Wall tiles is a pretty broad category – they come in all shapes, sizes, materials and colors, and can take a room from blah to wow in an afternoon (especially if you’re using the small tiles that come in big sheets). I have written about them before on this blog in my Kitchen Tiles and Mosaic Tiles posts (also, don’t miss the funky fabric tiles in the Upholstery Fabric As Wall Decor post), but this time, it’s all about uniqueness. Here are some unusual tiles I have found:
Modular Glass
These see-through tiles from Italian company Fabbian can be connected to form an entire wall or any shape you want (almost). Placing a source of illumination above or behind them creates a wall decor or sculpture that seems to emit light. Or hang them in front of a window as a chic privacy screen.
Photos: Fabbian
Storage
These 2 adorable designs are great as kitchen or bathroom wall tiles. How perfect to be able to store things you always need and look for right in front of your eyes. Put up just one, or make an entire storage wall.
Photos: Design glut
3D Art
I’m a huge fan of Ann Sacks tiles, and the 3D ceramic wall tiles from the Blake Studios collection are just a few of her many gorgeous designs. These unique pieces of art are made using an old Italian carving method called Sgraffato. Each piece of the collection’s three designs – Botanical, Dahlia and Nautilus – is made by hand, by draping wet clay over spacers and then carving the design in relief.
Photos: Ann Sacks
Custom Photo Tiles
In my nature wallpaper post, I wrote about how you can get your own photos printed on wallpaper. Turns out you can get custom printed photo tiles as well. French company Okhyo prints any photo you’d like on tiles (or you can use pictures from their library) and you have a choice of several different tile sizes, and finishes for both interior and exterior use. I think these are great as kitchen wall tiles, just look at these examples:
Photos: Okhyo
Air-Cleansing Outdoor Tiles
Last, but certainly not least, the amazing Bionic tiles from Spanish company Ceracasa actually help clean the air we breathe. With the help of sunlight and humidity, the tiles absorb and deconstruct nitrogen oxides (which are emitted by cars and industries). They are harmful to breathe, but after the Bionic tiles have done their job, they become nitrates harmless for humans, and beneficial for plants. Which leads us to the next part of this section: the Lifewall tiles which work in symbiosis with the Bionic tiles. The Lifewall tiles are designed so that any plant can grow on them, and when placed next to the Bionic tiles, the plants get the added benefit of the deconstructed nitrate from them (it acts as a natural fertilizer).
The company estimates that if 200 buildings were coated with Bionic tile, they would clean the air for more than 400,000 people.
Photo: Ceracasa