California Restaurant Glows with Villa Lagoon Tile

Red O Restaurant LogoCement tile floor, from Villa Lagoon Tile, at Red O's new Newport Beach, CA location.

Rick Bayless, the celebrity chef and host of the Emmy-nominated show “Mexico: One Plate At A Time” on PBS, has developed the menu at Red O Restaurant (think red onion) at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, CA. This is Red O’s second location, the first being in Los Angeles. Another location in St. Monica will be opening soon. Red O restaurant features a dramatic interior paired with high-end Mexican food. Designer Martin Lawrence Bullard chose Villa Lagoon Tile’s “Castle” pattern cement tile for much of the floor. The tile was made in Mexico so it was a fitting combination. Rumor has it that the food is really special and we wished we lived closer!

Red O Restaurant's dining room floor, with cement tile from Villa Lagoon Tile.

Restaurant booth, with a cement tile floor from Villa Lagoon Tile.Castle

People often ask us if our tile is suitable for commercial spaces. Cement tile is WONDERFUL in commercial spaces as it often brings “heart & soul” to an interior, and with proper sealants, the constant foot traffic should be no problem.

Red O Restaurant's dining room floor, with cement tile from Villa Lagoon Tile.

Our friend Adam Esparza at ALE Tile created this short video that outlines a few of the reasons why cement tile is such a great material to use in high-traffic hospitality spaces. 

As you can see from Adam’s demonstration, cement tiles are made with a thick layer of pigment that is made to last! No printed-on color here.
Learn more about the benefits of cement tile for your projects at www.villalagoontile.com.

Cement Tile Roundup: Restaurant Design

Feast Your Eyes on This!

This post is exactly what you expected, a lovely flight of photos featuring Villa Lagoon Cement Tile in a handful of restaurants.

Bon Appétit!

Photo of our Large Cubes tile at Marcus restaurant at MGM National Harbor
“Large Cubes” Cement Tile at Marcus, MGM National Harbor, MD

Solid Troika Cement Tile at Nando’s Oakville, Ontario Location

Custom "Piedmont" Cement Tile at The Watermark Community Cafe
Custom “Piedmont” Cement Tile at The Watermark Community Cafe

"Mixed Gray Hex" on the floor at Terra in Danbury, CT
“Mixed Gray Hex” Cement Tile at Terra in Danbury, CT

"Ikat A, B, C, D" on the Tap Wall at Railway Stage and Beer Cafe in Vancouver
“Ikat’s A, B, C, D” on the Tap Wall at Railway Stage and Beer Cafe in Vancouver

"Man Overboard" and "Tugboat" Cement Tile at Nando's in Danforth, Toronto
“Man Overboard B&W” and “Tugboat Featherstone & White” at Nando’s in Danforth, Toronto

“Havana Cantina” and Matching Solid Cement Tile Border at their League City, TX Location

“Chevron Grille” Cement Tile at Marcus, MGM National Harbor, MD

"Caprice Sebring" Cement Tile at Jimmy Changas Pearland, TX Location
“Caprice Sebring” Cement Tile at Jimmy Changas Pearland, TX Location

"Crow's Feet" and Solid Gray Hexagonal Cement Tiles at Nando's Ballston Location in Arlington, VA
“Crow’s Feet” and Solid Gray Hexagonal Cement Tiles at Nando’s Ballston Location in Arlington, VA

“Havana Cantina” Cement Tile on the Stair Fronts at Railway Stage and Beer Cafe in Vancouver

Custom "Tulips" with Solid Cement Tile Border at Jimmy Changas in Katy, TX
Custom “Tulips” with Solid Cement Tile Border at Jimmy Changas in Katy, TX

"Circulos B&W" Cement Tile on the Bar Front of Bibi's Burger Bar in Santa Rosa, CA
“Circulos Black & White” Cement Tile on the Bar Front of Bibi’s Burger Bar in Santa Rosa, CA

A Mix of "Concentric Hex" Cement Tile Colorways at Colada's, DC Location
A Mix of “Concentric Hex” Cement Tile Colorways at Colada’s DC Location

"Lisbon" Cement Tile at Cafe Hollander in Mequon, WI
“Lisbon” Cement Tile at Cafe Hollander in Mequon, WI

"Diagonal Four" Cement Tile at Il Tavolino, Chicago, IL
“Diagonal Four” Cement Tile at Il Tavolino, Chicago, IL

Custom "Concentric Hex" on the Bar Fronts of Butcher and Bee in Nashville, TN
Custom “Concentric Hex” on the Bar Fronts of Butcher and Bee in Nashville, TN

