Mosaics have been a popular art for many centuries now and their origin is believed to date back to Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC. It was a form of decoration widely used in Ancient Greece and Rome mainly for floors, and in early Christian basilicas it was used for depicting holly scenes and images on the walls and ceilings. Mosaics were also very popular in Islamic art until about the 8th century and Jews used in throughout the 5th and 6th centuries to decorate synagogues' floors in the Middle East. This type of art saw its golden period between 6th and 15th centuries during the Byzantine Empire but was abandoned as a technique during the Renaissance, though Raphael liked using it.

Mosaics is made of small tiles that are called tesserae. In the past natural stones like marble and limestone were cut into small cubes and used to create this decoration. Other popular mosaic tiles were made of ceramics and different types of glass.

Nowadays mosaics have become popular art made by both professional and street artists and a beloved craft for many. The modern tesserae can be made of almost everything including shells, glass, broken china, decorative natural stone or even bottle caps. Mosaics can add value and beauty to any room in the house and outdoors. Now all you need is your imagination and perhaps some inspiration. Below you will find five unique ideas how to use mosaic tiles or decorative natural stone in your garden presented by Lance Jordan Creations.

Walkway

Walkways or paths are the most popular place for your imagination in the garden regardless of its size and purpose. To recreate the look above you can use exterior limestone or granite tiles. You can, of course, use your creativity and combine different types of natural stone or have the tiles cut into smaller pieces and arrange them in different shapes so it can resemble mosaics.

Steps

Another excellent suggestion for your outdoor decoration is to turn your staircase into a piece of mosaic art. In this particular case the walkway makes a gentle transition into the steps up to the front door. As this area is subjected to high traffic you should choose natural stone tiles that can withstand it such as granite or slate, limestone can also be a good option. You can combine the mosaics on the steps with iron railing in a matching shape.

Wall

An idea that you may not have thought of is to decorate the external walls of your house. The project above combines the sense of rural and modern since only part of the wall is covered with tiles. You can use travertine, limestone or sandstone for this project. You can also decorate the external walls as per your own taste using mosaic tiles made of any material you like. If you prefer the feeling of the ocean breeze and sand under your feet, you can use shells and blue glass tiles to form your own unique seaside view, no matter how far away from the ocean you are.

Planter

One of the most popular applications of modern mosaics is for the creation of hand-decorated plant holders. In this particular case the artist has incorporated the planter into the path in an amazing way and has decorated it with various blue tesserae. However, decorating plant pots can also be a very easy and fun DIY family project. You can collect shells, beads or broken china that you can glue to the pots creating various patterns. Then simply place the plant pots in different places both indoors and outdoors and enjoy the cheerful atmosphere that they bring.

Furniture

Decorative natural stone furniture is an outstanding highlight for any garden or patio. You can play with the shape or the decoration of the items or, as is in the example above, combine both. The bench not only represents two peacocks but the mosaics excellently depicts their signature eye-spotted tail feathers. The seat itself also features different types of natural stone to match the laying of the path on which it is placed.

As you have seen different mosaic types and techniques can be used for the decoration of your garden. If laying natural stone tiles is something you are capable of doing or eager to learn this can turn into an excellent and relaxing DIY project. However, you always have the option of hiring a professional for the job.

If you want to see some more of the unique interior and exterior work of Lance Jordan you ca visit his site: here