LOOK BOOK! A Highlight of our Antiqued Delft and Cuisine de Monet Tile Collections for Elegant Kitchens and Baths

April 20, 2025

Our Own French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Decorative Wall Tile Collection

Did you know François and I are not just importers/retailers of antique European tile, wood and stone floors - but are also creators of antiqued tile?  As artists, we are forever inspired to elevate our materials to recreate lost designs from centuries ago.  Over the 25 years we have been in business, we have developed numerous antiqued terra cotta floor and wall tile collections.  Creating and using our hands is a shared passion and its something we do best as a couple.  Where I create/design or paint collections, François brings my collections to life. Our most recent collection is our Catalan Farmhouse 1850 - A Small Production Antiqued Cement Tile Collection.

This was the first time we developed an antiqued cement tile collection. I chose 3 designs that I redrew from original Spanish 1850 motifs. The choice of colors for this collection was limitless, but I wanted the collection to feel organic and close to nature, so I chose an earth toned color palette. From there we partnered with a small atelier in Catalonia, Spain where artisans make each cement tile by hand, starting with the hand-forged metal frame. Finally, by hand, we antique each tile in our Massachusetts facility.  This accelerates the patina to look and feel historic.  How many hands have touched these tiles are hard to count, but we succeeded in bringing history back to life from Spain 1850. 

Our Past Antiqued Tile Creations

Since 2000, when we opened our company, our urgency to create tile collections came from our deep passion for hand made European terra cotta tile and historic tile design.  Over the years, we hand-crafted several hand made terra cotta tile flooring and glazed wall tile collections, using as a canvas our imported hand made terra cotta tiles.  25 years ago - interior design was trending contemporary.  Very clean, cold expansive surfaces and white-on-white kitchen and glass tile backsplashes.  Sadly, many of our collections were misunderstood and overlooked.  The time and effort it took to create them without the comprehension of what these floors represented, ultimately became a burden for us.  We could not compete with that white-on-white kitchen!  However, there were several clients who do have these remarkable floors in their homes - and today, their floors are trending.  However, François and I never focused on trends.  Interior design "trends" are cyclical, but our passion for historic European materials always remains steadfast and timeless for us. 

Below is one of my favorite antiqued terra cotta floor tile collections that we developed, but if you want to view the entire retired to the archives collections, head to Pinterest.  You will find them.  Search Pavé Tile & Stone, Inc.

The Montmartre Antiqued and Glazed Terra Cotta Tile Flooring Collection

The Montmartre Antiqued Terra Cotta Tile Flooring Collection

One of the first collections we created was The Montmartre Antiqued Terra Cotta Tile Flooring Collection, which is shown above.  Using our antiqued French terra cotta tiles, we painstakingly succeeded after a few years, in glazing my inspired encaustic designs from 16th century France onto our terra cotta tiles.  We even had our own kiln made for this purpose - where we worked with engineers to devise a large enough kiln to fire our clay tile.  We had many motifs and 3 kiln-fired glaze colors, the olive you see above, a black and an antique white. I loved this collection, but when we decided to no longer offer it, I turned it into a decorative wall tile line.  I painted the motifs for our 5" x 5" glazed wall tile and changed the name to the Gardens in the Cloister 16th Century French Encaustic Tile.

Gardens in the Cloister 16th Century French Encaustic Decorative Wall Tile

Gardens in the Cloister 16th Century French Encaustic Tile

My love for French encaustic design knows no bounds, and for this collection, I  envisioned a dream landscape when Nature was at it's most pure - where the natural world was solace to harsh Medieval times.  My hand painted motifs are from original museum pieces dating back to the 16th century.  There is a simplification and urgency to French encaustic motifs that communicate directly to the heart.  Inspiration from stars and flowers to forest creatures and farm animals - artists inscribed what they saw without flourish and heavy modeling of forms, allowing each motif to ring clear.  Installing this collection in a kitchen backsplash, paired with one of our antiqued French oak floors, becomes a love poem to France 16th century.

