François and I have been busy creating new lines that we will soon offer at Pavé Tile. We tend to become so involved in the creative process that we lose sight at times of The Cobblestone Path - our Blog. So I return to highlight one of our most popular European terra cotta tile flooring Collections: The Montmartre Collection - Inspired French Encaustic Terra Cotta Tile Flooring. As artists, we create Collections that we are drawn to - and the Medieval Period of France fascinates us both.
Life during 14th-16th Century Europe was beset with religious wars, plagues and to say the least - an entire lack of sanitation. But to those who lived back then, it was their will to survive - and perhaps thrive as seen through their artistic expression. A holy war drove many and churches became a focal point artistically for expressing their ideals. Floors were consecrated with hand made terra cotta tiles upon which were inlaid intricate patterns of life, of glory, of the natural environment. Technically, encaustic tiles are terra cotta tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is not a product of the glaze but of different colors of clay. For Pavé, we felt this technique was too time consuming and ultimately not cost effective for an American company of the 21st Century. So we took artistic license and developed our own technique using glazes that we kiln fire - new hand made European terra cotta tiles made to look old and will last centuries.
Can you believe these are new European terra cotta tiles???? This Collection - if I may say - looks like museum pieces thanks to years of testing and developing our propriety techniques of aging European clay. Aesthetically, these are perfect tiles for someone who wants a French old world aesthetic - but mixing them with modern elements will absolutely produce a fresh look that so many designers are showing today. Combing Vintage and Contemporary decor like Cortney and Robert Novogratz at SIXX DESIGN is a perfect example.
At Pavé Tile, you could say we go against the grain. The grain being that many many importers and companies no longer show or even sell terra cotta tile. Or they are sold with disclaimers saying they make a porous, weak floor. Or the terra cotta tile sold is bad quality giving European terra cotta tile already a reputation of an inferior product. If European terra cotta tile was so inferior, why is French Reclaimed terra cotta tile flooring existing even today? A paver that was excavated from a 100 year old farmhouse still intact and reinstalled in an American home that will last another 100 years...that is inferior???
Quality European terra cotta tile, precisely hand molded and high-fired in wood burning kilns (like at Pavé) is an organic, green product from the earth that is a fantastic heat conductor. This is a product that will patina over time to only darken and become more leathery with age - more glorious over time. It will wear wonderfully with a family full of children and pets. It's a product that does not seek perfection - but imperfection that defines it's beauty. Installed - it will not need to be resealed - retreated - resurfaced - like many wood floors bathed in polyurethane - it is an ageless, green product for the home. Period.
When you are considering flooring, do not rule out hand made European terra cotta tile. At Pavé, we are continually developing new Collections using our first love - European terra cotta tile as our canvas. Soon we will present exclusive lines for poolsides and outdoor installs and our own terra cotta collection inspired from Moorish architecture. This is how Pavé Tile stands out from our competitors. We are artists - not just importers or promoting a tile line created by another artist claiming it to be our own. The internet hides no secrets! These are our exclusive designs that are only available through Pavé Tile.
Click here to view the entire Montmartre Collection - and imagine living with beauty, with history and with warm terra cotta tiles underfoot. Let your footprints make history.
À Bientot,
Emmi Micallef
Pavé Tile & Stone, Inc.
