We already know that cement tile has recently seen huge surges in popularity in the US and Canada, the United Kingdom, and throughout Europe. Now India has caught the fever! India’s Surfaces Reporter Magazine devoted a portion of their June 2013 issue to the growing popularity of decorative cement tile in India over the last decade.
The article, “Are Decorative Cement Floor Tiles Making a Comeback?” is a great basic primer, tracing the history of cement tile and its revival, as well as discussing practical issues such as installation and purchasing tips. The author spoke with several experts in researching this article, and even featured an interview with our very own Lundy Wilder!
You can find the original article at Surfaces Reporter, however some have had trouble with loading the Flash application, so you can also find the article alone here, as a PDF.
Oh, and to answer the question posed by the article’s title: EMPHATICALLY YES!
An installer laying 10-inch “Venetian” in the “Sunset” colorway, a Lundy P. Wilder original design. Now also available in a more economical 8-inch, with an in-stock option: “Italian Trellis”.
At Villa Lagoon Tile we strive to provide the greatest value at the lowest cost. A big cost saver comes from leveraging the power of the internet to minimize our need for a costly network of showroom floors… our website is our showroom! Unfortunately, for those who aren’t already familiar with the beauty and elegance of hand-made cement tile, the computer/tablet/phone screen can’t always convey the richness and grandeur of this fabulous tile.
We recently began a project of mapping out our installations to solve that very problem. Over the years we’ve delivered tile for some fabulous commercial customers. Great restaurants, hotels, universities, barbershops and retail establishments across the globe now have Villa Lagoon Tile on their floors, walls, and even hostess stands.
This is an evolving work in progress, so check back occasionally. You may just discover your new favorite restaurant! As always, be respectful, and tip your server. If we missed putting your commercial installation on the map, please let us know; we’re happy to help publicize our great business clients.
One of our new Venetian Collection tiles, Piazza, creates a pattern of linked barbed quatrefoils. The quatrefoil, from the Latin quattuor and folium, “four leaves” became a common theme in Christian art, and reached it’s height in Gothic and Renaissance architecture.
“Piazza”, from the Venetian Collection, In Oxford Gray and White.
This pattern can be found throughout European architecture, including Notre-Dame de Paris, and the great abundance of of this pattern in Venice inspired Lundy to create this Villa Lagoon Tile exclusive cement tile.
Katie, author of the blog Live Originally, found a stunning example on her honeymoon trip through Europe, in one of the courtyards of the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
Love the floors in Venice?
Villa Lagoon Tile recreates the look in cement tile…
Villa Lagoon Tile is pleased to introduce their newest line of encaustic cement tile – The Floors of Venice. Inspired by the incredible marble flooring surfaces in and around Venice, Italy, the tiles reflect the design and style of old Italian marble mosaic floors.
Encaustic cement tile has been making a Renaissance of its own and Villa Lagoon Tile has been happy to be a part of that revival. Owner and designer Lundy Wilder created the Floors of Venice collection after returning from a short holiday trip to Venice. “Seeing those magnificent floors in Venice… everywhere: in the churches, stores, public squares and walkways; it was amazing. I was totally inspired to replicate some of these themes in tile.”
The new tile line with names like St Mark’s, Murano, Savona Venice and Treviso captures the major colors and design concepts of the Venetian floors. “Colors were integral to new tiles,” says Wilder. “The colors used in many homes in the US include beige and tan and the tones of our Venetian tiles are authentic but are also are very compatible with these neutral tones.” The tiles are 20cm x 20cm (8”x8”) and weigh about three pounds each.
Known for their vibrant colors and intricate designs, the tiles are also known as Cuban tiles, Pasta tiles, Moroccan tiles or Mexican tiles. Designers and architects have found them to be a terrific way to add style and character to open spaces. Villa Lagoon Tile has been installed in numerous large commercial projects that include the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California, the Omni Hotel in Nashville, the Ralph Lauren retail store in Holetown, Barbados, and the Drake Hotel’s new “Drake One Fifty” restaurant in Toronto, Canada.
Murano, with Cut Solid Border (Mohave, Black and Oxford Gray)
Samples of the the Floors of Venice designs are presently available by contacting Villa Lagoon Tile by email, [email protected] or by calling the office 1-251-968-3375.
Villa Lagoon Tile has been featured on HomeCentrl, “Your place for everything home” which features the latest trends in construction, design, and decor. Lundy Wilder was interviewed by the author Todd Vendituoli, veteran builder, designer and blogger for his July 9th post.
Todd and Lundy covered the basics of encaustic cement tile manufacturing, and some of design and project considerations that go into purchasing custom tile flooring. Todd also mentions the durability and lasting beauty of the local “Nassau Tile”, the Bahamian term for cement tile. Cement tile has long been popular throughout the Caribbean, and the islands provide some of the better tour-grounds in the world for seekers of antique and modern cement tile installations. We show some of these installations on our Caribbean installations page.
We were so happy to have been interviewed by NPR’s David Greene of Morning Edition. This brief nationally broadcast radio piece brought us thousands of new visitors to the website.
