We were first introduced to authentic terracotta tile by our old friends at the San Antonio based stone and tile producer, Materials Marketing. In the early ‘80’s, they offered a wonderful array of Mexican produced terracotta tiles that still linger in the imagination. Since then, that company has carved out a great niche in architectural natural stone products and are particularly well known for their fireplace collections.
via RosaGres
Subsequently, a visit to Barcelona brought to our attention the authentic terracotta tile produced by the Sugranes family under the brand name Rosagres. Two fine examples are above and below. A key feature of this Catalan material is its density and hard wearing characteristics.
via RosaGres
Fast forward to the Fall of 2017. Let’s focus for a moment on the iconic Country Floors brand. Long known for authentic terracotta tile, in fact since 1964, when this company essentially pioneered this category in the United States . Mr. Norman Karlson founded Country Floors as an avid connoisseur, collector and author interested in historical tiles. During his travels in Europe as a professional photographer, he admired the beauty and artistry of tiled walls and floors everywhere he went. The terracotta usage around the Iberian Peninsula was one of many elements that caught his eye.
via Country Floors
Take a look at the very top of this post and you will see the Fiesole Collection and then immediately above the Pedralbes Collection. Both from current Country Floors programs . A word here about authenticity. The more commodity portion of the wall and floor covering market offers many items that generate a “terracotta visual”. Naturally, these items have their place. However, the effort here is to provide ideas on authentic terracotta. Such as the Reclaimed Terracotta below.
via Country Floors
This post has been a labor of love and an ode to a timeless material. As always, thanks for reading. Text me at 305.986.1046.
