Company: Artistic Tile

Company URL: artistictile.com

Product/Collection Name: Ondulare

About This Product: Inspired by the gentle movement of water, Ondulare is a dimensional natural stone tile that captures the rhythm of rolling waves. The tile body is sculpted with alternating concave and convex undulations, creating a flowing profile. Additionally, the surface of each tile is carved with sweeping parallel grooves that add texture and subtle shadows. When installed on an interior wall, this unique tile creates a continuous, seamless wave.

Designed as a repeating unit, Ondulare transforms walls into sculptural installations. Stocked in Calacatta Gold Marble, as well as Cloud Limestone and Moca Cream Limestone, this large-format honed tile displays the unique veining and coloration of each natural stone.

Ondulare is a material that emerged from an iterative process of designing and redesigning until we discovered the perfect scale for the rise and fall of the tile. Inspired by the Curvature Effect, Ondulare uses rounded forms to positively impact human health. Its surface undulations, which feature fine lines of scalloped fluting, were meticulously constructed and finetuned until the tile felt soft to the touch. The finished product offers diverse sensorial appeal—from the visual beauty of its sweeping lines to the tactile charm of its channeled surface.

Inspired to generate a feeling of wellness, Ondulare is a neuro-derived design that integrates the Curvature Effect into the product’s aesthetics. The result is a dimensional tile intended to elicit a multi-sensorial harmonious response, positively affecting the body’s senses of sight, touch, and proprioception.

In a 2024 article published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, “The curvature effect: Approach-avoidance tendencies in response to interior design stimuli,” the authors conclude, “Overall, this study provides evidence in favour of an attractive and pleasant intrinsic effect of curved interior designs…” This Curvature Effect, coupled with a focus on soft minimalism, drove Ondulare’s development. Design Director Courtney Vagliardo explains, “Our objective was to create a restorative, sensory softness out of stone, a material traditionally perceived as hard.” Using the body’s Circadian Rhythm as inspiration, the designers focused on finding the perfect amplitude for the rise and fall of the tile body.

Ondulare’s gently fluted surface further softens it, appealing to the body’s sense of balance. “While visually stunning, this is a must-touch experiential product,” Vagliardo emphasizes. “Ondulare brings a sense of peace inside.”

Ondulare’s positive effect is not limited to its aesthetics. When trailing a hand over Ondulare, people can sense its contours as much as they can see its beauty and feel its tactility—all sensory inputs that stress balance and promote harmony. Careful seam placement also intensifies Ondulare’s calming effect: tile edges were planned at the trough of the wave, where they would be concealed in shadow.