Not to be outdone by fellow 3rings writer Joseph Starr, who covered the remarkable Dialoghi Collection, I too am bringing your attention to a dynamic Italian tile. Dots porcelain tile by Marazzi are single-fired rectangular pieces that measure 20 x 50 cm, each featuring 90 (15 across x 6 down) “dots”–I put that word in quotations not for the sake of irony but because the dots are not perfect circles. Instead, the are rounded squares, a shape that reads as more contemporary than that old-fashioned dot.

Dots. Designed by Marazzi.

Shiny beyond all expectations, Dots owe their scintillating beauty to Swarovski crystals, which “create sparkling, sophisticated atmospheres.” Dots captures the light in multiple ways, changing the opacity and glossiness of the tiles. From one angle, all you see are the signature dots; from another vantage, all you see are flat, glossy rectangles of intense color.

The Dots tiles are resplendent in white. In all all white bathroom, the look is pristine, sleek, and otherworldly–as if you’re trapped inside a giant pearl. In soft mauve, the look is borrowed from a fairy tale princess. Dots in yellow make a strong statement, sort of 1970s retro in the spirit of Jean Nate Body Splash (remember those commercials where the women with feathered hair dressed in yellow and black?). But the truly amazing Dots tiles are those in scarlet. If you’ve visited the Mercer House in Savannah, then you know the decadent art deco bathroom on the main floor–tucked beneath the stairs, wallpapered in crimson flocked paper. Former owner Jim Williams made a point to have the room stand out: it was a late addition to the house and he wanted to stress its anachronism. The spectacle of the wallpaper is partly due to its play of light and shadow. Like Dots, it also has glossy and matte finishes. Nothing beats an entire bath covered in scarlet Dots–it feels like you’re trapped in the belly of a dragon who’s recently swallowed rubies.