Antiqued French Oak Flooring in Wide Plank Solid or Engineered COLOR: THE QUEEN'S HAMLET ANTIQUED FRENCH OAK FLOORING + Gardens in the Cloister 16th Century French Encaustic Tile

A note on our French oak flooring:

Our antiqued French oak floors are one of our most vetted and beautiful products we offer at Historic Decorative Materials.  These wood floors are created by an oxidation method that ages the oak planks from the inside out. Artisans follow a 7-10 process, including finishing each plank by hand. The matte patina, texture and translucency of colors are draw dropping.  It is hard to distinguish our antiqued French oak floors from original reclaimed French oak floors.  We offer four different antiqued French oak flooring collections, instantly transforming an interior into an historic masterpiece.

William Welch, Architect Designer chose our Antiqued French Oak Floors Chevron in the Great House Collection.  All 4 collections are offered in solid or engineered, wide-plank (up to 11" wide") long lengths (118" long), chevron, herringbone, parquet de Versailles panels and custom stair treads and risers.

The next two decorative wall tile collections, our Antiqued Delft and our Cuisine de Monet Wall Tiles, are the focal points of this blog.  Both collections are deeply rooted in European historic interior design, and I was eager to paint my own version of these tiles for our company.  I stayed true to original motifs, but each artist has her own touch.  The historical significance in European interior design is strong and thus, understanding their history deepens the appreciation of these historic decorative tiles.

Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile Collection

Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile Blossoms and Butterflies: Set of 4 Delft Flower Tiles 

on Vintage Warm White Field Tile

The History and Artistry of Delft Tiles - A quick synopsis of these delicate, little paintings on tile. 

Beginning in 1602, the Dutch East India Company was a pivotal force in global trade and began importing commodities throughout the East Indies back into Amsterdam's  growing shipping ports.   It began with spices, then expanded into tea, coffee, textiles and ceramics.  It was the arrival of Chinese porcelain that had a profound impact on Dutch culture and art, where the Dutch East India Company brought into Amsterdam vast quantities of Chinese porcelain, a type of blue-and-white porcelain that was highly prized for its delicate designs and durability. This influx inspired Dutch potters to create their own versions of these ceramics, which led to the development of Delftware.  Delftware was a distinctive type of tin-glazed earthenware that imitated the appearance of Chinese porcelain.  

However, Dutch potters didn't simply copy Chinese porcelain; they adapted and transformed it into something distinctly their own.  For example, instead of using a fine white clay called kaolin, that was not available in the Netherlands, Dutch potters used their local clay.  Applying a tin-glaze onto it, they discovered after the firing, it created a white, opaque surface that resembled porcelain.  Also, Dutch potters began developing their own unique style, incorporating traditional Dutch motifs like floral patterns and local craftspeople performing daily tasks.  The key characteristics of Delft tiles are that they are usually blue and white, and depict scenes from daily life, landscapes and nautical themes.

During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, there was a surge of Delftware popularity, including tiles. Amsterdam and Delft became significant centers for Delft tile production. The tiles were widely used for interior decorations, particularly as wall tiles around fireplaces and in kitchens. The tiles produced in Amsterdam contributed to the widespread use of Delftware throughout the Netherlands and beyond.

Today, interior designers and homeowners are appreciating the historic authenticity and beauty that Delft tiles bring to an interior.  Their calming, blue and white pictorials are time capsules of 17th century Amsterdam, and they add an old world elegance to a variety of interiors, from French farmhouse to English manor homes.  

Antique Delft tiles and a black and white checkered floor brings forth elegant, historic interior design.

 

Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile: Children at Play Set of 6 Delft Tiles on Vintage Warm White Field Tile

 

I was passionate about adding to this rich tradition of antique Delft tiles, by making our own antiqued Delft tile collection. I looked to original 17th century Delft tile motifs, and  painted them in a traditional Delft blue - a color that is deeply rooted in Delftware.  Our production includes firing my paintings onto our glazed field tile (available in Historic White or Vintage Warm White), and then, hand-crackling them to achieve the antique porcelain surface of antique Delftware. 

