Dominic Crinson - Mosaic Glitz

They may be two-dimensional, but the bursts of pattern and color in Dominic Crinson's floor and wall tiles read as practically 3-D. That may be because Crinson studied fine arts at the U.K.'s Leicester University and worked for 10 years as a ceramist before founding his company in 1999. "Having trained and practiced as an artist allowed me to think outside the limits of functionality and rationality," he says. "Ceramic colors are not like Pantone colors."

His commissioned work appears in restrooms at London's Big Chill bar and New Delhi's Park Hotel, in massage and relaxation rooms at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 1 Luxury Class lounge, and on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines's Freedom of the Seas, one of the world's largest ocean liners. As varied as those commissions, his inspirations include everything from cut vegetables, as seen in the Cabbagescape tile mural, to a trip to South America, as evidenced by Junglish 21 floor tiles. An update on Victorian wall coverings pops up in Lotos 3. Bollywood influenced Jantar Mantar B11. Mosaic Glitz wall tiles are like a peek into a 1960's kaleidoscope. And the Marmarous tile mural's seashell design represents the peacefulness of nature. "My work will always be rooted in strong pattern," Crinson says.

Wall tiles come in 4-, 6-, or 8-inch squares, while floor tiles are available in squares of 8 or 12 inches. Those for walls are offered in glossy or matte finishes. The floor versions, which come only in matte, boast a 23 percent recycled content. Tiles being unveiled during the London Design Festival will feature unusual combinations, such as matte and glossy glazes or pearlescent and metallic finishes.

Clearly, for this designer, creative combinations are simply waiting to be discovered.

27 Camden Passage, London N1 8EA, U.K.; 44-20-7704-6538; crinson.com.