TILE TIPS FROM BARNEY'S NEW YORK

The new Barney's in Chicago left Mouse and I simply floored. No, we weren't happy to see their home design department leave their former strorefront location (just across the steet) for upper story exile in this new building. And we missed how visiting the truly gifted Regina (famously this town's best makeup artist) once happened on a bustling ground floor location featuring spontaneous social gatherings and ample natural light. Larger decisions aside, we walked away with a mosaic of flooring ideas. Only ten steps inside their front door, our camera was snapping. Forget expensive materials. Like the best designs, these jazzy passages are a matter of sheer invention. White, beige and black 2x2 ceramic tiles sell for as little as $3 a square foot. But the graphic play of of these stripes, diamonds and chainlink patterns create a level of art that feels like sheer luxury.