The Dwell 24: Dollop Tiles
Stuart Piercy, Guan Lee, and Karim Chaya’s tiles celebrate the beauty of imperfections.
Stuart Piercy, Guan Lee, and Karim Chaya of Dollop Tiles combine innovation with traditional craft. "As an architect, you’re always trying to find a perfect solution, but the interesting thing about these tiles is that they’re inconsistent," says Piercy, an architect and director of his own London-based design studio, Piercy & Company.
Dollop started when Piercy and Lee met while working on a research project about improving the design of glass-reinforced concrete panels. Lee traveled to Beirut for a work trip and was introduced to Chaya, who runs a cement-tiles company called BlattChaya. Lee became a fan of BlattChaya’s work and found that its methods of manufacturing meshed with his and Lee’s research, and Dollop Tiles was born. The unpredictable nature of the trio’s work is what keeps them interested. "Every project has come with new opportunities to materialize or to manifest ideas," says Lee. "There’s always a new way to realize ideas."
Read the full Q&A with Stuart Piercy below.
Hometown: London.
Describe what you make in 140 characters... Colored cement tiles: no molds, just dolloping. Organic, fluid, pointillist patterns created without molds. A fresh take on tradition.
What’s the last thing you designed? A department store.
Do you have a daily creative ritual? I’m obsessed with design magazines, a coffee and a design magazine first thing in the morning always.
How do you procrastinate? I don’t really!
What everyday object would you like to redesign? Why? Socks. They’re so hard to wash, put on and keep together!
Who are your heroes (in design, in life, in both)? Dieter Rams.
What skill would you most like to learn? Piano.
What is your most treasured possession? Great Grandfather’s WW1 Pen Knife.
What’s your earliest memory of an encounter with design? David Hockney exhibition, aged 10.
What contemporary design trend do you despise? Overly virtuous eco design (green washing).
Finish this statement: All design should... make you feel great.
What’s in your dream house? an Anselm Kiefer.
How can the design world be more inclusive? More apprentices from schools.
What do you wish non-designers understood about the design industry? That it isn’t just a luxury.
You can learn more about Dollop Tiles on Instagram.
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Top Image: Courtesy Dollop Tiles