2026 Highlights: The Glass Lion's Four Best Custom Tile Projects of the Year

The 2026 Highlights series documents four completed custom tile projects by The Glass Lion. Each project combines custom mosaic art with professional tile installation.

The projects are located in Manitou Springs and Cripple Creek, Colorado. The work includes a kitchen mountain feature, three shower mosaics, and four different approaches to using tile as art.

The series includes:

  • Four completed projects.
  • One project per week.
  • Sixteen social drafts for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Business Profile.
  • Custom mosaic art integrated with functional home improvement work.
  • No decorative art installed separately from the construction system.

The Glass Lion works throughout Colorado Springs and the surrounding Front Range. Services include custom mosaic art and tile installation, shower remodeling, kitchen backsplash installation, mosaic wall art, fireplace surrounds, and bathroom renovations.

Project 1: Fishtail Mountain Kitchen Mosaic Feature

Location: Manitou Springs, Colorado
Room: Kitchen
Primary work: Custom mosaic backsplash and kitchen feature

The Fishtail Mountain kitchen project uses a Colorado mountain landscape as the room’s visual focal point. The mosaic is integrated into the kitchen backsplash rather than added as a separate framed artwork.

This approach gives the design two functions:

  1. It provides a working backsplash surface.
  2. It introduces personalized mosaic wall art into the kitchen layout.

The mountain feature establishes the design direction for the surrounding materials. Field tile provides the practical background. The custom mosaic carries the landscape detail. The result is a kitchen feature that belongs to the architecture of the room.

A kitchen backsplash must handle routine cleaning, heat, moisture, and daily use. The design therefore requires more than an attractive image. Substrate preparation, layout, bonding, grout selection, and edge conditions all affect the finished installation.

This is the distinction between custom mosaic art and a temporary decorative panel. The mosaic is planned as part of the kitchen tile system.

For homeowners planning a Colorado Springs home renovation, the same process can be used for:

  • Mountain landscapes.
  • Local landmarks.
  • Wildlife scenes.
  • Family symbols.
  • Abstract geometric designs.
  • Seasonal home decor Colorado themes.

The artwork can be designed around cabinets, appliances, outlets, niches, and existing architectural conditions. The layout is established before installation begins.

Project 2: Northern Lights Shower Mosaic

Location: Cripple Creek, Colorado
Room: Shower
Primary work: Northern Lights-inspired custom shower mosaic

The Northern Lights Shower Mosaic places layered color and movement inside a daily-use bathroom. The shower is not treated as a blank utility area. It is used as an architectural surface for personal mosaic art.

The design language is based on luminous color transitions. Darker background tile supports the brighter Northern Lights-inspired sections. Layered green, blue, violet, and iridescent tones create movement across the feature area.

A shower mosaic must function under constant exposure to water and cleaning. Waterproofing is below the visible tile, but it controls the long-term performance of the room.

The Glass Lion uses Schluter-certified waterproofing and TCNA-standard installation methods. These systems address the parts of a shower that are not visible after the tile is installed. Proper waterproofing, slope, substrate preparation, movement accommodation, and material compatibility are part of the complete installation.

This matters when searching for:

  • Shower tile installation.
  • Leak proof tile installation.
  • Tile installation Colorado.
  • Schluter certified installer Colorado Springs.
  • Custom shower remodeling in Colorado Springs.

The visual surface is only one part of the project. The construction system must support it.

The Northern Lights project demonstrates how a practical shower can include a custom visual feature without separating art from construction. The mosaic is part of the wall assembly. It is designed for the room, installed into the tile layout, and built for continued use.

Project 3: Mallard Duck Shower Mosaic

Location: Cripple Creek, Colorado
Room: Bathroom shower
Primary work: Wildlife mosaic focal point

The Mallard Duck Shower Mosaic uses a one-of-a-kind wildlife image as the main feature in a hardworking bathroom.

The subject provides a clear example of The Glass Lion’s “tile as art” positioning. A shower does not need to use only uniform field tile. A custom mosaic can occupy a planned feature area while the rest of the room remains practical and easy to maintain.

Wildlife designs require controlled color placement and careful shape selection. Small changes in tile color can affect the appearance of feathers, water, reflections, and the surrounding environment.

