Mexican Tiles

Talavera tiles in Mexican White are usually used in the US and Europe for walls in kitchen, bathrooms and showers. In particular, they often are installed on a backsplash and counter-top. Many interior designers combine white Mexican tiles with other solid colors. They include cobalt, green, rusted, green, navy blue, terracotta and yellow gold. You can match those with Mexican sinks in case you are renovating a bathroom.

Mexican Tile Colors

There are many incredible combinations of Mexican colors that are available in two versions. They can be supplied as solid or washed which are painted by pouring paint over white background. Ceramic wall tiles made that way look rustic resembling colonial times when Spanish arrived to nowadays Mexico territory.

Authentic Mexican ceramics come in more less three hundred designs. Solid color tiles are represented by all primary tones and shades used for decorating Southern homes and residences. Prominent style is hacienda. Even modern houses include certain colonial accents from that period and using white Spanish tiles is one of them. Washing production technique imitates their look centuries ago. They are best for small spaces and can be installed apart or one next to each other.

Mexican writer Alberto Ruy Sanchez Lacy called them a “chosen skin” as they are present in numerous public and private buildings throughout the country. If you ever get the chance to travel South of the border and in particular central states, you will notice widespread use of ceramic tile designs painted by artisans from Dolores Hidalgo.

Best Places for White Ceramic Tiles

Beside earlier mentioned places, you will find colorful hand painted Mexican tiles as decorative elements on counters, vanities, furniture, window surroundings and floor. Whites are available in lots of forty and eighty pieces. Those quantities seam to be the best volume considering economy shipping costs. You may also consider talavera murals that are often painted over white matching regular tiles. When handcrafted without the borders they blend with the rest of the wall making beautiful paintings depicting country style living, fruits and animals. Even though I saw tile murals decorating tabletops and counters, their best and most often used application are kitchen backsplash and veranda walls.

Mexican Tile Specifications

When calculating the number of tiles to cover specific area consider that they are cut by hand. It makes them differ is size, there are not two exactly same. To be able to work with such irregularities it is necessary leaving wider spaces between them. Once they are filled with white grout cement, the wall looks antique even though the ceramics are brand new. In general we specify their size as four by four inches which in metric gives 10.5cm by 10.5cm. It is important to remember during tile installation that they are not flat so cutting with a regular cutter is not going to be practicable, they will brake. You will need to find a setter who uses a water saw as it is the only tool which will make possible to split them clean.

Painted white ceramic mosaic tile from Mexico is very unique in its nature. It is rustic, irregular and works well with vintage style interiors. Since their surface is covered with protective glaze, you can used them under water including fountain basin, bathrooms and pools. They are easy to clean but will do develop hazing effect that is typical for talavera. It makes them looking old as they were fabricated long time ago during Spanish conquest.