Handmade Tile

A Giveaway! Beautiful Hand Painted Tile with Italian Olive Design!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:05:00 +0000

Would you like us to send you this tile for free?
This gorgeous 4" x 4" accent tile is from our Italian Sketchbook Collection. Just for fun, I've decided to give this tile away - the exact tile shown in this photo! I'll randomly pick a winner at 5pm PST August 9, 2011, so you have until then to enter.

Here's what you need to do to be eligible:

Join our Mailing List (just click here.)
Leave a comment on this post.

Et voila! Watch this space for the winner.

About The Italian Sketchbook Collection:
The tiles of our Italian Sketchbook Collection are decorated with a wax resist technique which gives a beautiful fluid surface to the glaze.

The motifs on the tiles of our Italian Sketchbook evolved from Bronwyn's notes, photos, and sketchbooks made when she lived in Florence. The goal was to create designs that were whimsical but not cutesy, simple line drawings that would evoke memories of Italian afternoons.

The whimsical scenes and objects are emblematic of the Tuscan landscape and kitchen. We love the simplicity of the lines combined with the complexity of the glazed surface.

These tiles would be wonderful in a kitchen back splash, but they also make great stand-alone pieces, hung on the wall, set on an easel, or used as a coaster.

To see the collection and purchase, click here.

Follow @TerraHome

Large Handmade Tile with Japanese Motifs of Flying Cranes, Plum Blossoms, and Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:42:00 +0000

New from our Japanese inspired Kyoto Series, this large 8.5" x 12" ceramic plaque can be installed as the focal point in a back splash or shower. It also makes a beautiful stand-alone art piece either displayed on an easel on your mantel, or hung on the wall (we can fit it with a picture hanger at your request.)

Cranes symbolize long life, and a pair of cranes in flight represent long, happy, successful marriage, so this plaque would make a wonderful wedding or anniversary gift. (Actually we have already sold several as wedding gifts! If you mention it at the time of your order, we can inscribe the back of the plaque with the couple's name and wedding date or a special message.)

Each piece is hand pressed from our original hand carved mould. After an initial firing, I carefully rub the piece with a deep burnt-umber underglaze to bring out the intricate detail (look at the tiny carved plum blossoms!) and to create an aged appearance. I then finish each piece with a matte-satin verdigris green glaze which resembles aged copper or lichen covered stone.

This plaque is priced at $108. If you order one today, we will ship within 15 business days. You can use the button below, or drop me an e-mail if you have any questions or would like the personal touch on your order!

Hand Made Subway Tile with Turquoise Crackle Glaze

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:01:00 +0000

This is our most popular glaze. You can see why, right? It's rich and jewel-like and the subtle colour variations run from sea green to deep mineral turquoise. It has the distinctly unromantic name of Nepheline Turquoise, named for one of the glaze components. But it's watery surface and vivid stained-glass depth make it an absolute pleasure to live with day to day in your home. This glaze works especially well on our hand made subway tiles.

Our subway tiles are unique. The usual method for creating hand made subways is to roll out a big sheet of clay on a slab roller, then cut each piece from the slab, either by hand, or with a template. This creates a nice tile with crisp edges and a uniformly flat surface. But what people love about our subways is their sensuous rounded edges and their very tactile softly varied surface texture - all this in a uniformly sized and shaped tile. Our secret is hand made plaster molds. Each tile is pressed by hand into a hand made mold. We have about ten different molds just for this plain subway piece, so each piece is a little bit different in surface character from the next.

These are the most unique and sensual (can you say that about a tile? we can!) hand made subways on the market. You'll see what we mean if you hold one in your hand.

If you are planning a project, we'd be happy to send you a sample, just click the button below.

Tile Back Splash in White and Navy Blue, Modern Handmade Tiles

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:38:00 +0000

These beautiful tiles are from our Hacienda Collection, in the Sky colourway. I love the freshness of this colourway, especially in this modern kitchen with lots of stainless steel.

The white field tiles really show what is special about our handmade tiles; even with a plain white 4" tile, there is so much lovely creamy variation in the colour and surface texture - just so much more beautiful than a flat, uniform commercial tile, don't you think?

Call us today to talk about your kitchen backsplash ideas! (250) 335-3149

Luxe Travertine Stone Shower Features Our Turquoise Crackle Glaze Disc Tile

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:39:00 +0000

Today we are featuring the 4 inch turquoise glazed accent tile from our Hacienda Collection, Ocean Colourway.

