In his work space in a studio in Sausalito, mosaic Pippa Murray took a piece of Floor Tiles, creating a Porcelain Tiles, and struck with a hammer. It takes the place and keep hacking a bit until they escape.

The pieces of stone mosaics installed in most homes today, as proposed by the architects preferred Ann Sacks are manufactured in series are produced in factories, cut by sawing, laser jet water. Murray offers something unique: custom tile flooring, kitchens and bathrooms are designed with the methods in the ancient world. Of course, they also are not perfect squares, but "it is the soul," he said.

His work is often simple and modern with clean lines and smooth surfaces, complicated work is hardly recognizable from afar. Murray's own studio, just steps away, is an elegant space with endless eye candy. Its interior design, which has samples of the mosaic, watercolor impressive as a text description, and shows a bulletin board photo Tip the process of installing the floor. And on the ground as small squares surrounding the mosaic tiles are known as small round stones and boulders as scarves.

Purbrick worked hard, smooth stone chips, Murray "room dirty work." It is surrounded by cast to build big boxes and the plate of rock recovered from the courtyards and glass vases filled with bright colors, called for a special Italian smalti glass mosaic.

When customers try to beat them, water jet cutting, Murray made the pattern pieces, but "does not hit the heart strings."

As she grew, her father Murray, an art historian who specializes in French Gothic architecture, was admired throughout Europe, and depend on the steps of the cathedral and museum pieces.

Since this artist in residence, asked archaeologists to excavate a mosaic of stone for construction of houses. Made of stones from the beach, part of nine meters wide, Murray was the first in a mosaic with pots that had drawing.In 1999, was at the end of the Spanish designer Victor Carrasco made his home in pieces that were like objects Romans. When he finished, the curator of the museum asked Carrasco Sevilla come to them and the date. "He," Murray said with a smile. "Eastern Empire the second century." "There is a collaboration in their minds what they want, what they need, their budget," he said. "Then there is what I think about what I want I can do certain things.