Tiling Your Kitchen with Handmade Ceramic Wall Tiles
Milagros handmade tiles have been used in kitchens in both residential and commercial interiors. Their versatility means they work beautifully in contemporary spaces as well as more traditional and historic settings.
Handmade ceramic tiles bring something to a kitchen that a completely uniform, machine-made surface cannot. The subtle variations in colour, glaze and texture interact with the light, while colour and pattern can be used to complement — or deliberately contrast with — materials such as marble, slate, timber and painted cabinetry.
A Flash of Colour
Interior designer Olivia Outred created this kitchen using Milagros Sun tiles within an otherwise contemporary interior. The rich oranges and yellows of the tiles contrast beautifully with the crisp white kitchen units, creating a vibrant flash of colour that feels fresh and modern.
The warmth and irregularity of handmade ceramic tiles also soften the clean lines of modern cabinetry, adding texture and character without overwhelming the simplicity of the kitchen.
Creating a Wall of Colour
The home of fashion editor Deborah Brett and film director Tom Edmunds, featured in Elle Decoration in 2017, has a kitchen designed by Hubert Zandberg Interiors using Milagros Special Green tiles. The Special Green 7 × 21cm brick tiles to create a much bolder statement. Rather than restricting the tiles to a conventional splashback, they have been taken from the worktop almost to the ceiling, creating an entire wall of rich emerald green. The depth of the glazed tiles works beautifully alongside the dark slate worktop and the softer, paler greens of the cabinetry and sink. The tiles have been laid in a traditional brick pattern with grey grout, allowing their colour and subtle handmade variations to take centre stage. Instead of simply adding a flash of colour, the tiled wall helps create the entire mood of the room.
Adding Pattern with a Simple Splashback
Designer Michelle Kelly took a very different approach, using just three rows of decorative tiles as a splashback to introduce pattern and colour into her Mediterranean kitchen.
The patterned tiles sit beautifully alongside the marble sink and gold taps, while the simplicity of the bright white walls allows the decoration to stand out. It is a good example of how you don't need to tile an entire wall to make an impact: a relatively small area of handmade tiles can bring warmth, colour and personality to a kitchen.
Choosing Tiles for Your Kitchen
Tiles play both a practical and an aesthetic role in the kitchen. They protect walls from water, grease and the inevitable splashes of everyday cooking, but they are also an integral part of the overall design of the room.
Whether you choose a few rows of patterned tiles for a splashback, a bold block of colour behind the cooker or an entire wall of richly glazed tiles, handmade ceramic tiles offer an opportunity to introduce colour, texture and individuality into the kitchen.
And because of the natural variations created by the handmade process, no two tiled surfaces will ever look exactly the same.
