Product Briefs: Tiles
Flexible Architecture
Linear pattern-making is the main feature of Philippe Starck's first-ever ceramic tile collection, Flexible Architecture, designed for Ceramica Sant'Agostino. The 12” square tiles can be specified with faux-grout recessed edges on anywhere from one to all four sides or none at all, to create desired grids and compositions. Eight colors in glossy, matte, or chrome finishes are available through Nemo Tile.
Scraffito
For its Scraffito series, Pratt & Larson revives an ancient technique of creating a sketchlike pattern by scratching the surface of a tile to reveal a contrasting color. The collection's four designs draw on Arabic and medieval European motifs, and are hand-carved and then finished in a monochrome or polywash (two-color) glaze. Standard sizes are 5” x 10” or 8” square.
Color-It
Fireclay Tile applies a coloring-book concept to its online customization tool, Color-It. Designers and consumers alike can choose any of the intricate patterns in the Moroccan and Mexican'inspired Cuerda Seca line and then use the web-based tool to select one of 80 colors for each section. The tiles are printed with the pattern outlines and then hand-glazed in the custom colors by artisans in Aromas, California.
Colore & Colore
Hastings Tile & Bath has introduced Colore & Colore, a solid-color wall tile line from Italian manufacturer Ceramica Bardelli. Available in 36 hues—from neutral and quiet to bold—the tiles are produced in eight dimensions from as small as 2” square to as large as 16” square, offering greater flexibility for pattern and color composition.
Chinois by Robert Kuo
Beijing-born Robert Kuo infuses his Chinois tile collection for Ann Sacks with elements of traditional Asian craftsmanship. After researching Song Dynasty pottery, Ann Sacks developed a proprietary glaze and a firing technique to reproduce the satiny shades found in the period's objects. Kuo's seven designs, all based on Chinese motifs, range from depictions of mountain topography to Toad Skin, which alludes to the good fortune associated with a three-legged toad.
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