The simple disc motif on this tile has a strong graphic impact and a modern feel, while the softly blended edges and the gorgeous variation in texture and colour give the tile a tactile, sensual, and handmade feel.

Three of our favorite glazes are meticulously hand-painted on to each piece, in different combinations.

Our glossy, transparent Turquoise Crackle Glaze with its gorgeous sea-green variations is placed next to our Turquoise Matt glaze, which is satiny to the touch and definitely reminiscent of the mineral turquoise. Our Matt Green is thinly applied so the buff stoneware body of the tile can peep through.

This is a very versatile piece.

We've even seen it used as a field tile, with a large number of discs grouped together over a cooktop creating a daring, modern backsplash installation.

More often, our clients use this piece as an accent in a field of 4" buff or turquoise tiles.

In a recent shower installation, shown above and below, the turquoise glazed tile sets off the varied natural grey of travertine beautifully.

We like this tile as an accent in a kitchen backsplash. It's a good pairing with stainless steel, but would also work with distressed buff-to-cream old farmhouse style millwork. We love that versatility.

How would you use this tile?

Do you love that luxe double shower with travertine and handmade tile? If you like the work that you see here on our site, please share it with your community, using the share buttons below. We appreciate it!

Regards,

P.S. E-mail us to purchase the turquoise accent tiles shown in this post!

How to Choose the Right Color Tile for Your Kitchen Backsplash

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Choosing color for your home is a challenging, and sometimes anxiety-inducing task, especially when the choice involves a long term commitment to a permanent surface like tile. Our clients often ask us to help them find just the right glaze color for their kitchen tile backsplash, and we have developed some strategies to help you make a color decision you know you'll be happy with. I'm going to focus just on the kitchen backsplash in this post - next week we'll take a look at the special colour considerations for bathroom tile.

Let's look at some of the most common questions homeowners have about kitchen tile color choices:

When should I decide on my kitchen tile glaze colour?

In any kitchen build or renovation project, there are a multitude of surfaces to consider. A good general rule is to choose your most permanent surfaces first, then base your other color/surface choices on those primary surfaces. In a kitchen, you'll generally want to consider floors and cabinetry first, then countertops and tile, and finally walls and fabrics.

There are always exceptions of course - we had a client who based her whole kitchen on a fabric swatch she adored, and another who chose all of his surfaces based on the shades in our Kyoto Collection Plum Blossom Tile (that was flattering!)

It is most likely that you will be choosing your millwork and flooring, and then beginning to think about your counters and backsplashes.

How can I make sure my tiles match the rest of the kitchen?

We encourage our clients not to think in terms of matching, but rather to take a more sophisticated approach to color, and think in terms of harmonizing or complementing. The colours of a handmade ceramic glaze are complex and varied, with lots of potential for creating beautiful color harmonies with other surfaces. But where do you start?

Bear with me while I take you back to my first year of art studies, and introduce you to the color wheel. Colors can relate happily to each other in two different ways, as complementary (opposite on the wheel) or as analogous (side by side on the wheel). Either relationship produces a harmonious effect, and either relationship can be used as a jumping off point for bringing tile color into your kitchen.

I can hear you saying "Yikes! Are you saying I should combine red cabinets with green tiles? Or orange with yellow?"

Yes! Remember each primary and secondary hue on the wheel represents a whole family of colors, including the most gentle and subtle. So, red cabinets with green tiles? Absolutely. Here is a beautiful example:

As you can see, the cherry cabinetry works beautifully with the lichen green tile (red and green complements!) The variation in the wood grain and in the underglazed ceramic surface bring another level of harmony to this stunning combination.

Now, here is an example of analogous colour. The yellow, orange, brown, and buff colours in the woodwork, stone and tiles (from our Firenze Collection) harmonize without having to "match." This example also shows the versatility of earth tones or neutrals, which reside at the center of the color wheel and go with everything! That means you don't have to sweat matching an exact colour in your granite or stone countertops - just relax and trust the harmonies of these beautiful natural surfaces.

How can I be sure I've chosen the right color?

Now that you know when and how to choose your kitchen tile color, you just need to decide. Here are my tips for being sure you have the right glaze color for you.

