Favorite Portuguese Tile Installations

This month, Avente pays homage to the classic styles of Portuguese Tiles. In last week's post, Arpi Nalbandian started the month-long celebration by introducing the rich history and culture of Portugal, and the important role hand-painted ceramic tile has played. Portugal is a great place for ceramic tile lovers like me – it’s used everywhere. The Portuguese have been using tiles to decorate and protect interior and exterior walls since the 15th century. Every town and city has buildings with brightly patterned walls. Today, I'd like to share my favorite residential installations using our line of Portuguese Tile.

Portuguese Oporto Kitchen Backsplash

Kitchen Backsplash with 6"x6" Oporto Portuguese Ceramic Tiles

Oporto 6"x6"

Nothing says Portuguese tile more than glossy tile with blue and white glazes. My first pick uses those striking blue and white colors – so evocative of Portuguese tile – and adds a touch of red and green with a stylized flower and stem. When this tile is used for the entire kitchen backsplash, the pattern creates eye-catching, decorative appeal and color. In keeping with the blue color scheme, Portuguese Oporto provides the perfect complement to the electric blue field tile on the countertop. Notice how the blues are not an exact match? The plain blue tile came from a different supplier; but, works well. With hand-painted tiles, you don’t need to find an exact glaze match to use with other tiles because their natural variation allows them to blend easily with colors of the same hue.

Portuguese Oporto tiles provide decorative appeal and color in this kitchen backsplash. 

Oporto 3"x6"

The same Oporto 6"x6" tile used for the backsplash, is also used on the bar. However, they framed the bar installation using the 3"x6" border tile and the same electric blue tile found on the counter.

The 3"x6" liner has a top and bottom stripe of warm yellow that really sets them off from the main pattern. Avente's Portuguese tiled are hand-painted by an artisan tile maker and fired twice. The first firing sets the glaze. Then a second clear, over-glaze is applied to provide a glossy finish ideal for kitchens and baths. Easy to clean, safe and very sanitary.

Portuguese Braganza Tiles

The Portuguese Braganza pattern is a classic pattern with an unusual color palette including pistachio green, azure blue, and terracotta against a bright yellow background. My favorite is the 6"x6" format when used on an entire wall. However, you'll see it more commonly used for stair risers, a pool sideboard, or outdoor patio liner.

A medallion of Portuguese Braganza tiles

Our Portuguese tiles are great accent tiles for a floor or wall. Create medallions using four 3"x3" tiles and place randomly or in a pattern on the floor. As accents, they work well with both large and small format tiles.

The "terracotta stems" of the leaf pattern that radiate from the center really make the tile pop when they're used as an accent to our Arabesque Cement Tile Pavers or any of our Classic Rustic Pavers.

Detailed view: A medallion of Portuguese Braganza 3"x3" tiles on terracotta.

The smaller Braganza dots are available in both 2" and 1" square formats.

Portuguese 2"x2" tiles are used here as accents with 6"x6" plain tile

Portuguese Ruan: A Sophisticated Geometric Pattern

If you want a less floral pattern, the Portuguese Ruan is stunning and a great choice for bath or kitchen. The deep, inky cobalt blue and gold accents provide a straight-forward color palette. The geometric Moorish influences make this pattern work well for a more sophisticated look.

Grouping of four Portuguese Ruan 6"x6" tiles

I hope today's post will inspire you to be a bit more like the Portuguese - start using tile just about everywhere. 

Three cheers for the Portuguese!

Portuguese Ceramic Tile: Architectural History and Preservation Through the Ages

Ceramic tile façade in Portugal

Portugal is a land of Medieval castles, cobblestone villages, captivating cities and golden-sand beaches, history, great food and wine, and beautiful scenery. Aside from all these wonderful things are the ceramic tiles of the country.

Map of Portugal

In Portugal, the tiles (or Azulejos in Portuguese) that cover the country’s buildings are a distinctive part of this land. These tiles come in a staggering array of shades (mostly of blue) and designs. Near the coast, everything is tiled. They’re distinctive as much for their individuality as for anything else, with whole blocks of buildings bursting with color, each façade different.

Portuguese ceramic tile serves as a beautiful, functional and architectural element on structures and homes. Above image by Robert L. Peters.

