Encaustic Cement Tiles

Encaustic tiles are all the rage in restaurant, kitchen and bath design. Encaustic means the color is inherent in the actual clay or cement and not from a glaze. As your tile wears it will not lose its color, but will patina. I read an article cautioning people to think before installing “trendy” encaustic tiles as they could negatively affect resale values. Here’s my thought. Floor and wall tiles are not factors in whether a house sells. Location, price, square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, yard size, garage, no garage all come before tile flooring and backsplashes. Flooring and backsplashes can be changed out either before you move in or down the road. If you’re lucky enough to fit your home with beautiful encaustic tiles have at it!

Retro chic at El Bolero restaurant in Dallas

Popham Design is a Moroccan tile company owned by an American couple. Their contemporary, graphic designs in bright colors and black and white are perfect in retro and modern interiors. Ann Sacks carries their line in the US.

Courtyard featuring different tile designs at the home of Popham Design’s owners, Caitlin and Samuel Dowe-Sands. Renzi, The Art of Tile, Ben Ritter photo

I admire Dowe-Sandes fearless style and use of bold colors.

Popham Design organic forms look great bordered in small geometrics or by themselves

More Popham Design, couldn’t resist featuring this pop of red.

A contemporary take on the classic hexagon bathroom tile. Light gray looks fantastic with black and white, but comes alive when paired with warm colors like yellow or coral.

Hex, comes in solid colors. Popham Design

Besides floors, feature walls are great places to install patterned encaustic tile. Geometric designs are timeless. What you need to consider is color. Fashion colors should be avoided, remember avocado refrigerators?

Bordeaux - Crush Collective (5).jpg — Gorgeous backsplash adds pizzaz to this white kitchen. Cement Tile Shop featured here offers a great selection

Because I’m happy! This yellow tile would look great in a laundry room. Laundry is boring, this tile is not. Ann Sacks

Some of my favorite designs are from Cle out of California. I love their classic, graphic style. With 50 colors to chose from and countless designs you’d be hard pressed not to find something to love.

cle-cement-crisscross-kelly-federalblue-nauticalblue-white-4-8x8-jpg-copy_large.jpg — Cle, Criss Cross, fresh colors for a child’s bath or backsplash

cle-cement-boldstripe-black-white-4-8x8_28533d8c-2a2b-4632-a17f-85593b00edb0_large.jpeg — Cle, Boldstripe, oh you could have a lot of fun with this

Cle, Classic, reminds me of Matisse, especially the green color way – would look great using different colors together

cle-cement-checkmate-black-white-stone-styled-8X8_large.jpeg — Cle, Checkmate, in the kitchen, like having a tablecloth on the floor!

This dreamy kitchen contains butcher block, Carrara marble, cement tile, porcelain subway tile, Farrow & Ball painted cabinets, rich wood tones, metal accents, copper pots, and casement windows. The highest compliment I can pay a kitchen is “would I want to cook in it?” and the answer is yes! The tile design is appropriate to the Spanish Mission style of the house. When selecting tile make sure it is suitable to the style and architecture of your house.

Bold and beautiful kitchen designed by Pamela Shamshiri of Commerce Design. The mix of materials make this kitchen unique. Granada Tile.

If you’re into more pattern, patchwork is a popular style.

I don’t have the resource for this particular tile installed at my local tapas restaurant. May I say the new paella emoji is amazing!

Wondering if these stunning tiles will weather the test of time style wise ? May I present, gorgeous and graphic tiles at the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, in style since the 14th century. Timeless

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