WE WELCOME ALL OUR NEW VISITORS !
And while we do not object to the concept of sales tax for Internet sales, we just hope some simple method of payment will be devised, something like Europe’s VAT. We have 3077 individual counties in the USA, all with individual sales tax rates. Whew!!
WATCH–you won’t be sorry ! This magical video is all about a section of floor, through the ages. This award winning short film uses mosaics to tell the story. Tiles are included so we thought our readers would appreciate it. For those at work,…note, it has a light musical soundtrack.
Created by Welsh mosaic artist Maureen O’Kane and her co-director, Jane Hubbard in 2003.
The Beltway is buzzing with THE new place for men’s grooming on the east coast: The Barber of Hell’s Bottom.
A veteran stylist of New York runway and print models, Kelly Gorsuch took Washington, D.C. by storm with his Logan Circle salon, Immortal Beloved. In a few short years it has become a hub of the metro area’s chic and elite, with Immortal Beloved stylists even being tapped for First Family duty. Not only has Immortal Beloved become known for its styling, but for its unique decor. All of the furniture was designed and built by Kelly himself, along with his close friend and business partner Caleb Woodard (of Caleb Woodard Furniture).
Can Kelly catch lightning in a bottle again? It sure seems so. Washington is abuzz again over The Barber of Hell’s Bottom. Once again featuring Kelly’s unique vision, and master craftsmanship from Caleb Woodard Furniture, this new barber shop features raw, white-washed brick walls, and beautiful cement tile from Villa Lagoon Tile. Our Roseton tile in custom colors was used to add a hint of flourish to Kelly and Caleb’s remarkable work. This shop has a sophisticated, but raw masculinity, that is sure to make any patron comfortable, while his locks float down to our flooring.
Part of the buzz over Gorush’s new venture has to do with the name. While Shaw may have a median home price north of half-a-million dollars today, it was once “Hell’s Bottom”, one of the District’s most violent neighborhoods. That cool bit of trivia doesn’t stop everyone from noticing the tile, though… nor the barber’s chair from the New York area’s Vernon Hills Country Club, famed to have held several members of the Rat Pack, in its day (not at the same time, of course).
The Barber of Hell’s Bottom has been featured now in the style section of UrbanDaddy.com, given a favorable first look by UrbanTurf.com, and has even been named one of the six “things to do” for last weekend (April 5, 2013), by Men’s Journal ! Way to go Kelly ! We hope you the best success, and a long happiness with our tile.
The RobbReport, a magazine dedicated to the products of the ultra-luxury lifestyle has a new article on the $25 million dollar Holmby Hills estate, The Reserve. You may recall The Reserve from our earlier post about the tile installations by our clients. Obviously the amazing work that designer Kristoffer Winters put into the Reserve deserves the attention, which happens to land Villa Lagoon Tile smack dab between the latest Lamborghini and a $24,000 bottle of wine (a 1945 Chateau Latour Pauillac). We’re happy that cement tile is becoming a growing trend in ultra-luxury estates. We’re even happier that we can offer our tile to more modest budgets as well. Look for the mention here, or on page 37 of the March/April issue of Robb Report Home & Style.
“Cubes” pattern cement tile, from Villa Lagoon Tile.
We’d like to give kudos to our friends at Maneli Wilson Interiors for rave reviews of their recent work, featuring our cement tile pattern, Cubes. Sotto 13 opened in November as a runaway hit in New York’s West Village. This new darling destination of the local critics features Italian tapas, brick-oven pizzas, and cocktails by acclaimed mixologist Frankie Oley, but few can help but comment on the amazing decor.
Our Cubes pattern was used on the wall surrounding the kitchen’s window… a focal point for the flow of food through the restaurant. We also couldn’t help but spot an ingenious use for some of the left-over tiles: they are framed within the side of the hostess stand. On your next project you may consider ordering a little extra… finishing touches like these can really help tie a theme together.
In-Stock “Cubes” Tile
Among the mountains of praise, Jones Magazine proclaims that Sotto 13 “offers rustic decor with a modern twist and perfect ambiance.”CBS New York touts Sotto 13 as “perfect for a West Village date night,” and NewForkCity says “it’s the decor that brings you in”, but the food that brings you back. What more can a restaurateur want from their decor than to provide the perfect, inviting setting to showcase their craft? Perhaps a mention by one of the largest travel magazines in the country?
Not only has Sotto 13 earned a mention by Travel + Leisure Magazine, their grand entrance to the scene has placed them among “America’s Most Romantic Restaurants”. Writing for www.travelandleisure.com, Brendan Spiegel cites Sotto 13’s “alluring space” among the attributes that landed it so high on the list.
No matter what your project, we’re sure our Villa Lagoon Tile, hand-made cement tile can provide a warmth and sophistication that can perfectly accent any vision.
Take a look at just a few other restaurant installations:
We already know that cement tile has recently seen huge surges in popularity in the US and Canada, the United Kingdom, and throughout Europe. Now India has caught the fever! India’s Surfaces Reporter Magazine devoted a portion of their June 2013 issue to the growing popularity of decorative cement tile in India over the last decade.
