June 2012 Tile Talk Newsletter

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Project Pick: Cuban Cement Floor Tiles for a French Moroccan Bath


Photo credit: Celia Reiss Interiors

This month's project pick comes from Celia Reiss. She is a designer at her firm, Celia Reiss Interiors, in Manhattan, New York. Celia shared an image showing how she used Cuban Heritage cement tiles in a design for her own bathroom. Celia loves cement tiles and it shows in this design!

"The tiles were installed in my own home to be able to show my clients how fabulous it would look."

- Celia Reiss of Celia Reiss Interiors, Manhattan, NY

I love that the floor tile wraps up to surround the bath. The tiles carry the pattern on both vertical and horizontal surfaces creating a very sophisticated look. The bath tile is in perfect balance with the floor tile. The antiqued wood vanity with marble top creates a rich, but comfortable space.

Find out more about this project and Celia's design on our blog, Avente Tile Talk. There are great ideas for anybody that is considering a cement tile floor. Read:

>> A Designer Chooses Cuban Tiles for her Bathroom

You can see more images of this project on her blog at Bathroom with a French Moroccan twist. There are wonderful images that detail the vanity, pulls and sink - not to mention the tile.

The cement floor tiles are all 8" x 8". The cement tile pattern is Cuban Heritage Design 140-2B with the contemporary colors of Light Turquoise, Brown, and Caribbean Blue. Celia wisely chose not to use the border pattern for this design because the bathroom isn't big enough to accommodate both a bold border and intricate pattern. The field pattern uses only Light Turquoise and Brown:

Light Turquoise

Brown

Cuban Tile patterns are characterized by elaborate designs, bold colors and prominent borders or double borders. The Cuban Heritage cement tile patterns are from cement tile installations found in old homes or estates in Cuba.

Cuban Heritage Design 140 comes in four standard colorways:

Design 140 1A 8" x 8"

Design 140 2B 8" x 8"

Design 140 3B 8" x 8"

Design 140 4A 8" x 8"

>> See the collection of Cuban Tile Patterns

Experience the Color of Provence in Arles


Cote d'Azure near Roqubrune
Provence is the inspiration for the colors in Arles

Have you seen our new line of field tiles? Arles is a handmade tile with a stunning, reactive glaze in colors reminiscent of the seasons in Provence. If you've ever felt a cold Mistral blow against your face or seen the hay dry in the fields on a warm summer day, you'll begin to see and feel the colors in Arles.

Arles Field Tile & Trim in Mist

Arles is available in five colors: Aqua, Mist, Hay, Cork, and Wheat. Each color is stocked in a 4"x4" field tile, a molding, and a simple liner. Rhomboids are also available. When purchasing samples, make sure to be get at least four different pieces so that you get a good idea in the variation of color.

Arles Field Tile & Trim in Hay

Theres something very unique about the rich glazes in the Arles Field Tile. They are full of movement. The tiles are fired differently with a glaze that is reactive to the local terracotta body. It is this combination that gives each tile such distinctive qualities. The owner of the design studio where Arles is made explains, "Basically, this combination is what makes this line is so different. There is great variation in the glaze color ranges. The reactive glazes change so much, so it is never the same twice." And, don't forget, Arles is 100% handmade. You'll see the hand of the artist in each tile body and in the glaze.

Tile Tip:

If you are tiling a newly finished and poured concrete slab, allow adequate cure time for the slab to avoid grout cracks. Cement shrinks as it cures and excess moisture evaporates. If tile are applied too soon, while the concrete is still shrinking, grout is likely to crack. The TCNA (Tile Council of North America) suggests a 28-day cure for concrete before tiling. Also, the TCNA cautions that many factors must be considered before determining the appropriate cure time to avoid grout cracking.

Find out more and read:
>>Our blog post on Why grout cracks in tile installations
>>TCNA's recommendations on Concrete Cure Times before Tiling

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