"Ikat A" Cement Tile on the Bar Back of BalAir Cantina's Oak Creek, WI Location
“Ikat A” Cement Tile on the Bar Back of BalAir Cantina’s Oak Creek, WI Location

"Mossy Fan Vine" Cement Tile at Alfred Coffee, Studio City, CA
“Mossy Fan Vine” Cement Tile at Alfred Coffee, Studio City, CA

Custom "Charge" and Matching Solid Cement Tile at Union Square Cafe, New York, NY
Custom “Charge” and Matching Solid Cement Tile at Union Square Cafe, New York, NY

Custom "Havana Cantina" with a Matching Solid Border at Jimmy Changas in Katy, TX
Custom “Havana Cantina” with a Matching Solid Border at Jimmy Changas in Katy, TX

Instagram Post Images at the Top of the Page from @marcusnationalharbor, @tacolicioussf, & @eatpuesto

Mossy Fan Vine & Tea–Perfect Match

Alfred, the well known brand of LA coffee shops has opened a new tea shop in Melrose Place with the most relaxing decor. Read about it in Hollywood Reporter. 
Owner/ designer Joshua Zad came back to us once more for the perfect tile for his vision for Alfred Tea Room.

Designer Melissa Adams at Villa Lagoon Tile came up with this soothing, fun fantasy vine exclusively for Villa Lagoon Tile and it is a lovely compliment to the pink decor in the new Alfred Tea Room.

Stop in for a refreshing sip and let them know that you noticed the tile :o)

 

Cement Tile for Foodies

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Bon Appetit Cover March 2016

Where Great Taste Begins…

We spotted a few of our cement tiles while flipping through the March 2016 issue of Bon Appetit.

In fact, you’re likely to find our cement tile wherever you find amazing food or is it the other way around….you decide.

 

Spot it below: Lisbon (Third down on the left), Tangier (Third down center), Kismet (bottom center)

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As the song says, “everything old is new again”, and cement tile is no exception. As the cement tile craze ramps up in the West you can find this old world tile used in new school ways at many of your favorite eateries. Check out a few examples of the bite Villa Lagoon Tile has taken out of the food world.

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Talia Twilight Cement Tile — Belcampo Meat Co., Santa Monica, CA, Photo By NOTCOT

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Props, Neyland Design Cement Tile — Nando’s Peri-Peri Harbor East, Baltimore, MD

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Lancelot Blue Cement Tile — Coyo Taco, Miami, FL

 

COYO_mckenzie-construction-ikat
Ikat Cement Tile — Coyo Taco, Miami, FL

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Lisbon and Solid Cement Tile — Escalante’s (Town and Country), Houston, TX

IconicCafe-havana-cantina
Havana Cantina Cement Tile — Iconic Cafe, New York, NY

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Nuevo Castillo Carrara Cement Tile — Intelligentsia Coffee (Logan Square), Chicago, IL

Tugboat and Man Overboard Cement Tile — L’Amico, New York, NY

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Charge Cement Tile — Nando’s Peri-Peri (West Loop) Chicago, IL

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Surf Cement Tile — Masseria, Washinton, DC

AD Features Creme Design’s L’Amico NYC

Villa Lagoon Tile’s angular patterns “Tugboat” & “Man Overboard” (Named after the Nautical flags they represent)  create a lively floor in the new L’Amico NYC, a new restaurant from well known chef Laurent Tourondel in the Eventi Hotel. He is serving an Italian-influenced menu in a chic semi-rustic setting. We spotted a photo and a tantalizing description of the good eats in Architectural Digest. 

Architectural Digest November Issue
CRÈME Design of Brooklyn used a random setting of four Villa Lagoon Tiles.
Tugboat encaustic cement tile Man Overboard cement tile from Villa Lagoon Man Overboard diagonal cement tileTug Boat encaustic cement tile

 

 

The AD description, above, makes the food sound divine and we love how the many windows flood the room with light.
Lameco Restaurant in NYC in the Eventi HotelLAmico-restaurant-open-kitchenLet Villa Lagoon Tile make custom encaustic cement tile for your next project.

Update, April 11, 2016:

Along with and following the segment of the November 2015 print edition, Architectural Digest published several online articles revolving around l’Amico and CREME. Here are some additional links:

Architectural Digest: Chef Laurent Tourondel Opens A Rustic Italian Restaurant in New York City

Architectural Digest: The 14 Best New Restaurants in NYC 2015 (December 10, 2016)

Architectural Digest: 4 Brooklyn Restaurant Designers to Know (March 3, 2016)

Turnberry Resort Chooses Villa Lagoon Tile’s Hexagonal “Halo” Cement Tile

turnberry-resortWhen renovations were done at Turnberry Isle Resort Club  our hexagonal cement tiles were chosen for the lively inside-outside CORSAIR Restaurant / Bar over seen by noted chef Scott Contan.

