Marcia Margolius, the owner of the South African Decor & Design - The Buyers’ Guide -  has been on the hunt for the latest stylish products, and as with previous years Southern Art Ceramics has been chosen for our bespoke and One Of A Kind Handmade Tiles!

She picked this kitchen … and you can believe me, but only the owner of this house can experience the true and most awesome impact these tiles make every day, every hour, every moment the day progress!

For more comments on this kitchen, Hot Foot IT.

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And this is a first! Some of my modern abstract and brightly coloured arttiles in a kitchen!

The clients sourced these decorative handmade and painted tiles from our studio, but you can buy it online.

These brightly coloured oranges, grays, black and whites in the arttiles compliment and “speak” to a woven Kelim carpet with similar rich tones of reds and oranges on the floor, the red kettle and the silver Carrol Boyes bread bin.

The white tiles were sourced elsewhere and are not of those produced by us, - the client had already bought the white tiles and bought our decorative tiles afterwards to be used as inserts in-between these commercial tiles.

The kitchen forms part of a large open plan area with these tiles being the playful and happy center point of the entertainment area. The reds are warm and embrace the guests with a feeling of warmth and generosity.

Yes, you see, one can create a focal point with only 10 decorative arttiles from us!

A previous sale from our online site www.handmadetiles.co.za of similar tiles were acquired to be used as inserts in a floor - sorry, no images as yet!

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I like raw brick work, and this kitchen appeals to me, for many reasons!

First of all the confident use of colour - The red contemporary Delft style tiles with hand painted farm animals make a bold but homely Country Kitchen!

The red apple tile mimics the red knobs and is possibly the focal point as one enters this small but intimate kitchen.

The contrast in shapes, squares - small 100 x 100mm animal tiles and 140 x 140mm apple tile - rectangular brick shapes, etc. all make for a harmonious blend and contrasts of shapes and textures. On the floor, not shown in this picture, is a big colorful woven Kelim complimenting all the colours and the geometric patterns of the brickwork.

Textures play an important role in this kitchen - gloss against the matt bricks - smooth granite and glazed surfaces against the woven carpet and rough bricks - similarity of the granite surface to the background of the apple tile - etc. etc.

The large surfaces of sage green used on the cupboards balance the limited use of bright red, - with the green enhancing the calm and relaxed entertaining mood and the red signals that wholesome meals made with abundant love, will be served from this kitchen!

The most important for me, is the fact that with the limited use of our arttiles the client could create such an awesome and vibrant One Of A Kind and Unique Country Kitchen!

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The Boshoffs visited our studio to commission tiles for their new kitchen in Vermont, Hermanus, but instead fell in love with these overrun tiles from a previous commission for the van Louws in Somerset-west near Cape Town.

Our designers delivered a delicate cobalt blue frame instead of the wider more bulky variant that the client opted for. This extra option was used instead, and the client agrees that the narrow frame was the best option.

The handmade tiles are glazed with a buttery but super white glaze, and besides looking good it feels great to the touch as well!

These tiles are concave and their unevenness creates a fantastic play of light reulting in varied tones of white giving an almost mystical appeal - enhancing the relaxed and leisurely atmosphere any kitchen needs.

The ceramic backsplash behind a gas hob is the focal point for all the guests as they enter through the front door into the open plan living space on the ground floor.

The interior is an all white interior and the blue with some splashes of yellow harmonize perfectly with this seaside homes interior. The handmade textural Delft tiles attract attention and provide the ambiance for a happy get-together - for sure!

We often have enough tiles from contracts left - some with slight defects, for example the distorted tiles in the panel above, that we could discount for a One Of A Kind Kitchen, Unique and Spectacular Kitchen, Just For YOU!

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This Danish kitchen was our first Scandinavian contract for exclusive handmade tiles.

The brickwork of this house is an old pattern that can be seen on houses and castles from the middle ages.

The woodwork and hood above and around the extractor must still be installed, and the final images will be posted at a later time.

The client requested samples of the different handmade metro tiles that we produce. It was delivered to her within 7 working days. On seeing the samples, all made using different processes, she requested a custom tile to be produced using specific elements from the different sample tiles. She chose a handmade convex brick shaped tile with an old crackled patina and colour in the glaze. No sample of the new prototype had to be delivered.

At first specific danish words were considered for the panel, but in the end English was the chosen format.

And some compliments!

“Hi Gerrit

Now I am flabbergast (new word for me ) Your service is amazing !

Best regards

Susanne“

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This client approached me for handmade backsplash tiles for behind her stove. A special request was made for a matt, low gloss glaze with a mix of oriental grey-blues and a warm stone cream.

Behind the stove is an ledge, and for these we had to customize the size of the tile. These tiles were pre-cut before the actual glazing and the front edges were mitered for a close fit.

