Article By: Ines Hanl
Mother-of-pearl has been used since ancient times to make people and their homes more beautiful, but today’s manufacturing techniques have made this product even more accessible and economical. “Mother-of-pearl” is the common name for iridescent nacre, a blend of minerals secreted by oysters and other mollusks and deposited inside their shells; it coats and protects them from parasites and foreign objects.
Now we can use this wonderful material in our homes in a wide range of products. Mother-of-pearl tiles, wallpaper and countertops can adorn a space with the same elegance that a pearl necklace adds to an outfit. It’s not cheap (mother-of-pearl tile starts at about $30 per square foot), but it can be just the splurge you need to set your project apart from the crowd.
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Mosaic tile. Available in a wide range of natural hues, mother-of-pearl tile and mosaic blends are made from the nacre on shells like capiz, black lip, brown lip, paua and violet oyster.
White mother-of-pearl appears iridescent naturally, but it can be artifically tinted to almost any (sometimes shocking) color.
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This is a beautiful example of mother-of-pearl on a kitchen backsplash. This shell tile is often thin, unless it’s mounted to a thicker substrate, so if it’s combined with another tile, it’ll need to be built up to look flush.
If you’re not sold on a shell product but love the iridescent look, look for manufacturers that produce iridescent glass mosaics. White iridescent glass can look quite similar to mother-of-pearl tiles.
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Flooring. What a elegant mix of natural stone and mother-of-pearl! This application is a great example of layering textures in a white-on-white application. Note how the simple act of creating a border around a well-proportioned floor tile strengthens the grid pattern.
Mother-of-pearl can be used for walls, floor surfaces (make sure to check with the manufacturer) and sometimes outdoor applications.
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Accents. If you are craving the glow but don’t have the budget for a full iridescent wall, use mother-of-pearl mosaic tile to add a bit of sparkle to an accent. Mirror frames, side tables and table lamps can all shine with mother-of-pearl tile.
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Inlay. Mother of pearl is a very suitable product to be cut into shapes. The cut shapes, called tesserae, are often used as inlay on furniture and other decorative home accessories.
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Sinks. Shown here as a semivessel model, a mother-of-pearl mosaic sink, like those fromLinkaSink, can be cleaned with mild household cleaner or soap and water. The grout can be cleaned with grout cleaner; it should be sealed once or twice a year for maintenance.
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Furnishings. Mother-of-pearl cabinetry faces utilize shell panels, rather than tile. These panels are laminated shell tiles and come in a variety of shell types, colors and sizes
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often uses mother-of-pearl in combination with coconut on its furniture. The dark chocolate of the rough textured coconut and mother-of-pearl’s creamy iridescence make for a delicious mix on this storage cabinet!
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Wall coverings.Maya Romanoff, who specializes in luxurious wall products, offers a flexible tile that can be applied like a wallpaper. The tile is a thin capiz shell veneer applied to backing paper with a topcoat for easy maintenance. York Wallcoverings and Franco Ferrucci offer similar products.
Maya Romanoff’s wallpaper starts at $45 per square foot (plus installation). Candice Olson’s mother-of-pearl wallpaper starts at about $110 per double roll (about 60 feet of wallpaper).
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Countertops.
Icestone uses mother-of-pearl as one ingredient in its countertop products. A cementitious base product mixed with recycled glass shards and mother-of-pearl creates beautiful color blends
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Mother-of-pearl accents bring a wonderful glow to Icestone countertops, enlivening a space in a calm way. The use of small pieces of glass doesn’t feel as aggressive as in some other products.
From personal experience, I recommend using Icestone only in areas where there’s no risk of staining the surface. I’ve used Icestone quite successfully in bathrooms and laundry areas.
Icestone countertops are comparable to mid- to high-end granite in cost. Allow for about $150 per square foot (including installation) in you.
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