Way back in 2019 we shared the innovative 3D-printed shoreline-saving sea wall project of Reef Design Lab, SIMS (Sydney Institute of Marine Science), the North Sydney Council, and Volvo. This modular system of tiles is created complete with cracks and crevices to offer shelter and habitat for marine life, helping to restore biodiversity in built marine environments. Since then, Reef Design Lab and co. have … Continue reading The 3D Printed Living Sea Defence
We’ve shared tiles made from snail poop, a glaze made from urine, sculptures made from ashes, and acoustic panels made from mycelium. And today we add to our list of weird and wonderful tile adjacent delights with a new material made marvellous – worm casings. Japanese sculptor and artist Koro Ihara is no stranger to the curious and unexpected, having previously included the bleeding pigments … Continue reading Worm in Progress
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Once again the Surface Design Show – the Islington-based specification showcase – provided plenty of grist for Tile Addict’s mill. The event’s main USPs – strong interior design and architectural audience, convenient location, restricted stand space, and eclectic product mix – thankfully remain intact. This means that any London-based specifier should really find the time each year for a 2 or 3 hours visit to the Business … Continue reading Surface showcase selections
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
Spy glimpses of nature and flecks of fibre through the unique surface of Organoid. This sensual material takes organic matter and transforms it into decor like no other, complete with texture, detail, and scent. Established in 2013 by Martin Jehart and Mag. Christoph Egger, Organoid blends the beauty of petals, seeds, and hay and forms them into a backing, High Pressure Laminate, flooring, and acoustic … Continue reading Organic magic at Organoid
Hilighting Brazilian history in a trio of wooden tile collections is the beautiful Brasiliana. Created in a collaboration between wood transforming specialists Oca Brasil and surface designer Renata Rubim, the Brasiliana Collection restores cultural heritage in the most beautiful way. Three different periods – Tribal, Colonial, and Modernist – inspire the designs, each of which is handcrafted in solid, reforested teak, eucalyptus, or valchromat (fully … Continue reading A History of Brazil in Wooden Tiles
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
German art duo Anja Langer and Marie Jeschke (otherwise known as Jeschkelanger) will ignite your fire for surface design. Using domestic glass (from windows, doors, and tables) to produce their melting moments Contact Zones – described as “a meeting point between the two artists on glass, the melting moment between Jeschkelanger’s practice with glass and architecture, and the project empty_glass – an encounter with chef … Continue reading Jeschkelanger’s Neoterrazzo
Waste-made tiles are always a delight, and these creations by Norwegian studio Snøhetta is no exception. These prototypes crafted in collaboration with Italian manufacturers Fornace Brioni and Belgian designers Studio Plastique have found a new potential home for materials rarey recycled. Microwave and oven glass and glass from electronic goods are widely regarded as unrecycleable due to their varied compositions, treatments, and finishes. But rather … Continue reading Tiles made from microwaves