Order samples, and look at them in your new space, at every time of day, and under all the kinds of light they will be seen in.
Take your time! Look at the samples in your kitchen, and look again.
Trust your own instincts. It's nice to hear your friends opinions, but remember they won't be living in your kitchen!
Go with what makes your heart sing. The kitchen is the heart of the home. Chances are, you will be spending many hours here, for years to come. Choose something that is going to bring you joy.

Do you have any insights or experiences you'd like to share about choosing color for your home? Leave a comment, we'd love to hear your story.

Need to buy a sample to check glaze color? Visit our new on-line tile shop.

Next week we'll look at tile color in the bathroom.

Cherry Blossom Liner Tile for a Backsplash or Shower Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:50:00 +0000

Click here to purchase this cherry blossom tile.

This 8" x 2" cherry blossom liner tile is brand new, fresh out of the kiln this morning! It is always an exciting moment, when we get to see the very first finished, glazed piece of a newly created design. The translucent blue green glaze has a slight milkiness evocative of jade. The hints of white underglaze and buff clay peeking through bring to mind a piece of very old, gorgeously time-worn Chinese stoneware, like an antique ginger jar. The lively, roughly carved cherry blossoms have the vitality and movement of the Japanese woodblock prints that were their inspiration. I'm just thrilled to add this very versatile decorative piece to our line. A piece like this will work as an accent liner in showers, on backsplashes and tub surrounds, as a stand alone decorative piece in a field, or in an arrangement above a cooktop - just about anywhere. It has enough decorative impact on its own, but it will also combine well with pieces from our Kyoto and Hanabi Collections. Click here to purchase this cherry blossom tile!

Hand Made Tile Installations

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:56:00 +0000

We wish all of our clients would send photos of their completed tilework! Here are some recent beauties, including a back splash featuring brightly hand painted koi, a buddha tile mural set into a stone niche, and our a recently completed arts and crafts style fireplace in delicious cocoa brown... enjoy! If you see something you love, e-mail us... we can help you create something similar for your home:

Arts and Crafts Style Fireplace with Hand Made Pine Bough and Pinecone Tiles

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:31:00 +0000

This custom-designed fireplace surround became the basis for our Vancouver Island collection of tiles with realistic relief patterns of pine cones and pine boughs. The arch and keystone pieces were custom made by us for this fireplace, and the varying sizes of the field tile (4", 2", and 2"x4") give a real Arts and Crafts flavor. The fireplace is the stunning focal point of a lovingly restored Arts and Crafts style living room. Are you designing a fireplace? We'd be happy to send you tile samples and/or get you started with design ideas, just e-mail us.

Hand Made Tile with Fused Glass: Little Jewels!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:49:00 +0000

I've been experimenting with techniques for using fused glass on our hand made tiles for a while now. These 3" jewel-like amber beauties are samples for a commission we're working on, and may end up paired with our pewter subway tiles on an elegant tiled fireplace surround. I love the molten, mineral effects of the glass-on-glaze: like agate and crystal. Drop us a line if we can design a finish like this for your project.

Happy New Year from Terra Home

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:46:00 +0000

The plum blossom, shown here in our Ume tile from the Kyoto Collection, represents hope, new life, and perseverance. From all of us here at Terra Home, we wish you a 2010 filled with beauty, abundance, and well-being.

Hand Made Dishes, Not Just for Sushi - New for the Gifting Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:09:00 +0000

We think these new slab built dishes are serene, chic, and elegant, if we do say so ourselves. Hand built from white stoneware, they vary in size from 8" x 6" down to 2" x 4". Beautiful for serving small delicacies like sushi, cheeses, etc.. They could also hold a pillar candle, a bar of soap, live in the bathroom to hold jewels or make-up, or in the hall for your keys... lots of possibilities!

The turquoise glaze is luscious and silky to the touch. The edges are glazed in a warm sienna, cobalt blue, or rich iron oxide, showing glimpses of the turquoise beneath. The graceful, imperfect shapes were cut from a hand rolled slab and draped on a plaster mold. The plant and fish motifs were hand painted with black underglaze and have an elegant ink-brush feel.

Gift Idea: you could buy a set, and present them individually as holiday hostess gifts, on their own, or holding a beautiful bar of soap, a round of good brie, or a scented candle. To purchase a set of four in your choice of colour/motif, click on the "buy now" button below.

