Decorate your home with tiles…
20th February 2018
The perfect combination – white metro tiles and Pantry Blue cupboards
Whether you want areas to be water resistant, easy to clean or are just looking to add a little je ne sais quoi to your design, tiles are such a lovely option. Over the last few years we’ve seen a lot of white metro tiles, one of those great design features that straddles the border between classic and contemporary, especially when mixed with our Pantry Blue Shaker cupboards. Recently, however, I’ve noticed lots of clever people using tiles as a way of introducing different colours, patterns and textures into their kitchens.
People have become bolder in their interior choices, adopting a more eclectic style. It’s not necessarily that the minimalist look is ‘out’, I feel like there is a timeless quality to simple style, but more so that the rule book has been thrown out the window and people are experimenting and realising…’oh, that actually looks quite good.’
deVOL Emerald Green London Tiles in our St. John’s Square Showroom
I’m all for it, I wish I could be one of those people who instinctively know what is going to look great together but I need a little more inspiration, so the more examples out there, the better! Yep, I love big, bold interiors but I’d probably be that person having sleepless nights over colour charts. This is why tiles are so brilliant, they’re a little subtler than painting all your kitchen cupboards and can be easily replaced. It’s minimal risk, maximum reward.
I’ve always loved tiled exteriors too, all the old East End pubs covered in glossy green tiles. I thought it was so cool to see this look brought into the kitchen at our St. John’s Square showroom and for it to turn out so stylish. This wall of emerald tiles is not only impressive because our ceramicist, Claire, hand rolled, fired and glazed each one but because it adds so much character to the room. It’s a statement but the uniform pattern makes it feel refined and grown up. It’s a nod to the history of the area without being in your face or feeling dated. I always find it strange how random objects can conjure up such vivid memories. I visited Lisbon a couple of years ago and fell head over heels for this quaint European city. Pretty decorative tiles adorned every home creating the most lovely jigsaw of patterns and colour that ran all the way down the narrow streets. I admit covering your entire house in tiles kind of goes against my ‘minimal risk’ mentality (not that I wouldn’t do it!) but a patterned splashback will now forever remind me of warm summer evenings strolling through Bairro Alto eating pastel de natas.
“The peeping Nona” – Lisbon, Portugal 2015
An oldie but a goodie – The Wymeswold Kitchen has the most beautiful patterned blue tiles
Bold red tiles from Bert & May, perfect for this quirky-cool kitchen
The layering of colours and patterns is just one element, what makes these interiors so interesting is that the owners have created a collage of materials and textures. I think it’s good to try and stick to natural materials, somehow they just seem to work together and it’s also important to consider the look you’re going for. The smooth brass splashback tiles in the South Wing Kitchen are dull, not flashy, ideal for this sophisticated family home, whilst Hannah’s textured Cotes Mill Tiles are rustic and look a bit vintage with their slightly mottled surface, just perfect for a modern country kitchen. Hannah creates each one of these beauties by hand-printing a design onto the clay using anything from old Indian blocks to cuttings from our Cotes Mill grounds. Click here to check out the video, it’s so interesting to see the making process from start to finish!
A little understated luxury in a beautifully grown up kitchen- Trianglurar Aged Brass Splashback Tiles from Quirky Interiors
Mixed Cotes Mill Tiles creating a gorgeous tactile surface – I don’t think I would be able to resist running my hand along this wall.
Hannah has also been busy working on some amazing new tiles that we’re hoping to add to the collection very soon. They’re a little thinner and longer than anything our ceramics studio has produced before and the three shades she’s been experimenting with are beyond dreamy: faded green, deep blue or this almost burnt amber… it’s too hard to choose! I can’t wait for the first photos of these up in a deVOL Kitchen, I feel like we’ll be seeing them in lots of our projects in 2018.
Samples of Hannah’s new tile collection – this incredible warm amber may be my favourite!
A beautiful selection of tile samples in the Cotes Mill ceramics studio
If you’d like any more information about Hannah’s tiles, old or new, please do get in touch with our sister company, Floors of Stone, by emailing enquiries@floorsofstone.com or giving them a call on 01509 234000.
