Meeting of minds

Artists, textile specialists and interior designers are turning their attention to the humble ceramic tile, working with brands on creative collaborations

- EMMA J PAGE

FIRED EARTH X NINA CAMPBELL

This latest tile collection marks the second collaboration between Fired Earth and the renowned British interior designer. Inspired by Nina's rich textile archives as well as her travels to Portugal and India, the handful of new designs sit comfortably at the pinch point of classic and contemporary: retro-graphic cartouches, foliage and petals in a palette of knocked-back sage, umber, powder blue and rust recall the traditional motifs of Lisbon, coupled with the heritage of Indian cities such as Kochi and Udaipur. Meanwhile plain slimline Rivage tiles in mustard or sage are contemporising. 'Simply laying five of those horizontally then vertically to create a chequerboard, either in a single colour or multicolour, is such a fun approach,' says Nina.

A handcrafted finish, synonymous with Fired Earth's ethos, lends the collection a beautifully mellow feel. Each design has been painted using watercolour techniques, reminiscent of the artisanal glazes of Portuguese tiles. 'The colours needed to work well on the tone of the clay,' Nina explains. 'I think blue is quite an obvious colour for a tile, but I wanted to make the collection more sophisticated and usable with the inclusion of a rich red-brown, an edge of sage green or the warmth of umber.' When it comes to use, the key is in creative application, whether incorporating a bath panel for cohesion or tiling a whole kitchen wall rather than just the splashback. 'I also love the idea of using smaller tiles to frame a gloomy fireplace,' says Nina, whose own plans include tiling her kitchen with the new pieces. An enviable perk of the job.

CA' PIETRA X ZOE GLENCROSS