Category: Sustainable Design

Design & Technology, Motifs & Materials, Sustainable Design

Five materials we want to see turned into tile

Throughout out many years of tile addiction we’ve come across countless unique materials from biobricks, to sunflowers, to potatoes, to salt, but there are some materials that haven’t quite made it to the tile world yet that could definitely have some legs if they did. 1) Phee board Currently used as an eco-friendly packaging and as a protective case for phones, PHEE-board utilises the sea … Continue reading Five materials we want to see turned into tile

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design, Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

From the Tagus to the Tile

Portuguese tiles get a modern revamp with the innovative creations from design collaborative Fahrenheit 180. Using biomaterials from the Tagus river that runs through Portugal and Spain, co-founders Luca Carlisle and Jeremy Morris transform humble oyster shells and seaweed into functional surface alternatives. Initially sourcing spent oyster shells from seafood restaurants, the pair eventually approached oyster farms directly, obtaining consistently larger quantities and diverting the … Continue reading From the Tagus to the Tile

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design, Design & Technology, Design Delights, Sustainable Design

Woodland Waste

Developing alternatives to wood-derived sheet materials like plywood and OSB, design and research studio Material Cultures has taken to the British woodlands for inspiration. Their research addresses the heavy reliance on coniferous trees in the production of building materials—a practice that promotes monoculture forestry, leaving large areas vulnerable to environmental damage and harming biodiversity. To move away from this unsustainable system, Material Cultures has been … Continue reading Woodland Waste

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

Poop to Tile

If you, like us, have been eagerly anticipating the next tile/poop crossover ever since we first shared the wacky and wonderful snail poo tiles from Lieske Schreuder all the way back in 2016, your long arduous wait is finally over. That’s right, today we have the pleasure of bringing to you more tiles made from poop! From the creative mind that brought us Rust Harvest … Continue reading Poop to Tile

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design, Design & Technology, Design Delights, Sustainable Design, Tile Designers

Assemble Algae

We’re no strangers to an algae/surface crossover. We’ve seen the curvaceous creations from Julia Lohmann, we’ve seen tiles injected with algae for water filtration from The Bio-Integrated Design Lab, we’ve seen roofs made of seaweed thatch by Kathryn Larsen, we’ve seen tiles made to house algae, and we’ve seen the varied colour profiles of waterborne algae used in Atelier Luma’s Algae Platform tiles. And today we’re adding … Continue reading Assemble Algae

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

Layers of Leather

These wooden floors are not what they seem. They’re not solid wood. They’re not vinyl. And they’re not technically tiles. They’re a mix of recycled wood fibres, cork, and something entirely unexpected – leather. Beginning with a simple “Hello Karta, Goodbye Plastics” pledge, UK-based flooring company Karta looks past tradition to revolutionise the way flooring is made. Seeking solutions beyond vinyl and plastic, Karta crafts … Continue reading Layers of Leather

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

Mushroom Magic

Ever wanted to live inside a toadstool? Well the mushroom tiles from Materials Assemble bring that dream a little closer to reality. Using sustainably grown mycelium, the foam-like material forms a selection of geometric acoustic panels in a muted set of shades. Foresta seeks to combine the aesthetics of wood and the sensation of walking through a forest with the characteristics of mycelium. The result … Continue reading Mushroom Magic

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design, Design & Technology, Design Delights, Sustainable Design, Tile Designers

Saving with Spolia

Absorbing demolition waste from the UK, this new terrazzo surface from Solus Ceramics offers a new life to all sorts of materials. A full range of Spolia’s 21 standard colours in two formats (300 by 300 by 25mm and 600 by 600 by 22mm) enables cohesion across projects, with tonal families including smoky greys, off-whites, and surprising speckles in unexpected shades. But what makes Spolia … Continue reading Saving with Spolia

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

Mourn

We’ve talked about unexpected materials before, from salt to shells, tea dust to corn, and pee to potatoes, but none have tackled a substance that comes with quite so much emotion as the one we’re talking about today – us. Standing away from tradition, Studio Nienke Hoogvliet imagines an entirely different way to remember loved ones whilst honouring the environment they are being interred in. … Continue reading Mourn

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

Pierreplume

Earlier this year we shared the fabulous FabBrick, a company dedicated to tackling the waste and pollution of two of the world’s largest manufacturing sectors – construction and fashion. But they aren’t the only ones focusing on fabric to find new ways to recycle. Design and interior architecture agency Premices and co launched their recycled fibre collection in 2021 after 8 years of research and … Continue reading Pierreplume

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design, Design & Technology, Design Delights, Sustainable Design, Tile Designers

