Look out for their design collaborations with DarkRoom and the Conran Shop. Have made waves in the media for making cement tiles cool again. Will need continued maintenance and sealing to keep them looking their best.Are heavier than many tiles so your subfloor will need to be prepared to withstand the weight.They tend to be thicker than most tiles so you will need to take that into consideration when planning – think about floor transitions and door hangs.A professional fitter/contractor is advised for installation.Although hardwearing they can be susceptible to damage and staining from acid based solutions, so worth keeping in mind when using in a bathroom – correctly sealing them is crucial.They are traditionally manufactured and have an aged appeal, but with so many contemporary designs on offer they work well in both old and new properties.Come in a multitude of patterns and colours and as many are made by hand there are bespoke options available, making them an interior designers dream.Can even be used in outside paving areas. Look equally as striking on walls, as splash backs, in shower rooms, bathrooms and around fireplaces.Tiles stand the test of time – many tiles made and fitted in the Victorian era (and even medieval) can still be found in great condition showing their incredible resilience. Prices start from £125 per sqm, Bert & May They are unashamedly bold and graphic and make a real style statement.īlue Split Shift. However I love the more contemporary designs that are being pioneered by brand like Bert and May, Popham designs and Otto tiles. If you want a bright fresh and very clean look, I’d say cement tiles are not for you, but there are plenty of ceramic imititaions. They will not look box fresh for very long, and you need to know that that is part of their charm. My husband, who is a builder, has had customers who are unhappy with their cement tiles because of the way they mark and stain. However I think you have to be very clear on what look you want. They retain their colour and pattern but can also be polished back to their original state. However I’m pleased with this effect as it gives the tiles an aged patina, which is what I wanted, and one of the main reasons I didn’t go for a printed porcelain tile. I chose a dark grey grout, which has stained the tiles slightly. It was a laborious and messy job but I think the effect is stunning. However the grouting process can then strip the sealant so we applied two further coats after the grouting had been applied and wiped away. They were then carefully sealed before grouting. When we laid our Claybrook Studio tiles, they were laid onto the adhesive, which was then left to fully dry out. Smink Things geometric orange tile, prices from £146 sqm, by Smink ThingsĬement tiles need careful and diligent sealing. However they are left very porous and this is where people run into problems. This coloured clay is then placed facedown in a mould that is backfilled with the body colour. For multiple colours, a mould with cavities for each colour is used and the individual colours are filled carefully. Modern encaustic tiles use a two-shot moulding process. This means after hundreds of years of wear and tear, the pattern remains wholly visible, whereas a painted or printed pattern will eventually fade. Hand made using a blend of cement, mineral pigments, marble powder and fine sand, the pattern of the tile is inlaid into the body of the tile. But now they’re back in vogue!Ĭement tiles are wonderfully durable due to their manufacture. The demand declined after the introduction of ceramic tiles in the 1960’s. The manufacturing process has been widely used in various locations around the world including Morroco, Spain, The Netherlands, France, Brazil and Cuba. The Victorians just loved anything and everything heavily decorated and so this patterned tile style was ideal for making statements in hallways, where they were commonly found- and still are to this day. Then there was then a big resurgence in their popularity in the Victorian era. So first up, what even are cement tiles anyway! Commonly called cement tiles, encaustic tiles or concrete tiles, the origin of this style of tile and manufacture dates back to medieval times. Prices start from £70 sqm, Otto Tiles & Design.
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