The grey was formulated as three tones although each was a colour by itself and not a tone of each other. We arrange multiples of these tiles and then formulate the colours to achieve a certain feel - ” a colour range that will appeal to the senses”. Handmade tiles owns its space and the inherent character of the handmade tiles can not be replicated by mass production.  Clients often provide reference colours for us to mimic, and with our experience and intimate knowledge of tiles and the interaction of colour and texture, we most often deliver a product that delivers past the expectation of the client!

The previous two kitchens that I was fortunate to see for myself, were an experience one can only relate, if you are in a kitchen where our tiles have been used - you will see that no picture can do merit to the actual result - believe me - REVIVE your kitchen now, and experience it first hand!

And here is the clients feedback:

“Hi Gerrit

Here is a testimonial, and I really mean it. Thanks for a great job!

We spend a lot of time cooking and eating in our kitchen. I was looking handmade tiles that I saw in a picture from an old  magazine, for that something special. I found Gerrit’s website on the internet, and was impressed with what I saw. With distance making it impossible to view samples, he couriered samples to us from Cape Town. He put tremendous effort in to get the right colours. I am delighted with Gerrit’s handmade tiles! It adds colour and depth to our kitchen, and really is a focal point. The  service was very professional, and it was that something special that I was looking for!

Kind regards
Marianne Brown”

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At last!, a few interior  images of one of the Benguerra villas that we were involved with.

Below, you can see the detail and accuracy involved when we produce the tiles. The corner tiles were mitered for a snug fit and small inserts were made to finish off small areas. We worked from detailed architectural drawings and in turn provided detailed diagrams for installation. At the studio templates were drawn of the scaled architectural drawings and the completed tiles were then arranged on these templates to assure that it will fit when the contractors install the intricate patterns. The installation diagrams were not always followed, I suppose it was due to the learning curve, when the contractors, possibly for the first time ever, had to install handmade geometric designs like these! But, you must agree - the end result is still awesome!

These majestic columns are the foundation of these African inspired interiors. Besides the columns we produced thousands of green mosaics for tiled built in benches, of which we unfortunately have no good images as yet.

To create harmonious interiors we need to play with for example, contrasts, as one of the design elements. The shiny cool glass or glaze of the tiles will be used to contrast with the matt earthiness of Cemcrete Earth Coats, a cement based paint produced by the client and owner of Cemcrete in South Africa. The smooth tiles will also be utilized to contrast with the textured fabrics and coarse wall coats.

The rich saturated African colour scheme was carried through in all the materials and is the powerful cohesive force working on the emotive interpretation of the visitor and/or guest.

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Our ongoing customized colour & glaze development has as a result enhanced another “One Of A Kind Kitchen”.  These handmade and hand dipped porcelain tiles with their green-grey tones with a slight smokiness to them but at the same time the colour is pure enough to be fresh, resulting in a timeless and sophisticated finish, and will attract many more compliments in the decades to come!

The handmade ceramic tiled backsplash with French words have refreshed this classically English inspired kitchen, with a surprising French flair.

The incredible and overwhelming  response from her friends and visitors caused this client to remark ” It was a bargain!” I am extremely confident that our commodity delivers more value per rand than any of the other appliances and decorative enhancments that a client will aquire for their kitchen!

The uniqueness of our products will always deliver value for your money - our product is more than just a tile, it is a commodity, designed with care and with special attention to your interior needs!

We are the top customization studio around and I believe that no kitchen can be truly One Of A Kind without our commodities.

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It took us more than a year to photograph this kitchen with it’s joyous green backsplash tiles. What a pleasant occasion! First of all, being situated in Higgovale, Cape Town, just below Table Mountain makes for a stunning position … a dream come true. The kitchen is a true showcase of a young artistic family, with the mother and children indulging in art, creating these awe-inspiring horses and elephants during their spare time in a petite studio with a true IMAX view!

The client requested a mix of green tones in these chunky tiles. The greens were customized and has since been a hit with other tile contracts as well.

One would expect to find these tiles in a country farm kitchen, but this nothing like that, it is modern with the all important tiles adding soulfulness, a quality so often neglected by professional teams when they design the most important room in your house! It compliments the modern materials like the stainless steel rails and cast concrete work surfaces, but at the same time finds support in the character of the checkerboard wood table where the family sits, eats and shares!

Green creates an atmosphere of harmony, balance and peace. The green glaze radiates sympathy, kindness and understanding and it is a call for us to come home, to rest and to share precious time with our beloved friends and family. Green develops an awareness of the soul and this next image relate to exactly that quality!

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There are so many ideas, and this is just but another one. Do you have any ideas of your own?

These same words can be done in French … of miskien Afrikaans!

This panel on a 30 working day delivery will cost R4772 and 20% less on a 45 working day delivery.

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