 

 

corsair-chef

Corsair offers a seasonal and rustic menu of American and Mediterranean dishes. The menu changes based on what can be gotten locally.
turnbury-custom-hex-floor-2-VLT turnbury-custom-hex-floor-VLT

The décor, featuring Villa Lagoon Tile’s hand crafted “Halo” hexagonal encaustic cement tile, and menu offerings are united through a sense of understated sophistication.

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turnberry-hex-tile-bar-rail--VLT

The restaurant has a scenic outdoor terrace which provides an ideal place for guests to enjoy picturesque views, the splash of the cooling waterfall  and the diverse tropical vegetation and, of course,  the resort’s acclaimed golf course.


“Find Scott Conant’s hearty, farmhouse-style cooking in a polished, handsome setting.”     
The Miami Herald

“With CORSAIR, Conant again shows why he’s among the city’s best pasta makers.”    Miami New Times

“One of the 10 Hottest New Restaurants in Miami.”    Zagat Miami

Turnberry Resort is in the Aventura Miami area and is a luxury Miami hotel, golf course, and club with a private beach.

Bold Cement Tile in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel

When Boston’s Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel did a huge renovation of the 100 year old Oak Room, we were happy to have our custom cement tile be a part of the new decor by Powerstrip. Using an historic pattern and brilliant colors, the designers used a Villa Lagoon Tile cement tile in a well known Cuban pattern which coordinates beautifully with the  richly paneled room decor.

Night time photo of the Fairmont Copley Hotel
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The Oak Room dining room has been open and serving for over 100 years. Decades of renovations had slowly stripped any actual oak wood from the restaurant and bar space. Further major changes had removed a  Merry-Go-Round Bar that was installed during Prohibition and remained until the 1970’s.

Powerstrip’s  redesign seamlessly merges the original Beaux-Arts love of bold wall paneling with a contemporary architectural language and finish. The copper bar (the longest in North America) is emblazoned, “We serve the Nation.” Now a sophisticated spot in the Fairmont for farm-to-table American eats, craft drinks & hobnobbing.
oak-long-bar-fairmont-copley-hotel-boston-VLT

Interestingly the designers chose to lay this tile in a different way than the usual of each tile rotated 90 degrees.  Here they rotated every other tile 90 degrees and laid them in rows which creates a zig-zag chevron effect.

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The wine cellar with Villa Lagoon Tile cement tile in custom colors.

VIDEO: Watch the transformation in action below…the VLT tile goes in at about 38 seconds marker. Note how they protected the freshly laid tile from the other trades once it was laid. This is one key to a good outcome.

Let us provide custom encaustic cement tile for your next renovation or new build and help elevate your design into the WOW! category.

Herringbone Cement Tile at Chicago’s Franklin Room

The Franklin Room Chicago Entrance

 

The Franklin Room continues the trend of bringing back Chicago’s history of neighborhood taverns, but with a classy, upscale, decor which includes a entire floor of Villa Lagoon Tile.

This lively lunch and dinner spot sports expensive bourbons in cages and an emphasis on great “pub grub” and serving liquor neat.

 

 

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Ladies and Gentlemen  are  welcome…so says the sign at Chicago’s new pub/ tavern/bar/restaurant The Franklin Room.  The Franklin Room is a proper city tavern and urban speakeasy located in the popular River North neighborhood. Described by Google as “Creative, wide-ranging American menu & brown booze, sake & tons of beers in a subterranean space” and we would add “sporting a handsome hand crafted herringbone tile floor from Villa Lagoon Tile”. Close up of Villa Lagoon Tile Herringbone cement tile
In areas around the entrance and the bar a coordinating checkerboard pattern is made from two shades of VLT’s solid color cement tiles.

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With such a wide expanse of richly colored and patterned cement tiles it is easy to see how custom cement tiles can really contribute to creating a special atmosphere in a restaurant or bar.

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Puerto Rican Cement Tile

Cement tile has a rich and deep history in Puerto Rico. We have supplied our colorful cement tiles for residences and restaurants in Puerto Rico. We can also recreate antique Puerto Rican cement tile patterns and deliver to the door in PR.  Just send us a photo or browse our existing tile patterns and request a quote.

