Help for a Terra-Cotta Floor Design

Op Art Floor

• A floor of Mexican terra-cotta tile is a focal point in an old country-style kitchen. Large square tiles of worn terra-cotta are staggered with smaller squares fired with dull black glaze. The effect is a perfect study in optical illusion, and the room needs no carpets to interfere with the endlessly puzzling floor. Consider installing a pattern to your terra-cotta floor to add even more interest to the earthy tile.

European Terra Cotta

• Mediterranean and European terra-cotta has a wider range of yellows and golds than its New World cousins. The clay has swirls of creams and variegated yellows softening the orange. Some tile shows traces of green, gray, brown and purple, which give the finish richness and depth. Reclaimed old tiles are available – some of them centuries old -- and newer tiles can be custom-ordered for size and shape, allowing a floor designed with oversize tiles or polygon or rounded shapes in unexpected shades.

Saltillo and Talavera

• Saltillo is Mexican terra-cotta made of clay mined from pits in the Saltillo region. The clay is dug and shaped by hand and allowed to dry outdoors in the sun. During the drying process, tiles may pick up impressions of wild bird or animal feet or be swirled with manganese to create a darker, browner color. Manganese dioxide is hand-rubbed across Saltillo tiles to create an antique patina. Saltillo has a slightly rough-textured handmade look and may be paired with brightly painted Talavera glazed Mexican tile. Talavera designs are typically used as a border for a room with a Saltillo floor.

Picture Tiles

• Genuine antique hand-fired terra-cotta tiles can have raised designs depicting dragons, stylized flowers and Mayan pictographs. The art tiles turn an outside staircase or front entry into a museum setting with variegated shades of clay, stains and wear in the designs. An indoor staircase with polished wood treads shows off the decorated tiles facing out on the risers. If old tiles aren’t available, look for reproductions and mortar them with grout stained dark to emphasize the antique look.