Mexican Tiles

What exactly term Mexican Tiles mean? Well, you can call all produced in the country that way regardelss whether they show modern or the oldes style. However, many buyers and turists know them as Mexican tiles becuase they are decorated with Spanish designs otherwise known as talavera tiles.

How to Distinguish Ganuine Tiles

There are two primary production centers, one is Puebla and then Dolores Hidalgo. Some output also comes from Jalisco and more precisely Tonala. Products from the first town has the longest history as it was the place where Europeans began making hand painted ceramic. They are very fine with a lot of details but costly. Exporting mostly to the richest countries and there is little use locally. Other city located in Guanajuato posses vast production base based on small and large suppliers creating incredible tableware and all kinds of rustic decorations for affordable prices. Those are Mexican tiles known and sold in large numbers especially to North America including Canada and the US.

Vaiety of Mexican TIles

No doubt most designs are 4"x 4" as they have some useful applications. It doesn't meant that a variety of sizes are not available. Mosaic artists use 1x1 and 2x2 and home decorators the largest 6x6 Mexican tiles. Various interior designers believe Mexican ceramic tiles have multitude of uses in decorating inside and outside in all regions. Most often handmade azulejos from Mexico are used for kitchen backslash and counter-tops. In bathrooms you can install them on shower walls or counters and house foyer stair risers. Since their surface is glazed, they withstand well moisture and even when submerged below the water line. In warmer climate such as Southern states of California, Texas or Florida they can be utilized for adding warmth to verandas and patios. Occasionally, we have seen them used by architects on swimming pools and garden fountains as well.

Typical Tile Designs

Clearly, we can divide tile designs to four distinctive groups. Lest begin with plain color ceramics. They come as solid and washed. The second option is created by painting them white and then pouring paint over the surface. It makes rustic effect where no two pieces appearing the same. However, when placed on the wall they give very distinctive look of the old European palaces and expensive residences from the past. Then we have patterned tiles which fall into folk art, classic colonial and Mexican style. The first consist of lizards, geckos, flowers, moon, sun, eclipse, animals, trees, cactus images. Great stuff for accenting Southern style. Then the second category has simple decor painted with a single color over plain background. Commonly used are cobalt, green, white and teracota. The last and subgroup is a collection of beautiful Mexican tile paintings which indeed are based on Spanish heritage but already changed in time by colorful influence of the country. Often, 6x6 Mexican Tiles were incorporated into typical decoration of churches and public building throughout Latin America.