A note on the field tile colors: Historic White replicates the tin glaze white that Dutch potters used for their tiles in 17th century Amsterdam.  However, when paired with antique flooring materials, we developed a field tile color called Vintage Warm White.  This warm white has an older, antique presence and partners more beautifully with our antique materials.  All images you see in this blog and in the Antiqued Delft Tile Collection Page are Delft tiles with the Vintage Warm White field tile.  

Finally, what's lovely about our antiqued Delft tile collection, is that you could pair our Delft tiles with our historic flooring, to achieve an authentically European, old world aesthetic.  For example, a classic combination of an antiqued Belgian bluestone floor with a Delft tile fireplace surround would be forever timeless in a living space.

Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile Village Life: Set of 5 Delft Tiles

+ Olde Antwerp Antiqued Belgian Bluestone Floors

 

Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile Village Life: Set of 5 Delft Tiles

 

A note on our Reclaimed French terra cotta tile flooring:

Did you know that we specialize in salvaging rare, antique French reclaimed terra cotta tiles?  Not to be taken for granted, our inventory is difficult to source and salvage.  We only salvage the most beautiful and worthy lots. Then we import them stateside to be cleaned and calibrated in our West Hatfield, MA facility.  Looking to do an authentic English country kitchen?  Installing French reclaimed terra cotta tiles for the kitchen floor + an antiqued Delft tile kitchen backsplash would create a timeless, historic and forever beautiful interior.

French Reclaimed Terra Cotta Tile Hexagons +  Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile Collection

 

Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile: Ships Set of 4 Delft Tiles

 

Antique English limestone floors speak volumes with their 200-year old patina and nuanced color variations.  Imagine this as a kitchen floor with our antiqued Delft tile backsplash and a black La Cornue range - an English country house aesthetic that would carry its beauty and authenticity through generations.

Reclaimed Olde London English Limestone Flooring + 

Dutch Blue 17th Century Antiqued Delft Tile Collection

 

The second collection I painted was inspired by the iconic kitchen tiles installed in Claude Monet's home in Giverny, France.  My love for French country aesthetics, understanding their history and how they marry with French reclaimed terra cotta tiles - quickly ignited my creativity to paint this next collection.

French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Decorative Tile Collection

The History and Artistry of Claude Monet's Kitchen Tiles in his Giverny Country Home in France.

Perhaps Claude Monet is one of the most famous painters - known the world over for being the father of Impressionism - how to paint light.  It is also possible that this fame extends to his kitchen.  Monet was a world traveler and the inspiration to cover entire walls in tile, may have come from his Middle Eastern voyages. 

Monet's desire to have blue and white tiles in his kitchen led him to Rouen, France in the 19th century. Rouen became a significant center for faience production as early as the 1540s, with its finest period lasting until the mid-18th century.  Monet's tiles are called blue Rouen faience tiles, heavily influenced by the Chinese blue and white kraak porcelain that was imported to Amsterdam via the West Indies Trading Company in the 17th century. However, while Dutch Delftware played a significant role in popularizing blue and white ceramics across Europe, Monet's tiles are a product of the Rouen tradition, which had its oven distinct characteristics. In short, Monet's kitchen tiles are an example of 19th-century French decorative tiles in the blue and white geometric style that Rouen was known for.  Thus, although Delftware and the Rouen faience tiles share similar characteristics of an opaque white glaze upon which monochromatic blue designs were applied, the decorative styles differed greatly.

Where Dutch potters enjoyed hand painting scenes from 17th-century daily life in Amsterdam, the Rouen tile tradition showcased more bold geometric designs.  Monet played with these simple tile patterns, making them iconic.  In his kitchen, Monet chose to install a patch work pattern above his range, and on the hood, installed a specific pattern centered within the border tile. The beauty of Claude Monet's French country home, his use of colors and eye for pattern -  from tiles and gallery walls to gardens, take one's breath away.