Portuguese wall mural image via The Read Headed Traveler.

Portuguese ceramic tile adorn walls as architectural elements, as well as act as sign posts. Image via Candace Rose Arden.

The terrace of the Four Seasons Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal, pays homage to the use of the country’s ceramic tile heritage. Image by Viktor Keech.

The azulejos stem from a time when the Moors controlled the Iberian Peninsula. The patterns evolved from early designs, and the basic tin-glazing and shaping technique has changed little since. Brought to Portugal in the 1400s from Morocco and Algeria, the ceramic tiles are not only beautiful to look at, but also serve as a functional need in reflecting sunlight, trapping cold air, and keeping houses cool during the hot Portuguese summers. Additionally, these ceramic tiles help preserve the mortar and soft stone of Portuguese seaside houses by protecting them from the effects of moisture and salt.

Overview of Porto’s Sé Cathedral. Image via Local Porto.

Portuguese ceramic tile adorns the cathedral's upper cloisters. Image via Nigel J. Ross.

Cloister of Porto’s Cathedral. Image via Rota das Catedrais.

One such structure is the Porto’s Sé Cathedral. According to Mário Pastor of Local Porto, Porto’s Sé Cathedral is a historic landmark in the city’s old center. “In fact, Morro da Sé is the oldest district in Porto. Its characteristic neighborhood and its residents are the most genuine part of the city,” Pastor notes. He goes on to say:

“Right next to the cathedral, you can see the beautiful medieval tower from the 13th century. A few steps above, there’s the tourism information office, built over the ruins of another medieval tower, the Casa dos 24. The Cathedral itself is a 12th Romanesque structure. It was built by Bishop Hugh, a French nobleman who came to Porto even before Portugal’s independence, and ruled the city from 1113 to 1136. Despite its Romanesque roots, you will see that the cathedral, all over the centuries, has been suffering many changes of different architectonical styles, like the baroque roofs of the turrets next the front door, or even the loggia outside the north wall of the building, designed by Nicolau Nasoni, in the 18th century.”

Historic Portuguese ceramic tile wall mural on display at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo's (National Tile Museum) in Lisboa, Portugal.

Thankfully, efforts in preserving these historical ceramic tiles have become engrained in the day-to-day life of the Portuguese. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo's (National Tile Museum), located in the ancient convent of Madre de Deus (Mother of God) in Lisboa, was founded in 1509 by Queen D. Leonor. According to its website, the museum’s mission “is the preservation, presentation and study of its collections and the building in which it is located regarding its safeguarding and enjoyment by present and future generations.” Portuguese ceramic tiles have lasted and become part of the language of the architecture. Houses are still built with the tile, and old buildings remain as vibrant as when they were first constructed.

If you’d like to bring home a bit of Portuguese history, then take a look at Avente Tile’s collection of Portuguese ceramic tiles. Inspired by centuries-old styles from Portugal, these decorative ceramic tiles are hand painted on red bisque and finished with a high-gloss glaze.

- Written by Arpi Nalbandian, Tileometry

Portuguese Ceramic Tile Artistry

Panel of Portuguese ceramic tiles by Jorge Colaço (1922), representing Henry the Navigator at the Sagres Promonory. Lisbon, Pavilhão Carlos Lopes. Photo by Joaquim Alves Gaspar, Lisboa, Portugal

According to the curators of the Palácio Nacional de Sintra (National Palace of Sintra) in Portugal, the use of azulejos (a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile) in decoration is unique when compared with other countries by the way it adapts to architecture on a monumental scale. During the 15th century, the azulejos spread to the Iberian Peninsula and flourished together with other Mudéjar crafts. In that period, the azulejos used in Portugal came from Seville, the only supplier manufacturing center in the first half of the 16th century. Before that, and until the second half of the 15th century, only the alicatado (mosaic formed of polygonal, colored glazed tiles) was in use.

Now, you too can bring the look and feel of Portugal into your home by using our Portuguese Ceramic Tiles in your next project. Inspired by centuries-old styles from Portugal, these decorative ceramic tiles are beautifully hand-painted on red bisque and finished with a high-gloss glaze. Crazing is normal, adding character and uniqueness to each tile. Each hand-painted design includes borders, corners, large decorative tiles and accent dots. The vibrant colors of our decorative Portuguese ceramic tile collection, such as this kitchen backsplash using our Oporto series, stands out when paired with our Portuguese Natural Ceramic Tiles.

