Frolicking wave patterns arcing along a colorful background create a playful motif in the Classic Wave pattern of stone mosaics designed by Joni Vanderslice for the J. Banks Collection for New Ravenna. The design is available in a range of materials, from brightly colored glass to neutral tone-on-tone stone. This is one of 15 patterns in the collection that has three themes underlying their designs: waves, trellises, and palms. New Ravenna’s design team visualized Vanderslice’s concepts into mosaic form through various applications of color, texture, and shape. Patterns like Classic Wave are the result.

The J. Banks Collection of mosaics was created for New Ravenna, America’s premier designer and manufacturer of luxury stone and glass mosaics. Designed by Joni Vanderslice, principal and owner of J. Banks Design, the collection captures the essence of refined, southern-coastal style, combined with the rich colors and graphic patterns of African tribal design. A Hilton Head native, Vanderslice flawlessly captures the contemporary elements popular in east coast interiors.

Specifically, the designer drew inspiration for this collection from her travels to and around Africa through her non-profit group, The Valentine Project. By partnering with local Tanzanian churches, Vanderslice’s Valentine Project aims to provide safe homes for orphans in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The mosaic collection is decorated with inspiration from Africa – from Kente and Kuba cloths, to topography maps and wave patterns.

J. Banks Design, a residential and hospitality design firm, based in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, has a global portfolio of projects that are a direct reflection of their design philosophy – home as resort and resort as home. For the firm’s first-ever tile collection, J. Banks Design collaborated with New Ravenna to create a line of mosaics that offer an upscale coastal profile for residential or hospitality projects.

Vanderslice, who loves to play with color and scale, incorporated soft, neutral hues that evoke the inviting relaxation of a low-country retreat, as seen in Kubuni Grand and Wings, and a vibrant coastal color palette, as seen in Tanzanian Squiggle and Wimbi. The designer rescaled some of the patterns to cover options for kitchen backsplashes, powder room floors, and large-scale versions for foyer floors or master baths. Vanderslice says of the collection, “…design is in the details, especially when the details are made by hand and are absolutely unique.”