FRUIT SALAD IS HERE! 🍑🍍🍊🍒🍉A Chromatic New Cement Tile Series by Avery Thatcher of Juju Papers
Handmade Cement Tiles in Electrifying Color
Avery Thatcher, founder / creative director of Portland, Oregon-based wallcoverings studio Juju Papers, adds a new category to her offerings: cement tile. The first series, Fruit Salad, is handmade ceramic encaustic tile, in kaleidoscopic color, calling for a serendipitous installation method.
Thatcher, who had experience setting tile prior to making her name as a wallpaper designer, wanted to bring the complexity and ornamentation of a handmade mosaic into a room without requiring a complicated installation. Tile installers accustomed to natural stone will recognize her installation technique, which entails selecting and spontaneously rotating each tile’s placement in turn.
FRUIT SALAD IN WHITE-RED and WHITE-BLUE RANDOMLY MIXED AND ROTATED 1:1
“Tile contours traditionally tend to be symmetrical. I wanted to flip the script and create a design that felt more experimental,” Thatcher notes. “The impromptu installation results in a truly random, scattered, colorful pattern; the warmth of a Persian rug combined with the pigment richness and vibrancy of a Morris Lewis painting.”
FRUIT SALAD IN BLACK-RED and BLACK-BLUE RANDOMLY MIXED AND ROTATED 1:1
Design professionals will have a first look during ICFF, at Juju Papers’ booth # 122. Intended for both indoor and outdoor residential, hospitality, workplace and public spaces, Fruit Salad will be available beginning mid-May.
FRUIT SALAD IN WHITE-RED, WHITE-BLUE,
BLACK-RED and BLACK-BLUE RANDOMLY MIXED AND ROTATED 1:1
Made by hand, one at a time in Mexico, the 8”-diameter hexagonally-shaped cement tiles sport a billowy, five-color wave motif. Two colorways -- one with white center, one with black – include such sumptuous hues as lilac, persimmon, ocre, blush and military blue. Colors may be customized. A low-energy, no-fire process creates a deliciously washy matte finish.
Durable and Safe
Tile ingredients - marble dust, Portland cement, sand, mineral pigments, concrete - combined with the 1,700 PSI mechanical hydraulic presses used in manufacturing, ensure these tiles are durable enough for residential and commercial applications and both indoor and outdoor use. The tiles are a hefty ⅝” high, and weigh in at 3 lbs a piece. Adding to the durability, the wear (top) layer is a full ⅛” thick, which makes them appropriate for both floors and walls. The coefficient of friction is also well over the .42 standard - averaging in at .65 - making it safe for commercial traffic and wet applications.