For this month's Tile Envy- we certainly cannot have any discussion of the Spanish Revival lifestyle without having a discussion about tiles- terracotta tiles to be exact.
The English translation of terracotta is - baked earth. I love all baked things. Unfortunately.
Terracotta tiles are no exception. Chunks of earth have been massaged into forms of tiles from as early as 3500 BC (did you read last week's tile history?). Firing them into reddish, golden, walnut tones - terracotta tiles are little patches of fired earth capable of surviving centuries just aging in all that patina. And with Spanish Revival making a big comeback- so are these ancient tiles.
I know I've been fairly professorial recently which has got to be a sure way to lose some enthusiasm for my teeny tiny blog. So I won't go on and on (as usual) about all the history behind these oldest of all tiles. BUT- by chance there could be just a few of you who might want to know- terracotta became a prominent material in architecture during 1200 BC Greece.
as well as a material in one of the most profound un-earth-ings in China a bit later on-
whereby during the rein of the Roman Empire, it really took hold-
moving right along to the middle ages where cathedral floors got a heavenly lift from lowly terracotta-
Terracotta disappears for a bit, to be revived during the renaissance by the famed works of Luca Della Robbia.
Then comes the Dutch with their delft and the French with their faience and Spain doing majolica. Terracotta is all over the European map - and the rest, as they say, is history.
So what about terracotta tiles today? Well Deruta, Italy still churns out masterful works of tile art identical to the designs dating back to their renaissance roots-
And Impruneta, Italy continues the historic manufacture of Tuscan terracotta pavers just like the good ol' days-
So is it any wonder that there are many of us producing our own inspirations from so much history?
Country Floors
Long a tile hero of mine- Norm Carlson created a love for European tiles in the US. One of the best lines to emerge from his Country Floors collection came many years ago called simply Renaissance. It remains one of my top ten tile envies, today.
Eco Ceramica
Eco Ceramica in Italy is a company that makes another series of decorated terracotta reproduction tiles that have always wowed me. The many field tile colors especially-
Ken Mason Tiles
Ken Mason Tiles - long a staple for projects requiring a slightly more unconventional take on terracotta- Ken Mason Tiles have been on my own specification list with some of the following-
Terra Viva
Terra Viva. We discovered this amazing offering at Coverings a while back and have massive envy for everything in their artful catalog. My ultimate favorite is their fabulous sinks. But for our tile focus today- here is just a touch of what they have to offer-
Tilevera
Several of our clients kept asking us if we would paint traditional majolica designs on stone in order to produce an aged presentation as well as more color possibilities than are traditionally available such as purples. We had no idea that this would become our most popular series of tiles. Here are just a few-
Mod terracotta
I'm a HUGE advocate of using all of the above antiquated styles of terra cotta in totally modern spaces. Just the idea of tall walls and open spaces accentuated by ancient finishes just sends me. I love contrast.
But what about modern forms of this ancient clay? and then how about using them in traditional spaces??
Italian Deruta artist pushing the medium-
Susanna de Simone is the daughter of Picasso-trained terracotta artist Giovanni de Simone who created signature playful Deruta images.
And there you have it - Terracotta from early Mesopotamia through today. Still a classic after all these years:)