Mexican Tile = Global Tile

When you think “Mexican Tile”– it’s time to think globally!  Over the last one hundred years Mexican tile has grown beyond the early Aztec, Mayan and Majolican designs of the late 1800s and early 1900s to incorporate truly global designs.

Mexican Tile Designs now carries tiles with Tuscany, Arts and Crafts, Southwest, Art Deco, Modern, Celtic, Moorish and African influenced designs.  Look at these examples:

        

Mission                           Celtic                              Southwest

        

Spanish                         Moroccan                      Moorish

          

Modern                            Italian                          French

Arts & Crafts

Ancient designs have been interpreted with modern and even oriental flair as evidenced by the work of renowned Ceramic artists Ken Edwards and Gorky Gonzales.

             

Gorky Gonzalez                         Ken Edwards

We have a decorative tile in just the right color and design for your project.

In contrast to the monochromatic , bland look popular in the last few years as evidenced by fads of travertine and granite, these global tiles will bring color, creativity and vibrancy into your home.

Please give us a call for complimentary design help! 866-320-1628 or email: info@mexicandesigns.com and let us help you make your dream come true.

Ideas for Creating Spectacular Stair Risers using Mexican Tile

Give your staircase a New Year’s makeover! A staircase is just a way to go up and down unless you make them EXTRAORDINARY using decorative Mexican Tile on the risers (the vertical portion of each step).

Just look at these fabulous examples:

Stair risers using mixed Talavera Mexican Tile

 

Stair risers using Blue and White theme Mexican tile

 

Stair risers with each stair a different theme of Mexican Tile

You, too, can have a unique, colorful and exciting staircase! Yours can totally reflect your own tastes and creativity.

But where to start?

The cheerful, helpful team at Mexican Tile Designs can help. Just call us! 866-320-1628.

TIP: most stair risers accommodate a 6” tile, but remember that a 4” tile set “on diamond” is also 6”! Then you can cut solid color 4” tile into triangles to fill in the spaces between the decorative tile. Many stair risers are more narrow, where a 4” tile will fit just fine. If a 4” or 6” tile doesn’t fit your risers, Mexican Tile Designs also has custom sizes available, so you can order a size that fits perfectly.

Choose from three different lines of tile, each unique with a different price point so you are sure to find something that fits both your taste and your budget. If you have a lot of stairs, look for quantity discounts.

1. Traditional Talavera red clay Mexican Tile:  rustic, beautiful, less expensive, this tile has been used for centuries to bring Spanish influence, color and excitement to staircases, backsplashes, bathrooms and more. For stair risers, people often choose within a theme, such as: blue and white, fish, birds, or a mix.

Stair risers using a different theme of Mexican Tile on each riser

Perhaps you want each riser to be different and unique, or all the same. Here are two stairways where each riser is the same:

Stair Risers using a single design Mexican Tile 

Stair risers using a single theme Mexican Tile

2.  Especial Ceramic Mexican Tile: These white clay high-temperature fired ceramic tiles are a mid-price point and have a slightly more refined, consistent look than Traditional tiles. Choose from hundreds of gorgeous designs. Perhaps you’d like to alternate solid color Mexican Ceramic tile with decorative as in these striking stair cases, one alternating solid and decorative tiles, and one alternating solid and decorative risers:

Stair risers alternating tiles of decorative and solid color Mexican Tile 

Stair risers alternating steps of decorative and solid color Mexican Tile 

3.  Prima Premium Ceramic Mexican Tile: these exquisite raised-relief tiles instantly add incredible beauty to your home. Each tile is truly a work of art. Photos of these tiles, simply don’t do them justice, order a sample to see for yourself. Here are a just a taste of these tiles:

               

As you can see, the possibilities are endless!

You CAN have spectacular steps, whether it is two steps going into the kitchen or 15 steps going up to the bedrooms. Beautify your steps today!

Call us toll free to help! Mexican Tile Designs 866-459-4305.

Day of the Dead Mexican Tiles available now!

Mexican Tile Designs has a full collection of authentic Mexican Day of the Dead tiles!

These tiles are raised-relief, colorful designs on a black background and include skeletons playing baseball, skeletons playing basketball, skeletons playing cards, skeletons drinking beer, skeletons dancing, mountaineer skeletons, a doctor skeleton, a skeleton bride and groom, and many more including several decorated skull tiles!

Please check out our Day of the Dead tile page !  We are actively growing our collection !

Please call us at 1-866-320-1628 or email us at info@mexicantiledesigns.com and let us know if you are looking for a specific design!

Here is our Catrina Day of the Dead tile murals:

Gorky Gonzales Collectible Art Tiles

Mexican Tile Designs is extremely proud to carry an exclusive line of collectible Mexican art tile from the studio of renowned ceramicist, Gorky Gonzales Mexican Ceramic Art tiles.