Traditional floor designs made of cement tiles, “Losa criolla” (creole tile) or “losa isleño” (island tile), as they are called in Puerto Rico, are frequently laid out like a carpet or rug with a coordinating border just as a “Oriental”  rug might.puerto-rican-cement-tile

The technique for making decorative cement tiles was perfected in Europe about 50 years prior and quickly spread to Spanish colonies in the Americas, Asia, and Africa.

A mold, cement, color pigments and water are used to produce tiles by compression in a hydraulic press. As we are always telling our callers, the tiles are not fired or glazed like ceramic tile. They are water and air cured.

Many of the cement tiles now used in Puerto Rico come from Villa Lagoon Tile.  We can arrange shipment of stock tile using several freight lines who have regular service in Puerto Rico. For larger orders, we can deliver a container directly from factory to the island’s ports.

In Isabel II, Vieques take a look at the antique tile floors at the restaurant Conuco.Antique cement tiles at Conuco Restaurant

Villa Lagoon Tile can recreate antique Puerto Rican cement tiles and deliver to your door. Just send us a photo or browse our existing tile patterns and request a quote. We have supplied our colorful cement tiles for residences and restaurants in Puerto Rica.

Cement tile at Pirilo Pizza  pirilo-restaurant-1-VLT pirilo-restaurant-2-VLT

Designer Sophie Aurelie loves Villa Lagoon Tile’s encaustic cement tile (mosaicos hidraulicos) and uses them frequently in her restaurant plans.

Click & Buy this book for the pleasure of seeing hundreds of cement tile patterns from Puerto Rico.

Hernan Moran, author of Puerto Rico Tile Designs, states that cement or hydraulic tiles were first introduced to Puerto Rico around 1900. They were imported by ship from Barcelona, Spain.  The Puerto Ricans found the beautiful and practical  cement tiles to be cooler and cleaner than the old colonial floors made of stone, coral, bricks or wood. In Puerto Rica large numbers of homes and businesses built in the early part of the 20th century used cement tiles, not only for their durability but also for their cheerful designs and colors.

In the early 1060’s the popularity of hydraulic tiles in Puerto Rico started to drop as new flooring materials were introduced and poured terrazzo became vogue. In those days  some of the cement tile manufacturers in Puerto Rico switched to producing “losetas del pais” (terrazzo tiles) and concrete blocks.Many of the tiles in the public and historic buildings are native Puerto Rican designs.

By the 1920’s, there were at least five local companies that were manufacturing these native cement tiles in PR.  We read that Parador Villa Parguera in La Parguera, Lajas, on the southwest coast was a school before it  was a small hotel. The school received donations of leftover tiles from the tile makers, so there is an assortment of over 50 designs in their floors. See here, here, here and here

Today the antique tiles have come to be appreciated again and there is a resurgence of interest.

An example of new cement tile  are the floors through out the new El Blok hotel in Esperanza.

 

Boka Restaurant Chicago–Revamped with Cement Tile

Recently renovated BOKA Restaurant has reopened to an avalanche of praise, including “Restaurant of the Year“, and “Chef of the Year” for new partner and executive chef Lee Wolen. While we read that the food is divine, critics also rave about the new decor, which features fabulous Ikat pattern cement tiles from Villa Lagoon Tile.

Boka Restaurant Chicago, featuring Ikat cement tile from Villa Lagoon Tile

Boka closed for months to undergo a stunning remodel and menu revamp under new partner and executive chef Lee Wolen. Under Wolen’s expert care, Boka managed to maintain its Michelin star rating. This new remodel features dark woods, black leather, a living wall, and antique artwork and of course our Ikat pattern cement tiles in all four patterns.

Boka Restaurant Chicago, featuring Ikat cement tile from Villa Lagoon Tile

In 10 years, Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, of Boka Restaurant Group, have gone from being fledgling restaurateurs to being the Chicago restaurateurs everyone wants to work for. The Boka name is derived from the first letters of the restaurateurs’ last names.

The entrance area (below) is covered in our Ikat “D” .

Boka Restaurant Chicago, featuring Ikat cement tile from Villa Lagoon Tile

The far wall that looks a bit like bricks is really covered in old door hardware. Look closely.
Boka Restaurant Chicago, wall.

 The whole space has a “cool” vibe befitting its “be-seen” crowd

Zagat

They … transformed Boka’s forgettable decor into a dark and bustling adult playground

Chicago Magazine

The new look exudes class with a bit of romance and occasional quirk

Michelin Guide

“Restaurant of the Year” from Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence (2014)

“Chef of the Year” from Eater (2014), the Jean Banchet Awards (2014), and the Chicago Tribune (2015).