Terra Home Holiday Events & A Special Offer on Our Beautiful Venetian Urn Tile

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Special Holiday Offer
This gorgeous tile from our Firenze Collection measures 6" x 8" and features a Renaissance urn in high relief. The glaze is Dry Stone, which creates a warm, aged effect. This tile makes a beautiful stand-alone decorative piece, either hung on the wall or displayed on a small easel. We think this piece would be an elegant holiday gift, so we are offering free regular shipping (to Continental U.S and Canada) until December 24th, and including a display easel and hand written descriptive card gratis with all orders. You can complete your purchase right here by clicking the button below, or just give us a call at (250) 335-3149.

Terra Home Holiday Events
If you are on beautiful Vancouver Island, we invite you to join us at one or all of these upcoming events:

The Denman Island Christmas Craft Faire, Dec. 5 & 6 An island tradition for 28 years, featuring quality art and fine craft from all over Vancouver Island. Visit our award winning booth just inside the doors of the Community Hall. For more info and directions, go here.
An Afternoon to Celebrate Women and Creativity, Nov. 22 at the Courtenay Museum, Courtenay. I'll be one of several features women artists on hand to chat about my work and about the challenges and joys of living a creative life. I'll also have some of our new Not-Just-For-Sushi dishes available for purchase. This event will include a screening of the film Who Does She Think She Is. Learn more and purchase a ticket here.
Open Studio at Terra Home. We'll be opening the studio for the December weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun, 12 -4) leading up to Christmas. Come by for mulled cider, and browse our gift selection. We're also happy to show you around the production side of the studio, and talk to you about tiles and your renovation projects. If you're going to be on the island, call for directions to the studio (250) 335-3149.

Hand Made Tile Installations

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:22:00 +0000

A gallery of a few of our recent installations - enjoy! To view a slideshow of these images, click here. Do you have an installation of our tiles? We'd love to see it! Just e-mail us.

Hand Made Tile Inspirations

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

A gallery of concept boards, showing ideas for installing our tiles. Enjoy! To see a slideshow of these inspirations, click here.

Hand Painted Tiles Inspired by the Tuscan Landscape and Kitchen: Our Italian Sketchbook Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Sketching outside the apartment in Florence

The tiles of our Italian Sketchbook series are decorated with a wax resist technique which gives a beautiful fluid surface to the glaze.

The motifs on the tiles of our Italian Sketchbook evolved from Bronwyn's notes, photos, and sketchbooks made when she lived in Florence.

The goal was to create designs that were whimsical but not cutesy, simple line drawings that would evoke memories of Italian afternoons.

The whimsical scenes and objects are emblematic of the Tuscan landscape and kitchen.We love the simplicity of the lines combined with the complexity of the glazed surface.

These tiles would be wonderful in a kitchen back splash, but they also make great stand-alone pieces, hung on the wall, set on an easel, or used as a coaster.

4" x 4" accent tile with wine motif

4" x 4" accent tile with olive motif

4" x 4" accent tile with fountain motif

4" x 4" accent tile with pot of geraniums motif

4" x 4" accent tile with farmhouse motif

4" x 4" accent tile with lemon motif

To purchase, choose your motif and click "Add to Cart."

Handmade Tile Inspired by the Northwest Coast: Our Vancouver Island Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Above: Pine Plaques, 4" x 12" accent tiles. Wonderful as side pieces for a fireplace. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Teak. Click on the image to see full page.

The handmade relief tiles in our Vancouver Island Collection are inspired by the natural beauty of the Northwest Coast that surrounds us every day at Terra Home. Each design in this collection is an original Terra Home creation. The relief images are cast from actual natural objects gathered from forests and beaches; real pine cones, pine boughs, and seashells. Once the master mold is created, subsequent tiles are pressed by hand into the mold, in a labour-intensive, traditional process. No machines or presses are used in the creation of our decorative relief tiles - just the touch of the human hand.

Above: Pinecone Pair, 4" accent tile. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Teak. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Pinecone, 4" accent tile. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Teak. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Small Pinecones, 4" x 2" accent tile, 2" accent tiles. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Teak. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Pinecone and Pinecone Pair, 4" accent tiles shown here with 4" Teak field tile. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Teak. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Installation idea for handmade pinecone tiles.Above: Seashells, 4" accent tile. Shown here in Sand, available in a range of glaze colours. Above: Seashells, 4" accent tile. Shown here in Sand, available in a range of glaze colours.