As always, our first priority is to offer excellent ceramic tile products backed by our expertise and customer service. So, how can we help you with your ceramic tile needs today?

Featured Tile

Portuguese Oporto 6" x 6" Hand Painted Ceramic Tile	Portuguese Portalegre 6" x 6" Hand Painted Ceramic Tile
Portuguese Ruan 6" x 6" Hand Painted Ceramic Tile	Portuguese Natural 6" x 6" Hand Painted Ceramic Tile

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Pinterest: Ceramic Tile & The Holidays

"People are happier at Yuletime because they take the milk of human kindness out of the deep freeze" — Arnold Glasow

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the frenzy of shopping and cooking for the winter holidays begins. Aside from feeling overwhelmed, these celebrations happily rejuvenate the feelings of warmth that only family and friends can offer.

Throughout these holidays, the kitchen and main living spaces will be the most popular areas. With your guests undoubtedly chatting, eating, or lending you a hand, you'll want to keep things simple, organized and clean. When you choose one of our hand-painted Portuguese, Spanish, California, or Malibu ceramic tiles, complemented by our hand-painted ceramic field tiles, you'll definitely keep things simple because ceramic tile is not only easy to clean, it's also hypoallergenic, and inherently antimicrobial!

Did we inspire you? Then visit our pages on houzz.com, our boards on Pinterest, and browse through dozens of our Ceramic Tile Design Ideas portfolio page where you can find a large collection of projects showcasing our handmade and hand-painted ceramic tile, cement tile, decorative tile, mosaic tile, and so much more. Let us know how we at Avente Tile can assist you!

Spring into Summer with our Cement Tile Ideas

Handmade cement tiles are an easy-to-maintain product that not only offer deep colors and a rich history, but most importantly, they offer long-lasting beauty and extensive design possibilities for floors and walls. 

From bold tile patterns in contrasting colors or classic cement patterns in harmonizing colors, the resulting design is certain to transform the look and feel of any space. To that end, we’ve assembled dozens of image-filled cement tile projects and ideas onto our Design Ideas Portfolio.

With dozens of Cement Tile Design Ideas in our portfolio, we're sure you'll be inspired!

Our extensive portfolio of design ideas will show you how handmade cement tile can be used on floors, wall, ceilings, backsplashes, as a tile rug, wainscoting, mural, or in or around a water feature. Because of their natural slip-resistant qualities and versatility, cement tiles are perfect for flooring a bathroom, kitchen, dining room or outdoor patio.

Our Houzz Ideabooks offer a glimpse into the endless possibilities when designing  with handmade cement tile.

Additionally, we invite you to explore the world of cement tile via our Pinterest boards Cement tile floors/walls, and Cement Tile Rugs. Cement tiles are used all over the world in countries such as Cuba, France, Spain, Portugal and more. Our Houzz Ideabooks also offer various settings and applications for handmade cement tile.

Our Pinterest board featuring Cement Tile: Floors, Walls

Our Pinterest board featuring Cement Tile: Rugs

Creating a Custom Cement Tile

Creating a custom pattern takes time. There is time to work out the design of the pattern, choose the colors, and create virtual designs with options. Most importantly, you need time to decide what looks best and is right for you. Then, once the design is final, more work begins. A mold needs to be made for the pattern and a strike-off or sample tile is created using the mold. This allows you to verify the pattern, color, and design before a full-order.

So how much time does it take to make handmade cement tile? Once you have your colors and pattern picked out, it will take about six to eight weeks. For a fully customized handmade cement tile pattern and color options, the delivery time is much longer – up to several months. Here’s an example of the timeline for a fully customized cement tile pattern:

• 2-3 weeks - Pattern development in black and white with several iterations.
• 1-2 weeks - Color choice and placement with several iterations.
• 2-3 weeks - Create mold.
• 2-3 weeks - Create strike-offs and ship for approval.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of why it takes so much time, and the increased costs involved, in creating a custom handmade cement tile. Rest assured the end result of the time and effort of invested in creating a one-of-a-kind tile product is well-worth it! 

Have we inspired you? Where would you use our handmade cement tile?

