Handmade tiles the latest fashion

[andy8758]

Here in Bath, there are some excellent "Style" magazines that are keeping some well-heeled folk informed on the latest decorating trends. Handmade tiles are now "en vogue" here, compliments of individual artisans, Fired Earth and Mandarin Stone (amongst others).

Now, as a fixer, I appreciate the beauty of these handmade tiles. But some customer expectations need managing. Here are a few common discussions:

• Tile sizes of handmade tiles do vary - a one millimetre grout gap was not the intention of the manufacturer.
• Uneven surfaces are a product of the handmade individuality of the tile. However if they wish to return the defective tiles, please feel free to do so.
• Paper faced mosaics are rarely aligned in perfectly straight lines.
• If the tiles are different sizes, the picture/pattern on the face may not be perfectly aligned.
• Why is it that handmade tiles seem to be so attractive to people who work as aircraft engineers?

Fortunately, my customer next week (who has mixed four different tiles from 3 different suppliers to create that "unique statement" on her kitchen splash back), is actually looking for that avant garde look and I may post a photo at the end of the week to let you see how her idea works out.

 

[WetSaw]

I'm good at avant garde or "Rustic" as we call it here!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Hand made wall tiles FE. FE floor tiles with mosaic insets.

• Time's Ran Out
• Mar 5, 2011

They have a unique appeal.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

FE HANDMADE TILES WITH PRINTS

• Time's Ran Out
• Mar 1, 2011

Same client

 

[Rickm34]

Is fe fired earth? Its a lovely job youve done, but im not a big fan of the curled edges lol.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Is fe fired earth? Its a lovely job youve done, but im not a big fan of the curled edges lol.

Yes secret code for Fired Earth, it takes many years to be able to get tiling lips like that!

 

[One Day]

I just don't get it. I really don't. Over the years I've fixed plenty of mega expensive handmade tiles like these but I've honestly never liked any of them. The worst were recycled glass mosaics on paper. Aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh!

The only handmade tile i almost liked was some raw terracotta which were very time consuming, but looked worth the effort finished.

Handmade tiles aren't like handmade cars.
They're rubbish.

 

[One Day]

Oh, and handmade crackle glaze which pinged off when looked at in the wrong way! Aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh!

 

[Rickm34]

I just don't get it. I really don't. Over the years I've fixed plenty of mega expensive handmade tiles like these but I've honestly never liked any of them. The worst were recycled glass mosaics on paper. Aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh!

The only handmade tile i almost liked was some raw terracotta which were very time consuming, but looked worth the effort finished.

Handmade tiles aren't like handmade cars.
They're rubbish.

What i wanna know is why the hand made tile maker person hasnt been sacked yet. Lol

 

[Rizzle from the Portizzle]

What i wanna know is why the hand made tile maker person hasnt been sacked yet. Lol

they think he is good at it

 

[One Day]

What i wanna know is why the hand made tile maker person hasnt been sacked yet. Lol

Care in the community. That's why. Don't want to hurt anyone's special snowflake feelings!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

What i wanna know is why the hand made tile maker person hasnt been sacked yet. Lol

Because he's still practising!
The Mexicans are the best - they grade their tiles that are collected from the little ovens along the roads. By the time they get to DDD or something they are unusable!
It's just as well we work a the fashion industry.

 

[andy8758]

What i wanna know is why the hand made tile maker person hasnt been sacked yet. Lol

A know a man who makes handmade tiles in Bath. He is a journalist at a loose end during the summer. And that's why handmade tiles are so bad.

 

[Rookery]

Because he's still practising!
The Mexicans are the best - they grade their tiles that are collected from the little ovens along the roads. By the time they get to DDD or something they are unusable!
It's just as well we work a the fashion industry.

Is that where BCT get their biscuits from?

 

[One Day]

A know a man who makes handmade tiles in Bath. He is a journalist at a loose end during the summer. And that's why handmade tiles are so bad.

If he made them in a workshop, even a shed, they might not be so bad!
Why would anyone make tiles in the bath???

 

[White Room]

A know a man who makes handmade tiles in Bath. He is a journalist at a loose end during the summer. And that's why handmade tiles are so bad.

Probably sells them to friends and family who tell him he's a true craftsman everybody else says he's *****

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Didn't know we were allowed to use that word ( moderators only?).

 

[Taylormade]

Hand made tiles can be a nightmare but designers and architects love them because they are individual and I like them because you can charge more The trick is spend time in the prep and point out the issues in them ie size variation, bowing, thickness, colours etc etc

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Hand made tiles can be a nightmare but designers and architects love them because they are individual and I like them because you can charge more The trick is spend time in the prep and point out the issues in them ie size variation, bowing, thickness, colours etc etc

I agree that you charge for the additional time in getting that 'look' but if you have to point out the issues, then your in trouble. They know what there're after.

 

[White Room]

I agree that you charge for the additional time in getting that 'look' but if you have to point out the issues, then your in trouble. They know what there're after.

But they don't know what's involved to fix there super duper tiles, we want that and they don't listen.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

We just make it all look so easy.

 

[andy8758]

Got a mild dressing down last week. Fixing these concrete encaustic (rustic) tiles from Alegria, in a refurbished restaurant. Foreman had me lasering levels to the millimetre. Everything precise and in line. Designer arrived on Tuesday and complained tiles were too neat.......
"We were looking for a more rustic look. You know, uneven, lipped, out of alignment..."

There is no pleasing some folk.

 

[andy8758]

The work I started this thread with. A little unusual, but beats the standard metro splashback for originality. The picture tiles are both thicker and thinner than the crackle glaze plain blue and white tiles (which are themselves different sizes). The cooker splashback was a bespoke set of tiles.

 

[White Room]

Lovely work Andy.