For purchase information, visit our How to Order page.

Hand Painted Tiles Inspired by the Frescoes of Pompeii + Video of Painting a Handmade Tile!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000

I'd like to share with you the process of hand painting a tile with slips and underglazes. This video shows me working on a 6" tile for our Pompeii Collection. These designs are inspired by the frescoes of Pompeii which I visited in 2001. I especially loved the garden murals in the Villa of Venus, with their worn surfaces and naive, charming songbirds and flowers. I wanted to capture that naive charm and something of that mysterious, aged surface in my hand painted, hand made songbird tiles for this collection. These hand cut tiles are rustic red earthenware. In the video above, I have already covered the unfired tile with a coat of pale yellow slip, and worked back into the slip to create an antiqued, distressed surface. The colours in the paintbox are not watercolours as they appear, but specially prepared underglazes. After painting, the tile will be fired, then glazed with a clear crackle glaze, and fired again. For purchase information, call 250.335.3149, or visit our How to Order page.

Above: Songbird , 4" accent tile from our Pompeii Collection. Below: two murals in the Villa of Venus at Pompeii, which provided inspiration for the tiles.

Designing with Handmade Tile: An Interview with Rachel Hulan of Path Design

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:50:00 +0000

One of the things I enjoy most about my work is collaborating with interior designers. I love getting to know talented people from different parts of the continent, and seeing and being inspired by their work. It's always a thrill to see how our tiles fit in to many beautiful and varied interiors. I'm happy to introduce a new feature in our blog this month. Each month we will feature a different interior designer and their work, and talk to them about what inspires them, and their favourite ways to use tile. Our very first featured designer is Rachel Hulan, Assoc. IIDA, Principal and founder of Path Design. Path Design is a full service design and consulting firm, located in Santa Ana, California, with a primary focus on residential and small commercial projects. Their mission is to provide clients with beautiful, healthy, innovative surroundings through a commitment to sustainable design principles, and aesthetically pleasing colors and materials.

Tell us a bit about yourself & your business.

I'm an interior designer in Orange County, California, and I own my own business specializing in sustainable design.

If you had to describe your design aesthetic in five words, what would those five words be?

Balanced, appreciative, creative, textural, playful

Where do you find inspiration for your work? What inspires you?

I find inspiration in photographs of unique places, as well as paintings, architectural details and fabrics. The natural world is my biggest inspiration - that and old places full of the past.

Tell us a bit about your studio/work environment.

I live in a wonderful 1925 Spanish Revival house, which was originally built as a home and business, so it still has two front doors. I've taken over the portion of the house that has the reception/parlor and office for my studio. It can be a little chaotic at times, but it's a perfect it for me.

What is the most interesting and unusual use of tile you've seen or worked on in a project?

I've used tile as insets on pieces of furniture, which still surprises people when they see it, although that sort of thing was done quite a bit during the Arts and Crafts era. I've recently seen some tile insets in wooden floors, which I haven't yet done myself, although I would love to give it a try.

What is your best tip for designing effectively with tile?

Try to make sure the tile you will use fits the style of the space you will use it in. I've seen some pretty amazing tile work done in places where it looked out of place. And don't be afraid to go soft on the details. It doesn't have to be over the top to look beautiful.

How have the trends towards green design and interest in hand made, artisan objects affected your design work?

Green design should be just as much about the people who make the product, as it is about what the product is made of. Sustainability means something that can go on and on without taking anything away. Artisans work in small quantities, on products that are made with care and consideration for resources. I always choose to work with handmade products whenever possible.

What is special about your community, environment, and region, and how is that reflected in your design work?

Right now the quality of light where I live has a strange, golden glow to it, which means it's fire season. We live in a warm, arid climate here, but the ocean is not far away, and there are forests of oak trees to hike through if you know where they are. Southern California is a very populous place, and there are so many cultures that have made a home here. I think it all shows in the many facets I bring to my designs. I love color, cultures, nature and contrast - all things you find in abundance here.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Getting to know my clients and working on new ideas with them.

