Moroccan and Spanish Inspired Tile Designs for DC Homes – Part I
In this week’s blog article, and in the coming week as well, we’re going to take a look at some tile installations that are inspired by designs that originate in Morocco and Spain. Some of the aesthetic qualities of architecture and design are shared between these two regions. Over a thousand years ago, the same Arabic and North African desert influenced designs were used prolifically in both regions.
Most people do not realize it, but cultural, architectural, and artistic influences that originated in Northern Africa and the Middle East have left a deep impression in Europe that has continued all the way across from Europe to the United States. You can see the influences right in our language. Many of the words we use and even our numbers come from ancient North African and Middle East descent. These influences have pushed mankind forward in many ways.
Along with these influences, the practice of using elaborate patterns also goes back well over a thousand years. In the picture below you can see ceramic tiles that are made to look historic and antiquated. In the past, we’ve looked at other examples of artistic tiles that are made to resemble the handmade Azulejos or Talavera tiles.
One of the big differences between modern tile and historic tiles is that in many cases the historic tiles were much lighter weight and lower density. They were generally fired at a lower temperature than tiles today. In some cases the lower temperature firing can result in a higher degree of porosity and a higher degree of permeability. Higher temperature firing leads to materials that are good at resisting the infiltration of moisture. The ceramic glaze achieves a degree of vitreousness which renders the ceramic tile similar to glass.
One of the most beneficial and well-known characteristics of glass is that it is impermeable. You can store liquids in a well-sealed glass container for years and even decades. There are even some rare examples of liquids that have been stored without leakage for over a thousand years.
An interesting example of a Carmona style Roman white wine was found in Spain in a glass vessel and believed to be from almost 2,000 years ago. We just explain this particular interesting detail as an example of how the impermeability of glass can deter the passage of filtration of liquid so well that it can hold liquids or create a membrane that deters the passage of liquids very well. As a building material though, there are limits to the manufacturability of glass and ceramic materials.
For high temperature firing to be conducted in a controlled environment, the elements have to fit within the space of a kiln. An example of a type of very different application of finishes that is limited in the same way, based on a baking process is powder coating.
Powder coating is a type of paint finish that is generally applied to metals. The powder coat generally looks very uniform and consistent. It’s considered to be a high quality and high performance type of paint. The application is different than regular paints that are applied by either spray or brush. Unlike those more traditional and common types of paint applications, the powder coat is applied by spray at first but then baked in a oven to set and fuse in bond the paint application.
The process of powder coating would likely be used when a wide variety of materials if it weren’t Limited to the size of the application. For example, on curtain rods that are over 6 ft long or large rectangular shaped objects, it’s very difficult to apply a powder coating because those objects are generally too large to fit into typical ovens to apply a baking-like process to the powder coating application.
Ceramic tiles generally work well because they are made in limited sizes. There are examples of ceramic tiles that are created to be very large. We’ve seen examples of large format ceramic tiles installed in kitchens and bathrooms and when installed well they can look terrific.
In the past, we’ve looked at the colorful varieties of Talavera tiles. In some cases, particularly with examples that have styles which originate in Mexico, there are deep and rich blue and orange or red colors in the tile work.
Here you can find: Colorful Varied Square Tiles – Part I and Colorful Varied Square Tiles – Part II
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project.
If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
You can visit our company website at https://dupontkitchenbathdc.com/
Here at our website you will find a simple and convenient web form that you can fill to contact us quickly.
