While many clients favour a pared-back aesthetic in their homes, the one place they don’t mind a bit of decorative flair is the bathroom. Often times the smallest room in the house presents as a surprising contrast to the rest of the home and this is usually due to bathroom selection. Pattern, texture and colour are being introduced into the contemporary bathroom via tiles that are eye-catching not only for their intricate motifs and textural surfaces, but also for a diverse palette of hues, ranging from the very bright to the quietly subdued. However, architects and designers are still exercising a degree of restraint, ensuring statement tiles appear on the floor only or as a feature wall.
Architects Ink’s recently completed PR House exemplifies the trend perfectly. The Port Elliot beach house is an exquisite study in modernist lines and form yet open the door to the main bathroom and the patterned handmade concrete floor tiles immediately demand attention. Upstairs in the powder room and ensuite, the feature walls are covered with vintage tiles sourced by the clients, a couple who own an antique shop specialising in mid-century design. While such finds might not always be readily available, there are new designs on the market sure to satiate even the strongest desire for decoration, including the following ranges by Mercante Testa and Raw Edges.
Dekorami by Mercante Testa for Ceramica Vogue
The old adage of ‘what’s old is new again’ rings true with Italian architecture and design studio Mercante Testa’s new tile collection for Ceramica Vogue. Dekorami is a range of textured glazed stoneware tiles featuring simple geometric patterns that have a decidedly retro flavour to them. Even the colour options – emerald green, peacock blue, pale grey, white and eggshell – nostalgically evoke residential interiors of the 1970s. While each tile is a standard 25cm x 25cm, finishes are available in either satin or high gloss, adding to the maximalist aesthetic and guaranteeing a statement effect.
Tape by Raw Edges for Mutina
Raw Edges’ love of layering colours and pattern serves as the basis for their third and most recent collaboration with Italian ceramic tiles manufacturer Mutina. The London-based design studio developed a collection of glazed porcelain stoneware tiles featuring eight patterns in muted green, blue, brown, grey or black. Each highly graphic, minimalist motif, including small oval shapes, chevrons and a fine mesh-like screen, are laid over either black or white base tiles. The most appealing aspect of the Tape range is the diversity of its application, with tiles able to be mix and matched depending on the end user’s needs and taste. It makes for subtle tonal variations when seen from a distance and creates even more curiosity when viewed up close.
Architects Ink
architectsink.com
Mercante Testa
mercante-testa.it
Raw Edges
raw-edges.com
Feature image PR House by Architects Ink. Photography by Sam Noonan.
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