The first two images below showcase Monet's gardens and home in Giverny, France.  Not shy with color, nor shy with using non-traditional color palettes, his home is a testament to his vision and capabilities to see and use color, creating transcendent beauty.

Claude Monet's French country home in Giverny, France showcases a pink stucco exterior with spring green shutters, staircase and railings.

The garden entrance to Monet's French country home. The pink and green color palette takes center stage and leads the eye directly to his pink and green French country home.

The next two images below are Monet's yellow dining room.  This butter yellow hue (color of the year 2025 BTW!) cocoons one in joyous emotion.  The yellow color anchors the room where the eye enjoys roaming from the yellow walls and furniture to the chairs. This unification of space allowed him ample freedom to chose the geometric red and white checkered floor, providing contrast of textures. 

As you observe this room, notice the blue tiled fireplace surround.  A hint of what's to come for his kitchen. 

From this angle of the photo, the three primary colors are all in play - RED, BLUE & YELLOW.  A master in the use of color - this room is iconic and bold, embracing you with beauty.  Looking further down the dining all, one sees the entrance to Monet's famous kitchen.

The blue is present, making its mark in the tiled fireplace and the reoccurring theme of blue water in his Japanese gallery wall prints.  This anchors the eye and prepares it to receive blue in the kitchen.  If no blue was present, suddenly arriving at an all blue kitchen would feel incongruous.

And here we arrive at Monet's famous blue and white tiled kitchen. Pattern after pattern of his geomatic blue and white decorative wall tiles from Rouen, France - pairing with a black range and a French terra cotta hexagon tile floor is breathtaking.  I don't think we can intellectually explain the beauty of his kitchen, its felt more on an emotional level.  I do know, as humans, we do love patterns.  And he created an iconic one that I needed to replicate for our company.

Claude Monet's famous kitchen showcasing his iconic blue and white decorative wall tiles, paired with a black range and a French terra cotta hexagon tile floor.

What is fascinating about Monet's tiles, is that there are only 5 motifs. They are bold or soft, geometric or floral - just enough contrast to cleanse the eye and see each one individually, as well as enjoy them when installed as an organic pattern. A repeated linear pattern of one motif makes for a border as well as the classic border tile.

I painted each motif as true to the original tiles as I could.  Choosing an historic French blue, we then fire them in our kilns onto a glazed bisque warm white or cool white tile, and hand-crackle them after they cool, for the most authentic aesthetic.  

French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Collection: J'aime la France

French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Collection: Fleur de Lys Border

French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Collection: Gate

French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Collection: Petals

French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Collection: Garden

Finally, it is no surprise perhaps that Monet installed French terra cotta tile hexagons for his French country kitchen floor.  The beauty of the hand made French clay tile floor paired with Monet's blue & white decorative tiles is a match made in interior design heaven.  

French Provincial 19th Century Cuisine de Monet Decorative Tile Collection + French Reclaimed Terra Cotta Tile Hexagons

I have finally reached the end of what I wanted to express in this blog highlighting our Antiqued Delft Tile Collection and our Cuisine de Monet Tile Collection.  What strikes me is how different each collection makes me feel.  They are both hand painted, decorative blue and white tiles and they both have a shared history; artisans inspired by the Chinese kraak porcelain arriving in Amsterdam 17th century via the East India Trading company.  However, through their individual cultures - one being Dutch the other being French - and through artists individual artistic lens, two defining and incredibly beautiful historic tile collections were created. 

I realize trends come and go, but for those who love historic interior design, the way these spaces play with pattern, color and antique materials - they way these rooms personally make me feel - antique Delft tiles and Monet's kitchen tiles will always be trending for me.

Thank you for your time,

Emmi Micallef

Co-Founder, Historic Decorative Materials

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Also in Meanderings of Our Authentic Life