One of our great loves in the studio at the moment is our new collection of encaustic cement tiles. Simply put they are exquisite. Each tile is so simple in design and colour, the impact is minimal, yet place these tiles together and you will create a floor so beautiful you will barely dare walk on it.
Encaustic Cement Tiles have been around Worldwide since the 1800’s yet their huge popularity is a relatively new thing. Made by hand, the tiles consist of coloured pigments, cement and crushed marble with usually 2 colours, sometimes up to 6. The colour is inlaid into the tile so as the tile wears, the colour and pattern stay strong. The dry cement and marble mixture is sprinkled onto the colour pigments followed by the sand and cement mix, which is poured on the top of the entire framework.
The tile framework is then placed under a hydraulic press and once this process is complete, the tiles are ready for an extensive 14 day drying period…ideally in the sun! That is probably why very few, if any, encaustic tiles are made in the UK…we get no sun!!!!
Flooring, once a neutral backdrop to a design concept, is now a primary consideration. Clients are moving away from the natural simplicity of limestone or the highly polish decadent feel of marble and are looking for a feature…an installation of beauty. Encaustic tiles provide such beauty. Mostly with a chalky matt finish, the tiles have an earthy, organic appeal and look stylish whether in a modern or traditional setting.
Several years ago we used antique encaustic tiles, sourced from Italy as the surround for our own Aga. These tiles were all part of different murals which had sadly been damaged so were broken up for sale as individual tiles. We selected tiles from across many different sets, including an antique Liberty tile set, to form a beautiful mis-match of style and colour.
We have an extensive library of Encaustic tiles in the studio, so please do get in touch and we will help you selecting the right ones for your project.
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