Category: Tile Companies

Design & Technology, Tile Companies

Primus Vitoria: production paradox

Apicer’s 2024 The Art of Possibility Tour of Portugal proved hugely inspirational. It offered Diary of a Tile Addict’s Joe Simpson a wonderful opportunity to visit some of the country’s leading manufacturers, see numerous examples of ceramic street art, experience tile’s massive contribution to contemporary Portuguese architecture, and – best of all – get fully immersed in the history, heritage, and passion that drives Portugal’s … Continue reading Primus Vitoria: production paradox

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Design & Technology, Tile Companies

Recer: sublime surface selection 

One of the most respected Portuguese tile brands, Recer was founded in 1977.  Today it is a medium sized producer of porcelain tiles, and ceramic wall tiles, offering home owners and designers a wide range of contemporary solutions with its wide and diversified product portfolio. In 2022, Recer produced around 5 million sq. metres of tiles, achieving total sales of Euro 45.3 million.   Sustainable … Continue reading Recer: sublime surface selection 

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Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

DoodlePippin

Folding, rippling, and forming into a cane is what millefiori is all about. Literally ‘a thousand flowers’, millefiori is an ancient process used to manipulate clay or glass, with each bend and twist creating a uniquely kaleidoscopic pattern hidden within a long, unassuming pole. And it’s millefiori that forms the basis of the many marvellous designs found on DoodlePippin. Artist and DoodlePippin owner Ruth uses … Continue reading DoodlePippin

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Design & Technology, Iconic Designs, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Akashic Tiles

In the lush landscape of South Africa’s Knysna dwells a crafty company with a keen sense for the beauty of handmade tiles. What was formally Renwick Tiles – a company we’ve covered here after their move stateside – Akashic Tiles is the new name given by husband and wife team Sharon and Ryan Kensley after purchasing Renwick Tiles from friends and former founders of the … Continue reading Akashic Tiles

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Design & Technology, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Sol’Art

Brothers-in-law Giovanni and Fabio add a breath of fresh air to traditional Italian ceramics in their studio located in the idyllic Amalfi coast town of Vietri sul Mare. Beginning in 2000 with familiar local designs, their style morphed over time to create something new out of the materials and glazes they were familiar with. These new, decorative pieces, be they plates, coffee cups, vases or … Continue reading Sol’Art

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Design & Technology, Tile Companies

Ateliers Zelij

In the 90s, Delphine Laporte and Samir Mazer saw the same promise of zellige that the design world still sees today. Bringing zellige into a new era whilst honouring it’s traditional roots, Toulouse-based Ateliers Zelij ensure material quality and ancestral techniques remain at the heart of the creation process. Every Ateliers Zelij zellige tile is made by hand “from drying to enameling, including cutting with … Continue reading Ateliers Zelij

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Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Tiles like you haven’t seen before

From slip cast tableware to hand crafted murals, South Africa-based Veelvlak Signature Surfaces has 30 years hands-on experience with ceramics. Their gorgeous collections showcase fabulously coloured Wabi-Sabi style surfaces, embracing the beauty of imperfections inherent in handcrafted tile. Embossed, geometric, quaint, quirky, textured, faint, and intense designs all feature with powerful colours and intricate detail. So many unique creations topped with bubbles and ridges, coloured … Continue reading Tiles like you haven’t seen before

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Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

It’s like déjà vu

Sticking to their roots – both social and geographical – the artisans at Le Nid handcraft stunning ceramics at the base of Mount Etna, highlighting the magic of being Made in Sicily. Studio Le Nid – then Il Nido – was founded in 1966 by Barbaro Messina, a creative inspired by the ancients and on the hunt for innovative techniques. In the 70s experimentation led … Continue reading It’s like déjà vu

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Design & Technology, Design Delights, Tile Companies

Make way for Maison Bahya

Since 2015 Maison Bahya has been expanding the design possibilities of cement tiles by offering custom creations and modern motifs. The company, founded by couple Audrey and Alexandre, designs all of its tiles in Paris and employs skilled artisans in their workshop in Tangier to bring each tile to life. There are over 300 patterns to choose from amongst their collections including familiar classics from … Continue reading Make way for Maison Bahya

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Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Petit Pan of Paris

Combining a few shared loves Paris-based Petit Pan founders Myriam De Loor and Pan Gang have created a company with a difference. Baby goods and childrenswear, home decor, haberdashery, and cement tiles live in perfect harmony, all designed in a bubble beyond trends for timelessness and longevity. Petit Pan’s cement tiles celebrate Pan & Myriam’s joyful legacy of colour and creation with unique, playful patterns … Continue reading Petit Pan of Paris