The installation also has to account for the daily conditions of a bathroom:

  • Water exposure.
  • Steam.
  • Cleaning.
  • Grout joints.
  • Wall transitions.
  • Drainage and waterproofing.
  • Long-term movement in the building.

The Mallard Duck project shows how personal interests can be included in a bathroom without making the design impractical. The subject can represent a location, hobby, memory, or family connection.

This same process applies to family heirloom art and kids art mosaic projects. A child’s drawing, a family emblem, or a meaningful landscape can be translated into a permanent tile feature. The final design may be simplified to work with available tile sizes and installation conditions, but the original concept remains the reference point.

Project 4: Pikes Peak Shower Mosaic

Location: Cripple Creek, Colorado
Room: Shower
Primary work: Colorado mountain landscape mosaic

The Pikes Peak Shower Mosaic uses a recognizable Colorado mountain landscape as an everyday architectural feature.

Pikes Peak is a natural subject for a Colorado home. In this project, the mountain is not treated as a separate picture hung on the wall. It is incorporated into the shower design through custom mosaic work.

Mountain landscapes can be built with changes in tile scale, texture, direction, and color. Darker pieces establish the ridge and foreground. Lighter materials can define sky, snow, or atmospheric depth. The surrounding field tile keeps the installation connected to the rest of the bathroom.

The result is a feature that can remain relevant after a trend changes. Custom mountain mosaic art works as a long-term design element. It does not depend on a temporary printed image or removable surface treatment.

For homeowners researching Colorado Springs home renovation services, a similar feature can be considered for:

  • Primary bathroom showers.
  • Guest bathrooms.
  • Kitchen backsplashes.
  • Fireplace surrounds.
  • Entry walls.
  • Powder rooms.
  • Outdoor or seasonal home decor Colorado applications where suitable materials are selected.

Material selection depends on the location and use of the surface. Interior shower work requires products and installation methods appropriate for wet areas. Exterior work requires additional consideration for Colorado’s freeze-thaw conditions.

The Installation Standard Behind the Art

The four 2026 projects share the same basic principle: the artwork and the installation must be planned together.

The Glass Lion brings 26 years of hands-on craftsmanship to custom tile and mosaic projects. The company’s positioning is direct:

26 Years of Tile Mastery. Zero Shortcuts.

The work combines British precision with Colorado grit. The visible mosaic may be the first detail people notice, but the installation system determines whether the project performs over time.

Core services include:

  • Custom mosaic art.
  • Mosaic wall art.
  • Shower tile installation.
  • Kitchen backsplash installation.
  • Bathroom tile installation.
  • Leak proof tile installation.
  • Fireplace surrounds.
  • Full bathroom renovations.
  • Glass art and stone work.
  • Family heirloom art.

The company uses Schluter-certified waterproofing and TCNA-standard installation practices for applicable shower work. The objective is tile as art built to last decades, not decorative material applied without construction planning.

Interior designer Jess B. described the company’s process this way:

“I love my custom mosaic tile! I had a specific design in mind and seeing it come to reality has been fun. Simon was communicative and professional throughout the process.”

The testimonial is consistent with the project structure shown in this series: define the concept, plan the installation, create the custom feature, and complete the functional tile work.

2026 Highlights Series Schedule

The 2026 Highlights series is organized as four weekly project features:

  1. Fishtail Mountain Kitchen Mosaic in Manitou Springs.
  2. Northern Lights Shower Mosaic in Cripple Creek.
  3. Mallard Duck Shower Mosaic in Cripple Creek.
  4. Pikes Peak Shower Mosaic in Cripple Creek.

The same project sequence is adapted into sixteen social drafts for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Business Profile.

This overview post functions as the series anchor. The individual project posts provide additional information about each installation and its design application.

Request a Free Consultation

The Glass Lion provides free consultations with Simon Beames directly.

There are no call centers and no sales representatives. Contact Simon to discuss custom mosaic art, shower tile installation, kitchen backsplash installation, or a Colorado Springs home renovation.

Use the consultation to review the room, the intended artwork, the installation conditions, and the required materials.

The 2026 Highlights series records four completed examples. Each one uses a different subject. The installation standard remains consistent.

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