Continuous Coldharbour Creations

Way back in December 2022 we were eagerly awaiting the release of Coldharbour Tiles’ recycled fishing net tiles. Now, in the summer of 2024 their collection has blossomed into a stylish selection of playful shapes that elevate the seaside shades that make up the Net Positive colour palette. Lush, vibrant Green Flash, inky teal Vescovo, dark navy Twenty Six Stories, grey-tinted blue Parrotfish Sand, sky … Continue reading Continuous Coldharbour Creations

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design, Design & Technology, Design Delights, Sustainable Design, Tile Designers

Preserving Posidonia

Flecked and fabulous, these terrazzoesque tiles designed by Astrid Stavro for Huguet utilise some unexpected materials to create their texture and freckles. The first of these materials is Posidonia Oceanica, a seagrass known as “the lungs of the Mediterranean”. Growing in underwater meadows around the Balearic Islands, posidonia plays a vital role in the marine ecosystem and as a natural defence against climate change. Unfortunately … Continue reading Preserving Posidonia

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

FabBRICK

A very exciting new eco product has dropped – taking waste from the fashion industry and turning it into something stylish, sustainable, and even somewhat structural. Tackling pollution from two of the world’s largest manufacturing sectors – construction and fashion – FabBRICK founder Clarisse Merlet solves two issues: what to do with waste textiles and how to minimise waste from construction. Making use of the … Continue reading FabBRICK

H.L. Simpson1 Comment
Architecture & Interiors, Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

The Seams of Stratum Designs

Based in West Cornwall and with a penchant for finesse and detail, Stratum Designss is taking woodworking to another level. Although not strictly tile, their flooring designs and wall art definitely fit a lot of the tiling ethos adequately enough to be considered a member of the Tile Addict family. Founded in 2022 by friends Dan and Ravi, Stratum Designs was born through a mutual … Continue reading The Seams of Stratum Designs

H.L. Simpson1 Comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

Corn Cobs to CornWall

Today we’re adding to our long list of innovative, exciting, and sustainable surface design companies. And it’s another corn-based creation. From Amsterdam-based StoneCycling (who also produce WasteBasedBricks® made from 60% construction waste and BioBasedTiles® which are grown with the help of bacteria) comes CornWall, an interior wall finishing full of organic charm. Made from the central cobs of corn, CornWall makes the most of an … Continue reading Corn Cobs to CornWall

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

Plastock

The seventh company to sit alongside the likes of Plasticiet, Durat, and ëCollabo8 in our collection of recycled plastic surface manufacturers, UK based Plastock offers up a range of materials for internal use. Their PET Felt acoustic wall panels are made from plastic bottles, recycled and recyclable for a circular production process. They are specifically created to absorb sound and help form a desired acoustic … Continue reading Plastock

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Design Delights, New Tile Designs, Sustainable Design, Tile Designers

Look out for Labha

Introducing a brand-new lava-inspired collection to their range of sustainable tiles Labha is Alusid‘s latest. Made from 91% recycled materials each piece is unique. Subtle tonal and textural variations create a wonderfully organic look completed with a semi-matt glaze to capture and soften light. Each piece is framed with darker shades, emphasising grout lines and creating a faded effect. Three colours are available – White, … Continue reading Look out for Labha

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design

ëCollabo8

Bali-based ëCollabo8 is the latest company to join the ranks amongst plastic-recycling powerhouses Durat, Plasticiet, Coldharbour Tiles, Pretty Plastic, and Smile Plastics. Specialising in plastic, rubber, and glass waste, ëCollabo8 buy and collect it throughout Bali preventing it from entering the ocean, landfills, or from releasing emissions through burning. Since its foundation in 2019, ëCollabo8 have created countless items from plastic waste including small decor … Continue reading ëCollabo8

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Sustainable Design, Tile Designers

Shellazzo?

We’ve spoken a lot about shells here, from mussel glass to eggshell surfaces, and from mother of pearl mosaics to scallop shell desks, and today we add another magnificent material to the mix – Istrenn. Developed by French company Malàkio, Istrenn is composed of 60% recycled shells (collected locally) and a 40% mineral matrix resulting in a stunningly unusual shell based terrazzo effect that features the many … Continue reading Shellazzo?

H.L. SimpsonLeave a comment
Design & Technology, Sustainable Design, Tile Tech

Welcome to the Pavegeneration

When I was young and first learning about how energy was generated, we were taught the importance of renewables and creating electricity from resources that could be used without being used up. So I wracked my little brain to come up with something new that could be added to the tiny graphics on our worksheets. What was there a lot of? The sea was taken, … Continue reading Welcome to the Pavegeneration

H.L. Simpson1 Comment