These beautiful art tiles come in borders, solids and traditional Mexican designs of horses, Mexican cowboys, women, Day of the Dead, and other motifs.

Here is just a sampling!

Gorky Gonzales is a master ceramicist who won the National Award of Sciences and Arts in Mexico and has been featured in prestigious galleries around the world. Gorky has dedicated his life to the rescue and preservation of the traditional Majolica pottery technique and designs, which dates back to the 17th century.

Gorky studied ceramics in Mexico and then received a scholarship to study in Japan under the tutelage of Tsuji Seimei and Kei Finiwara, both considered Japanese National living treasures. You can see the Japanese influence in his work.

He returned to the central Highlands of Mexico where he, his wife Toshiko and son Gorky Jr. along with a group of skilled craftsman, devote themselves to creating some of the most beautiful and distinctive pottery and ceramics in the world.

Gorky Jr. has followed in his father’s footsteps– continuing and expanding this exquisite line of collectable ceramics and has honored Mexican Tile Designs with an exclusive collection of Gorky art tile, murals and sinks that will add an incredible and totally unique look to any decorating project.

Find our growing selection of Gorky tiles at www.mexicantiledesigns.com today!

Fantastic NEW Art Tiles from Ken Edwards!

Mexican Tile Designs is very proud to now carry an exclusive line of collectable art tiles, knobs and murals from the famous studio of Mexican ceramicist, Ken Edwards. These tile and murals will be in both his Traditional line and his new Collection line of extremely intricate designs featuring hummingbirds, fish and other animals.

Ken Edwards was one of the pioneers of high-fire techniques for making stoneware in Mexico in the 1950s and 1960s. His stoneware dishes in beautiful bird motifs in both lines are instantly recognizable and renowned the world over.

Mexican Tile Designs is also able to source Ken Edwards stoneware dishes in both lines upon request (call to order).  Look at the website to see the full collection–but check back often because we are adding more soon!  We believe that these amazing pieces of art will add an unmistakable flair and quality to kitchen counters, backsplashes, bathrooms, tub surrounds, outdoor kitchens—or any decorating project  indoors or out!

Always feel free to call us for more information or design ideas! 1-866-320-1628

NEW raised-relief Malibu-style tile!

Mexican Tile Designs has doubled our Prima tile line of hand-painted, raised relief decorative tiles! 

Each tile in our Prima line of premium Santa Barbara style tile is painstakingly painted by hand over stenciled lines that separate the different colors and prevent them from running during the firing process.  The technique was developed to give this vibrant tile the look of an elegant mosaic. 

The Prima tile line is also sometimes referred to as Malibu tile or Santa Barbara tile because the technique was rediscovered in this county in California.  Some people also refer to it as Moorish tile.  It is especially popular in ocean front properties, outdoor kitchens, Arts and Craft bungalows, and mountain homes.  The color schemes for this tile cover the range from earth tones to brilliant colors. Our Prima decorative tile line combines the use of both matt and gloss glazes that together with the raised relief aspect create a captivating visual and tactile experience.  Mexican Tile Designs carries over 7 unique Mission and Arts and Craft style tiles alone in this line of incredible raised relief tile.

To make these beautiful tiles even more perfect, they are extremely durable, having been fired at very high temperatures.  Prima hand-painted, raised relief Mexican tile can enhance any indoor or outdoor project, including in the kitchen, bathroom, water features, pools, outdoor kitchens and patios.

Check out our entire Prima line of premium Mexican Tile!

Mexican Tile Designs is happy to fill any order, no matter how small!  So order samples today of this exquisite, sensual tile line and experience their quality and beauty first-hand!

How to Remodel your Bathroom using Mexican Tile and Sinks

Do you have an old worn-out bathroom with a stained fake marble countertop and an “avocado green” sink left over from the 70s? Well, you’re not alone and don’t despair!
It’s easy to completely remodel that ugly bathroom without changing any walls using gorgeous Mexican tile and sinks.

Mexican Talavera tile can brighten any room, but especially bathrooms, with a stunning Talavera design Mexican sink as the centerpiece. Mexican Tile Designs carries over 3,000 different beautiful hand-painted tile designs and over 80 Mexican sink designs. There is the perfect design for everyone whether you like a floral country look:

Or maybe a bold Mexican motif:

Or a completely unique look all your own!

Here is one method you might use to choose your own unique and striking look.

1. First choose the background or uniting color.  This may be the solid color Mexican Especial tile that you use for the countertop or for Especial Mexican trim tile, but it will be the color that ties the whole design together.   Do you like a deep cobalt blue, a washed sea green, maybe a more subdued Blanco Mexicano antique white, or a joyful yellow as in this example?

