finishes] all over the world,” he added.

More notably now, a growing number of individual homeowners have also taken a liking on the mosaic to provide an accent to specific spaces in the house.

“We have big clients like Ayala, SM, Megaworld, Eton and Landco as well as homeowners who come to us asking for just a 3-square meter of mosaic tiles for the bathroom, for instance,” Boni shared.

South East Gate, which has its roots in Italy, is currently the Philippines’ topmost provider of solutions to architectural and interior finishing requirements.

Boni claimed that his company was the first in the Philippines that manufactures and directly markets its own products, which included interior and exterior floor tiles, mosaic tiles, swimming pool tiles, bathroom fixtures and electric accessories as well as lighting fixtures.

It was also the first to introduce in the country over two years ago the Ecotech, an Italian-brand of technologically advanced and eco-friendly granite tile substitute. This kind of tiles was deemed environment-friendly as certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an internationally recognized green building rating system.

Custom-made service

THE WALL at the Taal Vista Hotel’s lobby is proof that mosaic tiles are gaining popularity as accent to spaces.

“The service that we give is unique. Since we are the manufacturer, we can work with every client on a custom-made transaction,” Boni said, noting further that each client has different preferences on how he or she would want to use mosaic tiles.

“It’s a single transaction every time. We also give our clients the option to choose. For us, mosaic is not an industrial product… We can give different designs based on your budget so every mosaic is a custom-made deal or approach that we have with our clients,” he explained.

Depending on the materials to be used, prices can range from as low as P5,000 per sq m to as high as P50,000.

According to Boni, producing mosaic tiles was the company’s core business, comprising about 60 percent. As such, South East Gate invests a lot in researching and developing the mosaic. The palettes are even made by the Italian man himself.

South East Gate, he added, also boasts of having a computerized design.

“We are the only one who has the technology. Anything you want to translate to mosaic, we have the capacity to do it… We will be bringing a new technology, the one that has the 3D effect,” he added.

Boni is encouraging clients – from developers to individual homeowners – to visit their showroom to have a complete view of the many and varied options that the company can offer.

He further assured that the quality of their products is at par with global standards.

“Our mosaic is produced not just for one market but for worldwide market. The quality and technical characteristics of each product comply with international standards. What we are selling here is the same to what we are selling in Italy and to other parts of the world,” Boni concluded.