A New Year, A New Goal

From Avente Tile's Winter pinboard. Image via  Izabela Reimers.

As I get older, I'm amazed at how quickly time seems to pass. For the most part, I've always been the type of person to say “Now is not the time,” or, “Let me get this done, and then I’ll figure out what to do.” Well, friends, now is always the right time to answer the door when opportunity knocks, especially if that opportunity leads to other things. However, in the wake of the recent tragedy in Connecticut, and the heartbreak and confusion that continues to this day, I am more determined than ever to make the most of each moment, especially when it comes to my boys.

In this day of handheld electronic devices, like most working parents, I'm guilty of texting, checking email, or making and returning calls while in the presence of my boys. Unfortunately, it took a devastating event for me to realize work-related phone calls, emails, and texts could and should wait. I have hugged and kissed my kids more than ever since December 14, and have relished the time I spend with them more so than usual. I’m lucky. There are parents all over our world who are not so lucky. As cliché as it may sound, I have taken count of my blessings: their names are Gregory and Christopher. In the wake of this, and other horrific events around the world, we must make changes with the future generation in mind. Otherwise, no lesson will have been learned, and the mistakes we have made with our inaction are sure to repeat themselves. 

And now, let's move forward.

As many of you know, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2013, Emerald, was announced recently. Depending on who you ask, people either love it, or are disappointed by the choice. Both Bill of Avente Tile, and I like the choice so much that we dedicated a Pinterest board to it: Color of the Year: Emerald. Not only does the board include a variety of emerald-toned objects and settings, but it also includes thematic and intricately patterned cement and ceramic tiles.

Avente's Pinterest pinboard celebrating Pantone's Color of the Year, Emerald.

During our daily interactions, we discussed including pinboards in each Avente Tile enewsletter, Avente Tile Talk. Of course, as a Pinterest-addict myself, I can’t wait to see what new boards and concepts we come up with! Have you seen Avente’s pinboards? If you haven’t, then you’re really missing out on some serious eye candy! Here are some great examples of how tile, the color of the year, and design go hand-in-hand!

Geometric Geo 10 Handmade Cement Tile

Portuguese Braganza Green Hand-Painted Ceramic Tile

Textured Circular Handmade Cement Tile

Traditional Constanza Handmade Cement Tile

That being said, I wish nothing but happiness, health, and wisdom to all of you for 2013! May your dreams be achieved, may your home always be warm and comforting, and may you always be embraced by the love of family and friends. 

Portuguese Tiles for a Residential Kitchen Retrofit

It's delightful when a customer takes the time to share a photo from a tile project using Avente's Tile. It's even more exciting when Avente can help a customer with special or custom requirements. Last Wednesday some great folks in Chevy Chase, Maryland, sent three photos of their installation.

Charming Kitchen with New Portuguese Braganza 3"x3"
& Existing Field Tile

This was an interesting project because they were using four decorative 3" x 3"corner tiles as inserts to create a 6" x 6" floor medallion and they wanted to keep the existing field tiles; it was just the decorative inserts that needed to be replaced.

Detail of Four Portuguese Braganza Tiles to Create a Medallion

They purchased samples and were charmed with the Portuguese Braganza because it matched the existing style and their preferred color scheme. However, there was a problem. The tile body was significantly smaller and would require wider grout lines than they desired.

Our friends in Maryland had one question: Could Avente create the tiles in an actual three-inch square format? After discussing the project with our tile artisans, we decided we could and six weeks later our folks in Chevy Chase, Maryland were ready to begin their project. Tiles are sold by their 'nominal size' and not their actual size. A nominal size is a 'trade size' that roughly means 'about' that size. For instance, 3" x 3" tiles may be 2-7/8" square or 3" square.

Visit our site to read more about Nominal vs. Actual Size.

Installation using Portuguese Braganza 3"x3" Tiles as Floor Medallion Inserts

I am so pleased that their kitchen turned out just the way they wanted it! And, I'm glad that Avente could play a part. It is also a tribute to the lasting quality of tile as our friend in Chevy Chase, Maryland writes:

As a testament to the demonstration of how great an old ceramic tile floor can look, the orange tile was laid when we moved into this house - almost 30 years ago!

Cheers! May your new and old tiles continue to serve you well.