2.  Next choose a beautiful Mexican ceramic sink that carries that color.  The vast variety of Mexican and Talavera Tile and sinks allows you to completely customize according to your tastes and interests.  Do you love birds, or flowers, or fish?  There is something for everyone!  For example with a bright yellow tile, you might choose a sink like this that has yellow in it:

3.  Now choose a coordinating trim tile to use in the backsplash or maybe around the edge of the counter.  Perhaps a Mexican sink with a fish motif , inspires you to experiment with a wave trim or more fish or simply a coordinating trim.  Let your creativity loose!

Here are a few completed projects to spur your imagination:

So get rid of that ugly bathroom and create your very own masterpiece!

For a limited time, Mexican Tile Designs is offering FREE design services to help you bring your ideas to reality!  Call toll free at 1-866-320-1628 and ask for Andy.

The next blog will reverse this process, and help you start by choosing a sink and then finding complementary tile to match.

Mexico Adventure Sourcing Tile and Murals: San Miguel Allende!

Our last stop on our two-week trip seeking out the best Talavera tile, sinks, and murals we could find for Mexicantiledesigns.com was San Miguel Allende in the state of Guanajuato.  It is a fascinating city, home to foreigners from all over the world.  Like the city of Guanajuato we just left, it too is full of beautiful cathedrals and architecture from the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

Its charming narrow brick streets are full of ex-patriots from all over the world.

We were lucky enough to arrive right in the middle of the Carnival festival when the main plaza was full of families, music, food and merriment.  These two large colorful ladies strolled the park while children of all ages dashed around throwing blown eggs filled with confetti at anyone who walked by.

Just outside of San Miguel, we saw a fantastic tiled kitchen wall inset with Mexican platters!  What a great idea!

While we don’t yet carry platters like these at Mexicantiledesigns.com, we do carry a selection of lovely  murals like this one which could have a similar stunning effect as the centerpiece to a tiled wall, or over the stove, or in a shower.  Check them all out and use your own creativity to make your own home into a totally unique  work of art!

All too soon we had to leave Mexico.  We will miss the people, the food, and the artistry we found there, but are happy to be able to bring some of it back with us to Durango, Colorado and to share it with YOU through Mexican Tile Designs!

Mexico Adventure Sourcing Tile and Sinks: Guanajuato!

We spent four amazing days in Guanajuato, walking the steep, narrow cobblestone “roads” barely wide enough for a car. Many don’t even allow cars and the warren of alleys that climb up the hillsides are so narrow in places that it’s possible for one person to reach out and touch both walls at once! The houses appear to built one on top of the other in a multicolored array as seen in this picture taken from the baseball stadium.

One day we made the obligatory tourist climb up to El Pipila hilltop monument. The view of this colorful city from the top was worth every step!  Here’s Teresa, Andy and Rich atop El Pipila hill. 

We loved just wandering the alleys, exploring the amazing cathedrals, plazas and markets in Guanajuato, and spent most of our time searching street stalls for tiles and sinks like those we carry at Mexicantiledesigns.com!

In the evening, we would often eat dinner and desert with cappuccino at two or even three different establishments, just to experience as much ambience and amazing cuisine as possible. We hated to leave this intriguing and beautiful city, but we only had a few days left to explore San Miguel Allende!

Stay tuned~!

Mexico Adventure Sourcing Tile and Murals: part II

We spent two days perusing a Mexican handicrafts trade show where we searched for hand-painted tiles and gorgeous murals for our store.

Of course we also had to equally explore the incredible food and drink, including sampling the regional specialty of Tamarind Margaritas.We all liked them but preferred the traditional lime (and green vs. brown color!) and also had to sample shots of all the varieties of great Mexican tequila. In fact, the state of Jalisco is known for being the birthplace of “tequila,” which is made from the blue agave plant, native to the area.

On the way out of town, we stopped for a brunch of gorditas muy ricas! and other street food in the giant street market in the little town of Tonalá.

Despite the four hour drive we still had to make to get to Guanajuato before dark, we dawdled way too long perusing the hundreds of vendors stalls selling all manner of ceramics and tiles.

Although we had detailed directions for driving into Guanajuato in the state of the same name, our trusty guide and amiga, Teresa shook her head when we arrived at the Glorieta statue at the entrance to the city, repeating the oft heard saying, “if you don’t get lost in Guanajuato, you haven’t really been to Guanajuato!” This is because most of the cities navigable streets are underground in a series of ancient man-made tunnels lined with hand made bricks. Soon after uttering those fateful words, we entered the subterranean warren of streets which are crisscrossed by narrow alleys too small for a car, and stairways by which pedestrians climb into and out of the streets. Although we thought we were faithfully following the directions, we were, in fact, hopelessly lost, until Andy called out—“there’s a little blue building” (among thousands of little blue buildings) but which actually, and nothing short of miraculously, turned out to be our destination: a fantastic little bed and breakfast called Villa Sueno Azul. The first thing Teresa and I did was get a luscious corn on the cob from a street stall!
More of our adventures soon!