Design Inspiration Blog

Encaustic cement tiles originated in Catalonia in the 1850s, and the process is popular in Latin America today. These examples, created by Tesselle, are produced near Mexico City and run $15-$18 per square foot. The cement tiles are not fired or glazed. Instead, mineral pigments are hydraulically pressed into the surface of cement. Being handmade, the patterns have slight imperfections, which is part of their character, but dimensions are fairly precise, allowing for finer grout lines.  Read More>>  

Designed by the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, Oporto is a design icon in Houston's Midtown district.  Dynamic patterned concrete tile and rich cedar windows on the exterior invite passersby into the restaurant, where they are greeted with warm, natural materials. Read more>>  

Tesselle has introduced a new cement tile in a style they have named A-Frame. The tiles are hexagonal and 8 inches in size, perfect for floors, walls and counter tops. A-Frame's design is a geometric pattern of dark lines on a grey background. The surface pattern can be randomized  by rotating rhombi, tilting trapezoids, distributing diamonds, positioning parallelograms and tossing triangles! Read more>>

Custom Home Magazine's Cheryl Weber wrote the following about Fine Vine Cement Tiles, one of Tesselle's Original Designs: Handmade to order in Mexico using a centuries-old technique, Tesselle Cement Tiles consist of three layers made in a mold and contain natural, light-fast pigments, Portland cement, and powdered white marble. Read More >>  

Tile on the Brain:  Baskerville tile, available in a heaping handful of color options. View additional fancy layout images at Tesselle, along with gobs of other snazzy cement tile designs.  Read more>>