Creative ways with
TILES
Be bold with colour and elaborate with design to add decorative charm inside and out
F
rom natural stone to painted ceramic designs, tiles have long been used to create practical yet decorative surfaces in the home. Nowadays, with myriad shapes, sizes, colours and configurations on offer, it is easier than ever to enliven a decorating scheme with tiles. “Tile options have come a long way from the utilitarian choices our grandparents were faced with,” Rob Whitaker, creative director at Claybrook, says. “Decorative patterns in bold hues for floors sit happily alongside wall tiles that burst with eye-catching colours or are in natural materials in interesting shapes.” Here we look at ways this practical and beautiful medium can be used throughout the home.
80 THE ENGLISH HOME
WONDER WALLS In a kitchen, select tile designs that balance aesthetics with functionality, bearing in mind that smooth-surfaced tiles will be easier to keep clean than textured varieties. Consider using a combination of patterned and plain tiles to introduce decorative interest, such as a hand-painted mural or panels above a cooker, or a colourful, patterned frieze across a wall.
Tiles in richly coloured or subtle tonal glazes produce dramatic variations, adding a dash of the extraordinary to what might otherwise be a utilitarian kitchen space. For a traditional look, seek inspiration from country house kitchens and seek out the uneven character of handmade tiles with a crackle glaze in muted hues to inject period charm.
ABOVE LEFT Add decorative interest and rustic charm with panels of hand-painted tiles depicting farmyard scenes or motifs, landscapes and florals. Cockerel six-tile panels, £133.90 each, Marlborough Tiles ABOVE Patterned tiles inject a band of colour between a co-ordinating plain alternative. Cabrera Jasmin Blue tiles, £4.49 each; Cabrera White Gloss tiles, £1.19 each, Claybrook Studio