Contact Path Design:
rachel@path-design.net
www.path-design.net
twitter: pathdesign
714.953.1518

Handmade Tile Inspired by Vintage Japanese Textiles: Our Hanabi Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:52:00 +0000

I've always been charmed by the soft, sophisticated colourways of vintage Japanese kimono silks, and fascinated by the symbolic language of their surprisingly modern, graphic patterns. I worked with these inspirations to create the shapes, patterns, and colours of our Hanabi Collection of handmade tile. The starburst pattern I used is actually a traditional, stylized version of the chrysanthemum, a beautiful flower of late Fall, and an important motif in the symbolic language of Japanese textiles. Nobility, natural order, longevity, and good fortune are qualities associated with the chrysanthemum. The bell shaped tile is based on a traditional wave pattern. Stylized water patterns appear often in Japanese textiles. Eight positive qualities are attributed to the water symbol: it is clear, cool, healing, soothing, odorless, delicious, light, and soft. I would love to see a walk in shower tiled in the turquoise wave pattern tiles! Below are some installation ideas for our Hanabi tiles (by the way, hanabi means 'fire flower' or fireworks!)

4" Diamond Chrysanthemum, and 2" x 6" Kimono Border

6" Wave in Turquoise and Matt Turquoise

6" Wave in Amber and Teak

4" Chrysanthemum Hex and Plain Hex in Shino and Linen

Click on the image at left for a full size, high resolution printable file of the catalog tear sheet for our Hanabi Collection. For current pricing contact Bronwyn, (bronwyn@linguaterratile.com) to request a wholesale, trade, or retail price list. Wholesale pricing is available to showrooms and retailers who carry our tiles. Trade pricing is available to professional interior designers, architects, building contractors and developers, landscape designers, and interior decorators. For more information on how to order our tiles, visit our How to Order page here, or call 250.335.3149.

Handmade Tile Inspired by the Courtyard Gardens of Old Mexico: Our Hacienda Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Inspired by the courtyard gardens of Old Mexico, the bold graphics and floral motifs of the tiles in our Hacienda Collection capture the brilliant colours of the tropics. (For more about the magical garden, at left, that inspired the Hacienda Collection, read this post!) Our Hacienda tiles come in three rich & evocative colourways: Ocean captures the layered turquoise greens of tropical seas, Sky grades from deep twilight navy to pale sun-washed cerulean, and Earth evokes the transparent depths of Mexican amber, and the textures of soft sand and desert earth. Each tile is meticulously hand painted with multiple layers of glazes. All the glaze colours are also available in field (plain) tile to complete your installation.

Three tiles below: 4" Disc Accent in Earth colourway variations.

Three tiles below: 4" Disc Accent in Ocean colourway variations.

Three tiles below: 4" Stripe Accent in Earth colourway variations.

Three tiles below: 4" Stripe Accent in Ocean colourway variations.

Below: 4" Stripe Accent in Sky colourway:

Below: installation showing Ocean colourway with coordinating field tile, showing our 6" x 1" Banana Leaf Mosaic pieces between rows of Stripe accents:

Below: 4" x 8" Banana Leaves creates a continuous pattern when set end to end:

Click on the image at left for a full size, high resolution printable file of the catalog tear sheet for our Hacienda Collection. For current pricing contact Bronwyn, (bronwyn@linguaterratile.com) to request a wholesale, trade, or retail price list. Wholesale pricing is available to showrooms and retailers who carry our tiles. Trade pricing is available to professional interior designers, architects, building contractors and developers, landscape designers, and interior decorators. For more information on how to order our tiles, visit our How to Order page here, or call 250.335.3149.

Handmade Tile Inspired by the Japanese Garden: Our Kyoto Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Above: Buddha Mural, 9x 4"decorative relief tiles, 12.5" x 12.5" in total. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Dry Stone. Click on the image to see full page.

Inspired by the natural serenity of the Japanese garden, Our Kyoto Collection, in colours of stone and lichen, feature koi fish, plum blossoms, bamboo, pine, and Buddhist imagery. Each design in this collection is an original Lingua Terra creation. After a long process of creating, sketching and refining, the final design is meticulously drawn out to scale, then transferred to a block of wet clay. The image is then carved carefully into the clay, creating a relief pattern and delicate detail work, like the veins on bamboo leaves or the Buddha's serene smile. This painstakingly carved original, which can take up to a day to execute, is destined to be destroyed so a mold can be created. Once the master mold is created, subsequent tiles are pressed by hand into the mold, in a labour-intensive, traditional process. No machines or presses are used in the creation of our decorative relief tiles - just the touch of the human hand.

