Coverings 2012: Fireclay Tile

Artisanal tile company Fireclay was at Coverings for the first time this year and exhibited their brand of glass and ceramic tile that's a treat to look at and boasts some mighty strong environmental creds. The company, based in San Jose, California, was founded in 1986 and churns out thousands of pieces of tile, which is all made in the United States. They launched a couple new lines, Crush (a tile made from 100% recycled glass) and the Runway Collection by Austin-based designer Kelly LaPlante, along with some tried and tested favorites.
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One of the designs in the runway collection by Kelly LaPlante for Fireclay Tile.

One of the designs in the runway collection by Kelly LaPlante for Fireclay Tile.

Here's another one of the designs by Kelly LaPlante for Fireclay Tile.

Here's another one of the designs by Kelly LaPlante for Fireclay Tile.

Crush is a new line of tile made from 100 percent recycled glass. They currently offer 40 different colors and 17 different shapes, but the 70s feel of these orange diamond-shaped tiles was what caught my eye.

For their Glazed Thin Brick line, Fireclay partnered with one of the oldest brick makers in California, McNear Brick & Block, which has been in operation since 1868. The line is made from recycled earth and comes in nine colors. The company recently made this great video detailing the manufacturing process:



Austin designer Kelly La Plante collaborated with Fireclay on a line of fashion-inspired pieces. More often than not, fashion-inspired translates to overly-trendy, but these worked. I really loved the playful shapes of the patterns and how they fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

Coverings 2012: Fireclay Tile - Photo 3 of 4 -
Coverings 2012: Fireclay Tile - Photo 4 of 4 -
Diana Budds
A New York-based writer, Diana studied art history and environmental policy at UC Davis.

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