Choose Your Favorites Among Four Common Tile Types
Mexican tiles are available in a broad array of options. Traditional Mexican and Spanish motifs feature geometric and floral designs. The tiles are durable yet heirloom quality because of the impressive skills of the talented artisans who meticulously craft them.
Saltillo Flooring Tiles
Saltillo tiles are also called terra-cotta. The English translation from the original Latin and Spanish phrase is “baked earth.” The tiles typically display reddish earthy colors from the iron content in the fired clay, ranging from a deep orange-tinged brown to peach. Saltillo tiles are rugged, economical, and environmentally friendly.
Cement Tile
Forget gray and dull. Mexican-dyed cement tiles replicate old-time pigmented clay tiles using a rainbow of cement-based materials for floors and walls. The possibilities for repeating designs and colorful contrasts are endless, sweeping across expanses of kitchens, baths, living rooms, porches, entryways, and more. Consider bright to subdued palettes for your design pleasure.
Talavera Tiles
Tin-glazed talavera pottery originated in 15th—and 16th-century Spain, primarily in the town of Talavera de la Reina. When Spanish invaders established Puebla, Mexico, high-quality clay and industrious clay-working Indigenous people began the process of creating similar hand-painted earthenware with Talavera’s trademark milky white glaze. Tile making was a natural outgrowth, and Mexican artisans still make intricately designed Talavera tiles. Talavera tiles originally featured blue hues. Expansion into many other colors today allows decorating with multi-hued Talavera tiles.
Cantera Stone Tiles
Cantera stone mined in Mexican quarries of many colors offers another stunning option for floors, walls, fireplaces, and other structures. Natural pigments vary, but the effect is awe-inspiring.
No two Mexican tiles or types are precisely the same, permitting the curation of unique flooring and decorative styles. Enjoy using these one-of-a-kind materials to create an individualized aesthetic for your home.