With a group of designers whose priority is in the art, Smoke and Fire Tiles is a ceramic treasure trove. Founded in Stamford, Lincolnshire by Mark Aldridge, the company now resides in a converted granary in Suffolk. Their artistic skill is shown in spades throughout their collections which not only covers tile, but also other forms of ceramic art.
Their hand-made artisanal tiles are predominantly square and rectangle forms, with hand crafted imperfection and a distinct lack of straight lines. They feature inky glazes with craquelure texture, coloured glass inserts, earthy tones and tiles with relief. Each piece is unique but sits perfectly in their design family, making for characterful surfaces and awesome interior decor.
The shaped tiles are an extremely delightful blend of delicate and hardy. Colourful birds and leaves feature on a charcoal or white surface. Each tile is created in various organic shapes, as well as bent rectangular and diamond forms, which can be placed together to create a lively mosaic.
Rough Diamonds are tiles based on a 1950s design, featuring two diamond-like shapes in differing colours which each feature a small circular glass dot insert. These coloured dots are also used to great effect in Triple Dot Long Brick, and various other designs. The bright pops of colour used along side the organic colours and shapes produce quite the visual impact. The variation created with the hand-crafted shapes, and bleeding effects from the glazing techniques give each tile a unique attitude.
Photography from Place Photography
For Tile Addict’s previous post covering Smoke and Fire Tiles, click here.
A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, August 2019.
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