You probably know that Heath’s made-to-order tile can come in 100 or so different glazes. You also probably know that because of the materials, and the handcrafted nature of our tile (more on that here) there can be a fair amount of variation in our glazes. To help our clients, we give each glaze a variation rating from 1-5+, 5+ being the most variable. About 50% of our tiles have a variation rating of 4 or 5.
So really, 100+ glazes becomes more like 350, and that’s a pretty powerful palette to work with. The key to unlocking the power of this palette is knowing how to take advantage of the higher variation glazes. As Catherine Bailey, Heath’s Creative Director says, “When you’re working with high variation, it’s almost like you’re painting. And it’s probably helpful to have a professional installer with an artist’s eye." Here are three ways we love to see designers use variation.
1. Embrace color but dial down its intensity with a higher variation glaze. The effect is softer and more organic, unique, and sophisticated.
So really, 100+ glazes becomes more like 350, and that’s a pretty powerful palette to work with. The key to unlocking the power of this palette is knowing how to take advantage of the higher variation glazes. As Catherine Bailey, Heath’s Creative Director says, “When you’re working with high variation, it’s almost like you’re painting. And it’s probably helpful to have a professional installer with an artist’s eye." Here are three ways we love to see designers use variation.
1. Embrace color but dial down its intensity with a higher variation glaze. The effect is softer and more organic, unique, and sophisticated.
2. Use variation as the concept for your overall look. Make the variation the statement, and push it further by mixing tonal color with high variation.
3. Create strong – but subtle – visual interest without having to choose multiple glazes, or a bolder repeating pattern, or graphic tile. By sorting through the tiles and placing like tones with each other, create a color blocking or fade patterns.
The wonderful thing about using tile with variation? No two surfaces will be alike.
All this variation is by design: we make our own glazes, handcraft our own tiles, apply glaze by hand, and carefully calibrate the range of variation we find acceptable. The result? More beautiful options for more beautiful spaces.
Get your full Glaze 101 lesson here. Follow @tilemakestheroom on Instagram, and stay tuned for more Tile Insider insight into the alchemy of glaze, clay, and fire.
Header image credit: Shower by Christina Zamora: Half hex tile in M63Fog. Photo by Jeffery Cross
All this variation is by design: we make our own glazes, handcraft our own tiles, apply glaze by hand, and carefully calibrate the range of variation we find acceptable. The result? More beautiful options for more beautiful spaces.
Get your full Glaze 101 lesson here. Follow @tilemakestheroom on Instagram, and stay tuned for more Tile Insider insight into the alchemy of glaze, clay, and fire.
Header image credit: Shower by Christina Zamora: Half hex tile in M63Fog. Photo by Jeffery Cross
