Concrete – Cement Tiles

Our decorative cement tiles in the Concrete - Cement Tiles collection celebrate the beauty of mineral colour and hand-crafted surface. Made from coloured concrete using natural pigments, they bring depth, softness and an earthy authenticity to interiors.

The collection is formed from pigmented cement and concrete mixes with matte mineral surfaces and subtle tonal variation. Many designs are embellished with small mosaic elements and tesserae of glass, stone, marble or shell. Against a material associated with weight and austerity, these flashes of colour and reflected light introduce unexpected decorative precision.

De Ferranti can supply concrete as modular tiles or, for suitable commissions, as poured in-situ work. Tiles bring rhythm, repeat and controlled pattern to walls and floors, while poured concrete can create a more continuous surface.

 

Decorative Cement Tiles, Concrete and Ornament

Concrete-like materials predate Rome, but Roman builders developed lime, aggregate and volcanic pozzolana into opus caementicium and used concrete at an extraordinary architectural scale, from vaults and harbour works to the Pantheon. In the twentieth century, Brutalism made a virtue of béton brut, or raw concrete, including the grain and board-marking left by formwork.

Concrete, however, need not remain stark. Carlo Scarpa's Brion Cemetery shows exquisitely detailed concrete combined with water, geometry and mosaic-framed openings. Frank Lloyd Wright's textile-block houses turned patterned cast concrete into both building fabric and ornament. Frank Gehry later paired glass with thousands of unique fibre-reinforced concrete panels at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, while Norman Foster's practice has explored both exposed in-situ concrete and advanced precast systems.

These decorative cement tiles work at a more intimate scale, using the cement field as a ground for ornament. Auric Fan, Charcoal Scroll and Terra Tessera set pale or luminous tesserae against mineral concrete. For larger decorative floors, De Ferranti's Stencilled, Painted Stone & Marble collection also shows how pattern can be carried onto poured concrete.

 

Tiles and Poured Concrete in Architecture

For project specification, samples, layout, grout, sealing, edges and installation should be considered together, with final suitability reviewed for the intended setting.

 

Project Guidance and Enquiries

For project guidance, availability, pricing, samples or further information, please contact us. Your enquiry will come directly to De Ferranti, and we will be pleased to discuss suitability, quantities, lead times and options for your project.