Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Shoemaker.
Ariel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We started making custom mosaics 22 years ago. We’re based in Boston but have deep roots with family, friends, and professional connections in South Florida.
We are commissioned by homeowners, interior designers, architects, and builders to bring to their projects a customizable art piece, flooring design, kitchen, bathroom, or backsplash. People approach us when realize they were unable to find what they were looking for from other artists and tile vendors. Each piece that we have designed and fabricated has been 100% hand cut, original, and designed to meet the project’s specifications.
We’ve reimagined the ancient tradition of mosaic art to create scenes as diverse as the Kerala Backwaters, wildlife abundant on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a view of the Atlantic from the shores of Cape Cod, and the underwater views in the Caribbean and the northern Pacific oceans.
Our goal has always been to help people take important feelings or moments in their lives and integrate them into their home environment. We can’t help our clients stop time, but we can help them create a feeling where a small part of themselves is still in that magical moment.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no. We used to have trouble helping clients visualize the opportunities available to them to customize their spaces. With the advent of Zoom and our process of creating small samples, the client could view in their own space, it has improved our communication and allowed our clients to get exactly what they want.
This aspect of our process allows our client to feel some of the beauty of the commission before it’s installed. We’ve found by engaging our clients in this way, they have the space to communicate with us what’s important to them. That’s our goal- to give the client a magical space that represents something that’s so core to who they are- and the communication tools we’ve developed have allowed us to do that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We make hand-cut custom mosaics. The biggest sector of our business is kitchen backsplashes. After all, the kitchen is the place in their home where we spend most of our time!
Designers know that the kitchen is the biggest investment you can make in your home, and the extra touch of having us make the backsplash dramatically increases the “wow factor” of the project. Clients love telling us about the first party they’ve hosted after project completion and their guests’ reaction. Having a beautiful backsplash multiplies the value of other improvements they’ve made in the space. Designers say it “lifts” other elements of the room design.
What sets us apart is our ability to communicate with clients and give them functional art in their living space that enhances day-to-day life. We also create wall hangings using the same process that will elevate any living space.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We want to lift people. We want to find that special moment in you- a memory, a lifecycle event, something beautiful- and help it be part of your everyday.
Bringing a beautiful abstract design or representational scene into your living space has benefits that will stay with you after you leave the house in the morning- and be there to greet you when you arrive home at night.
We’ve done work in Miami for years, but since the project we did in South Beach was featured in Architectural Digest, we’ve had even more interest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.afsmosaics.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afsmosaics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariel.shoemaker
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-shoemaker-8151835/
- Twitter: @afsmosaics
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AFSMosaics/
- Other: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/step-inside-an-one-of-a-kind-miami-beach-apartment-that-received-a-fantastical-glow-up
Image Credits
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/step-inside-an-one-of-a-kind-miami-beach-apartment-that-received-a-fantastical-glow-up and Douglas Friedman
