How I Design a Custom Mosaic

Everyone has there own way of doing things and it has taken me a while to figure out what is the best way for me to approach a custom mosaic.

One of the first things I ask my customer is if they see a design in my shop that they like. That way I at least know what style I'm dealing with.

The next step is to ask them to send pictures to me of the room where the mosaic will be hanging so that I can get a feel for their style and colors . If they have a paint chip I ask them to send it to me.  Sometimes they send pictures from magazines too.

Many of my customers want to include some of their own keepsakes in the mosaic. Once I receive these the design starts to take shape in my mind.

I like to sketch out the design on graph paper and email them a copy.  This makes it easier  to convey what you are thinking and is a great place to start a conversation of likes and dislikes, sizes, shapes, etc..

This is a partial design that I did for one of my customers. Their decor was a cross between ultra modern and very country.

 My idea was to blend the two tastes by using an abstract design and traditional dishes for tiles.

Working up a color board probably stems from so many years of studying interior design. It gives you a clear view of your colors, textures, patterns, etc. that you have to work with.   I get all my tiles, gems, and anything else I can find that I think would go well with the color scheme of my customer's room and email it to them.  That way they can then pick and choose what they like.

This is one of the photos I emailed to my customer for ideas. The paint chip and photo are included with the color board.

 Generally my  husband puts a nice 1/4" wooden border around my pieces but this customer asked for a tiled edge so I thought using a tile the exact same color as her room would make the mosaic "float".

Another photo I emailed to my customer for approval.

 At this point I have approval of the design and color scheme so I am ready to go.  The first thing I do is seal the wood because it will be exposed in the kitchen. Second, I paint the surface white so that any transparent tiles or gems will have a clear color. If you put a glass gem against plain wood it would lose much of it's original color.


I don't bother with the edges because I know the tiles will be used and don't require a primer. This is a 3/4" piece of plywood that will go above a stove area.  The wood has been sealed.

I hope you will follow along with me as I continue to post my progress.

Until Next Time :)