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Geometric Tiling

 

Geometric tiling is the term used to describe the arrangement of tile shapes of 2 colours or more, in a pattern which usually repeats over and over, covering a plane without any gaps or overlaps. Another word for tiling is a tessellation. A dictionary may tell you that the word "tessellate" means to form or arrange small squares in a checkered or mosaic pattern. The word "tessellate" is derived from the Ionic version of the Greek word "tesseres," which in English means "four." Early geometric tiling used square tiles but grew to incorporate other regular polygons such as the triangle, hexagon and octagon.

 

In both medieval times and in the 19th Century Gothic Revival, geometric floors were most often laid in churches. They then started to become fashionable in public buildings, and the more wealthy Victorian houses. Their rise to fashion was assured by their use in such prestigious buildings as the Victoria and Albert Museum, and by the 1890s they had become an essential feature in the most ordinary Victorian terraced houses from Aberdden to Dover. As well as adding prestige and colour to a Victorian hall, they were also remarkably practical. Although it’s improbable that the average Victorian builder gave much thought to the lifespan of such a feature, it is a fact that most domestic interior tiled floors have survived 100 years of family wear and tear. With a little care, they will probably be good for another 100 years. There can be few other floor finishes that offer such durability, while looking so good.

Although these floors fell out of fashion during the 1960s and ’70s, when many of them were covered over, they are now being rediscovered by their present owners and restored to former glory. Although many need a significant amount of work carried out, around nine out of 10 are generally repairable.

Even tiles that were laid in private homes copied the geometric designs of those found in religious settings. Geometric tile floors exist all over Europe and the United States but are most prevalent in England where their history and manufactuer have generally been most popular.

 

 

Geometric Patterns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geometric Colour Chart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This example is an interesting geometric floor we installed in a larger than average conservatory a couple of years ago for a private contract. Although a grand project, no encaustic tiles were incorporated into this project, the design being made up of geometric pattern alone. This is a good example of where it is not necessarily important to use encaustic tiles to give a floor its flair. In this example indeed, the use of encaustic patterned tiles would have confused the design.

The inner and outer border are separated by a ring of black marble. A very nice touch yet added a touch of complexity for us in terms of setting out the design and ensuring that the pattern lines followed through from the inner circle to the outer ring. This is something you cannot really afford to get wrong with any geometric floor since any offset in the repeating pattern, or 'tessellation', can easily be picked up by the human eye. This job was a pleasure to accomplish even though a little awkward and requiring careful planning on our part.

Another geometric floor we installed in a larger than average conservatory. This conservatory is clover shaped and each section had an encaustic feature using sets of Windsor 4 tile pieces surrounded by a Clarence border.

This was another satisfying job to look at on completion since the setting out proved somewhat challenging initially since the conservatory itself was not exactly geometrically perfect. Awkwardly shaped rooms sometimes offer a challenge to getting a geometric floor to 'fit' properly and look right. This is where a border usually comes in handly as a buffer to the innaccuracies of the room.

The main floor and border were again separated in this floor by a trench providing underfloor heating. Topped with a cast iron grating this heating trench certainly added to the Victorian feel to this room. If left alone, this floor should last a couple of hundred years. A nice legacy to pass on to future generations for this family.

 

A geometric floor sets off this passgeway in this country house in rural scotland. Again, no encaustic tiles incorporated into the design here. Too much detail in smaller spaces can ruin the effect you may be trying to achieve.

Brown, black and harvest can give a real rustic look to a floor and so are popular for country buildings such as those found on farms and country estates. As well as being decorative these tiles are extremely hard wearing and can take alot of traffic for years before showing signs of wear or weathering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geometric and Encaustic suppliers

Maw & Co. (United Kingdom)
Manufacturers and suppliers of geometric and encaustic floor tiles. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
www.mawandco.com

 

Original Style (United Kingdom)
Manufacturers and suppliers of geometric and encaustic floor tiles. Based in Exeter, UK.
www.originalstyle.com