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Maska Tiles
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Studio Maska Makes Marx

Blending Brazilian vivacity and European elegance, Portugal-based Studio Maska is a treasure for the tile addicted. Hand painted murals and uniquely decorated tiles form a large part of the company’s collection, with florals and foliage coming to life in vibrant colours and artistic layouts. The rest of Studio Maska’s tiles are screen printed. Their COPA series offers an alternative take on the famous sidewalks of … Continue reading Studio Maska Makes Marx

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Studio GBD Red
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Studio GdB

Dutch design studio Studio GdB thrives in the spirit of collaboration, having previously worked with companies in various disciplines such as Supreme, Converse, and Red Bull. Despite this open approach it is the production of ceramic tiles that currently hold their attention. Creating a custom glaze printer Studio GdB have developed a method that allows them a huge amount of control over their designs. With … Continue reading Studio GdB

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Grow House Green Leaf Tiles
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Tile Companies

Grow House Grow

Like the name implies, Grow House Grow offers dope designs to help you live the high life. Artist Katie Deedy founded Grow House Grow in 2007 to create interior surfaces that do more than just decorate. Her wallpaper designs and cement tiles are formed to create a story with motifs rich with character and a strong sense of narrative. Her tile collections are made from … Continue reading Grow House Grow

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Decorum Lilac Tiles
Design & Technology, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

A Dream Palette from Decorum Tiles

Decorum Tiles makes the most of their local Cornish setting with hand-painted Delft tiles depicting the area’s flora, fauna, landscapes, and delicacies, but it’s their unique colour palette that really sets them apart. Simple patterns are uplifted with stunning soft pastels and vibrant tones that are hard to come by in the tile world, let alone combined with classic motifs. Signal, Cosmo, Stargazy, and Chequers … Continue reading A Dream Palette from Decorum Tiles

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Cortico E Netos Yellow Tiles
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Tile Companies

Cortiço & Netos

Family run Cortiço & Netos is a company with its heart in Portugal’s rich tiling traditions. After establishing Cortiço & Netos, Joaquim José Cortiço and his company spent the years between 1979 and 2013 collecting, selling, and preserving discontinued Portuguese tiles. Since many of the factories that orignally produced these tiles have since shut down, each piece is an important artefact for education of the … Continue reading Cortiço & Netos

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Turquoise Tile
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Made a Mano

We spend a lot of time looking at tile company websites and we know what we like and what we don’t. Easy to search, instinctive to navigate, and quick to load are just three factors which determine whether or not a portfolio is a pleasure to peruse and today we’re sharing a company whose website almost has it all. Danish Tile and Stone company Made … Continue reading Made a Mano

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Oval Tiles
Design & Technology, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Splats and Shapes of CR Studio4

California-based CR Studio4 have been making tiles for 25 years. What started in a garage has since blossomed into a 5,500 sq ft factory that produces fabulous hand-made tile creations, some of which we’re sharing today. Rather than attempt to cover all of the tiles they have on offer, we’re focusing on their mosaic-style offering. Rather than classic sheeted squares, hexagons, or penny mosaics, CR … Continue reading Splats and Shapes of CR Studio4

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Nine Fifty Alfabeto
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Motifs & Materials, Tile Companies

Nifty NineFifty

Lava and clay lead the way for exciting eco-conscious company NineFifty. Beginning in the Sicilian city of Caltagirone, NineFifty’s founders Nicolò and Fausto sought to preserve and reinvent the ancient production methods of this ceramic-forward place whilst respecting the land and the resources it provides. In order to stick to their environmental goals they keep their supply chain short and minimise waste in their production. … Continue reading Nifty NineFifty

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Viuva Yellow Tile
Design & Technology, Design Delights, Tile Companies

The place where tiles become art

Founded in 1849 in Lisbon, Viúva Lamego has been producing tile for longer than most. Built between 1849 and 1865, the factory was originally the pottery workshop of António Costa Lamego and featured a decorative tiled façade by the factory’s artistic director Ferreira das Tabuletas. Since the 1930’s the company has been collaborating with artists (such as comic illustrator Jorge Barradas) to emphasise and embrace … Continue reading The place where tiles become art

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Geon Tile
Design & Technology, Tile Companies

Geon Tile

Canadian company Geon Tile started life in 2011 as River City Tile Company in Edmonton, Alberta. Founders Aaron and Chelsea Brown began with carefully selected tile ranges that suited their design needs and aesthetic preferences, bringing gorgeous encaustic tiles to their local region. But lead times and limited choices inspired a change and the creation of their own designs. And their designs make us want … Continue reading Geon Tile

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