Let's start with amazing southwestern tile

Talevera and Saltillo are names for mexican style tiles. The colors are absolutely bright and stunning. Many, many sonoran style homes incorporate tiling as both utilitarian and design.

Brightest of the tiles are the Talevera. Talevera is painted by hand for a uniform yet hand touched look. Often the painted patterns are designs that will, when assembled in rows and groups, display a new pattern based on all the little individual tiles. Talevera tile is usually sized under 8" and more often used in the 4" and 2" sizes. Great for framing doors and windows inside homes and outside. It's a wonderful way to add a little pop of color to an entry.

.........................This little tile, grouped together created the first two designs. Here's some more creations.

.........................:http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefourthman/479694034/

.........................:http://www.kitchen-design-ideas.org/mexican-kitchen-design.html

.........................http://www.kitchen-design-ideas.org/mexican-kitchen-design.html

.........................http://www.myrustica.com/media/00/a20792912dff75a8fca6be_m.jpg

.........................http://www.annsacks.com/design/installations/kitchen7.html

.......................http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilhuicamina/463956501/

.........................http://www.tierrayfuego.com/talavera-mexican-tile-sample-installations.html

.........................http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/05/05/happy-cinco-de-mayo-talavera-ware-tile/

Talevera is also created in other clay based products. The variety is endless! Painted tile is for sale everywhere in the U.S. southwest. Here in the Sonoran Desert it is a huge industry. The Sonoran Desert is in the U.S. and Mexico, just like Talevera...handmade in both.

.........................http://www.flickr.com/photos/mflick-photos/5994005826/

..........http://www.napastyle.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=4893&parentCategoryId=933&categoryId=652&subCategoryId=0

Very special tiles are available too. And this one, hand painted, is stunning.

........................http://mexicantiles.com/

Saltillo Tile is most often seen in flooring. It's the calm tile. Muted colors of russet and burnt sienna, oranges and brick red. It is the color of the clay, the ground and the mountains in the amazing southwest. One very cute detail seen often is puppy paw marks on the tiles. As handmade work, the tiles are lain out on the ground to dry in the sun before firing. In days past dogs may have left marks accidentally, but I see them so much now that I'm convinced it's a desirable trait on purpose.

.......................http://veronatile.com/saltillo-tile/

Thanks for visiting Sonoran Style,
Victoria Lavender