A Hand Made Revolution
There’s a handmade revolution going on right now. As consumers, we’re paying more attention to where things come from and what they’re made of. Is it sustainable? Is it ethical? Does it have enduring value? Does it connect me with others in a positive way? Is it special and unique? A well and lovingly handmade object usually answers to all these questions.
Being a Green Consumer
When decorating our homes and bodies, feeding our families, and even choosing transportation, it is becoming easier to make positive, eco-friendly choices, and to support artisans and small businesses. When it comes to building and renovating, though, many of us are intimidated by the unfamiliar array of building materials we suddenly need to consider, and perhaps at a loss as to how to make the most ethical, greenest consumer choices.
When it comes to surface finishes, hand made Artisan Tile is one of the most positive (and most beautiful!) choices you can make for your home. Combine it with reclaimed wood floors and natural plaster walls, and you have a green, ethical, nontoxic, and gorgeous living space.
What is Artisan Tile?
It is important to distinguish, hand made artisan tile from just hand made tile. Tile billed as hand made or hand painted is widely available and often inexpensive. If you are at all concerned about making positive consumer choices regarding labour practice, you should ask questions before purchasing this tile. Where is this tile imported from? In what kind of quantities is it produced? What are the labour conditions of its production? I have visited tile factories in Mexico and Italy where skilled artisans work comfortably on small batches of tile of their own design – in much the same way that I work in my own studio. I also know of production facilities where safe and comfortable working conditions just don’t exist, and the emphasis is on speed, quantity, and getting it out the door as cheaply as possible. Just use your common sense. Are you really going to feel great about living every day with that $5 a square foot hand painted tile from China? At what true cost does that product come to you?
A true Artisan Tile is made by the same person, or in the same studio, in which it was designed. It is a unique and original work of art. Artisan tile is made in small ateliers rather than large manufacturing facilities. These ateliers often make use of small-scale, traditional industrial processes, but much of the production work is done by hand.
Malibu
A Little History
This method of working was of course the norm for all architectural ceramics production before the Industrial Revolution. Turkey, Spain, Persia, Japan, China, Italy, and England all have rich traditions of ceramic production going back centuries, even millennia. Most small ateliers perished with the Industrial Revolution. In the early 20th Century there was a revival of the Artisan Tile Studio in England (linked to the Arts and Crafts movement) and the United States (primarily California, probably because of the influence of Spanish ceramic traditions.) Artisan Tile Studios like Batchelder and Malibu, and designers like William de Morgan still influence tile makers today.
William de Morgan tile
Over the last fifteen years or so, perhaps coming on the heels of the renewed interest in studio ceramics in the 1970, there has been a new revival of the Artisan Tile Studio, and there are now dozens of successful small business in North America based on this model. New artists are working with traditional methods and experimenting with new inspirations, and the results are beautiful! I am proud that our own studio, Lingua Terra Tile and Terra Home, is part of this revival.
Choosing Artisan Tile for Your Home
So you decided that Artisan Tile is a beautiful interior surface with a rich history, and an eco-friendly, durable, and nontoxic choice for your home. How do you find tile, how much will it cost, and how do you know which tile to buy? There are several places you could start. An interior designer with a focus on green or eco-friendly design can often show you samples and help you locate an Artisan Tilemaker. Some higher end tile showrooms specialize in hand made Artisan Tile; such showrooms are usually only in large cities. I believe the best way is to work directly with the tile studio. The Handmade Tile Association is a great resource, with lists of studios all over the continent. Of course you can also Google handmade tile and click over to image results and start browsing… you will quickly get a sense of what is available and what appeals to you. Artisan Tile is original artwork, and labor-intensive; it is priced accordingly, so be prepared to make an investment.
Using Tile in Your Home
Typically we think of tile as a surface for showers and back splashes, and it is wonderful for these uses. But there are many other imaginative ways to use tile in your home. Tile makes a beautiful surface for stair risers indoors or out, and for interior trim around doors and windows. Tiled fireplaces are beautiful and traditional. A tile mural can be used to create a focal point in an entryway or meditation room. Pools, spas and fountains can all be edged with Artisan Tile, and small tiles can be inset as accents on stone or even wood floors. Once you discover the beauty and artistry of Artisan Tile, you will want to use them all over your home and enjoy their timeless beauty every day.
Bio: Bronwyn Simons is the founder of and principal designer for Lingua Terra Tile and Terra Home, an Artisan Tile Production Studio founded in 2005 on beautiful Denman Island, B.C.. View her work at www.linguaterratile.com, or contact her with your tile questions at bronwyn@linguaterratile.com.
beautiful – I will definitely have to keep this in mind when I get ready to redo my kitchen 🙂
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Beautiful Tiles. These artisan tiles would look gorgeous in any home. And you brought up a very important point that we should always remember – at what cost are we settling for cheaper alternatives? Who are we hurting?
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Gorgeous! I would love this in my kitchen.
These are absolutely beautiful…I definitely think if the quality is good, I don't think paying a higher price is too much to ask.
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I would love to have a shower that was tiled!
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very prettu
The pieces are beautiful!
we used tile around our upstairs fireplace, I love the look of tile