Above: Ume or Plum Blossom, 4" accent tile. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Dry Lichen. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Kuro Matsu or Black Pine, 4" accent tile. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Dry Stone. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Crane and Moon Frieze, 2x 4" accent tiles create a continuous pattern. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Dry Stone. For more info about using decorative friezes, click here. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Koi and Willow Frieze, 2x 4" accent tiles create a continuous pattern. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Ice Blue. For more info about using decorative friezes, click here. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Bamboo Forest Frieze, 2x 4" accent tiles create a continuous pattern. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Dry Stone. For more info about using decorative friezes, click here. Click on the image to see full page.

We produce a line of hand built vases which coordinate with our tiles. Here is our Ume vase, measuring 11" x 6".

Click on the image at left for a full size, high resolution printable file of the catalog tear sheet for our Kyoto Collection. For current pricing contact Bronwyn, (bronwyn@linguaterratile.com) to request a wholesale, trade, or retail price list. Wholesale pricing is available to showrooms and retailers who carry our tiles. Trade pricing is available to professional interior designers, architects, building contractors and developers, landscape designers, and interior decorators. For more information on how to order our tiles, visit our How to Order page here, or call 250.335.3149.

Chinoiserie Inspired Hand Painted Tile Mural

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:52:00 +0000

There has been renewed interest lately in the hand painted tiles from our Provence Collection. The songbird and flower mural shown here is inspired by hand painted french wallpapers of the 19th Century, which were, in turn, inspired by Chinese porcelain and painted screens. This mural is hand painted in our studio, and requires many layers of glaze and underglaze to achieve the wonderful aged appearance. I start with hand cut tiles made from traditional red earthenware. Over this I sponge layers of creamy white and pale yellow slip, rubbing gently to expose bits of the rosy clay beneath. On to this background I paint the flowers and songbirds in rich underglaze colours. A clear, crazed glaze is applied, and after firing, ink is rubbed in judiciously to highlight the crazing (crackle.) This piece would be exquisite in a traditional white, yellow and cream kitchen, installed over the cooktop. We can also provide field tile, trim, and listello in a matching cream & yellow crackle glaze to finish the project. For purchase information, see out How to Order page or call us at 250.335.3149.

Handmade Tile Inspired by the Italian Renaissance: Our Firenze Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Above is a sample installation of Firenze Collection tiles in Dry Stone glaze, combined with our beautiful elongated diamond field tile in Balsamic glaze. We've used the corner tiles together here to form a patterned 4" square between the Fleur de Lis.

With motifs drawn from Bronwyn’s Italian sketchbooks, these tiles, in rich colours of marble and plaster, feature designs adapted from Renaissance stone carving in Florence, Venice, and Rome. Each handmade tile design in this collection is an original Terra Home creation. After a long process of creating, sketching and refining, the final design is meticulously drawn out to scale, then transferred to a block of wet clay. The image is then carved carefully into the clay, creating a relief pattern and delicate detail work, like the veins on bamboo leaves or the Buddha's serene smile. This painstakingly carved original, which can take up to a day to execute, is destined to be destroyed so a mold can be created. Once the master mold is created, subsequent tiles are pressed by hand into the mold, in a labour-intensive, traditional process. No machines or presses are used in the creation of our decorative relief tiles - just the touch of the human hand.

Above: Venetian Urn, 6" x 8" decorative relief tile. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Dry Stone. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Firenze Border and Corner, 2" x 6" border tile with rounded glazed top edge, and coordinating 2" corner piece with two glazed edges. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Dry Stone. Click on the image to see full page.

Above: Florentine Fleur de Lis, 4"decorative relief tile. Available in a range of glaze colours, shown here in Balsamic. Click on the image to see full page.

Bronwyn with her sketchbook in the garden of her apartment in Florence, 2001.

Handmade Pine Cone Tiles with an Arts and Crafts Flavour

noreply@blogger.com (Bronwyn) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Here are some of the finished tiles which we custom designed and created for the Arts and Crafts fireplace project I told you about in this post. These tiles were created from plaster molds, which I cast from actual pine cones. I gathered the pine cones in the beautiful Provincial Park on the ocean just a short walk from our studio. I will post photos of the fireplace once the tiles are installed! These tiles are available in Teak, the rich brown glaze shown above; they also look great in our Lichen Green and Emerald Green glazes. For purchase information, see our How to Order page, or give us a call at 250.335.3149.