Custom Kitchen Backsplash, Handmade Stoneware Tiles, A Step by Step Process
I have been busy designing and creating a kitchen backsplash, from deciding on the general layout to planning the overall theme to choosing a general color scheme. It has already been three months in the making. Tiles have to dry slowly which allowed me to carefully consider each step along the way.
First was to discuss what the clients wanted. Based on the location of the house in rural Wisconsin and their outdoor interests, we came up with a list of ideas. I measured and took pictures. I took all the information home and gathered my thoughts. One thing that kept coming back was the rooster trivet they have. The simplicity in the curves and the brightness of colors seemed to fit in well and made its way onto the backsplash that will be installed over the stove. Their love of nature and gardening inspired the tile themes that will run along the countertop, interspersed between plain tiles.
After the designing was finished, it was time to roll out the clay and start cutting. Each batch of twenty-five pounds made only about 35 tiles so I needed to repeat this step several times. When the tiles are initially cut they are too wet to handle without causing warping. They need to be covered with a hard board and allowed to harden. This step takes time, patience, and a lot of space in the studio! Every couple of days I would peek under the board (topped with paint cans for extra weight) and inspect them for moisture content. Finally they were ready for smoothing.
Each tile needs to be refined and shaped along its edge. I use burlap underneath to give some texture that will adhere better to the mortar, but I also turn each over and trim out some additional grooves with a ribbon tool. Once this lengthy process is over and the tiles are completely bone dry, they can be bisque fired.
Meanwhile, I chose a color palette for the tiles. I wanted a bright, cheery theme without being too gaudy. I bought a new assortment of Amaco matte glazes and made a few test tiles. The background color was the hardest to choose and took me until I had already glazed the rooster mural and each decorative tile to finally realize which it should be. The dark blue in the rooster body was the natural choice. Like the blue of the sky, it would allow the richness of the colors in each design to be highlighted. And the light orange of the clients' kitchen would complement the blue as well.
Each hand carved design needed to be carefully glazed with fine brushes and then covered with wax resist. The wax keeps the background color off of the design. Then each tile was brushed with blue and fired again.
Next up is the installation. I bought some mortar and grout and will head over with all the tiles in the coming week. More pictures of the end result will surely follow. I love making custom orders because I know exactly where and how my work will be enjoyed. Now off to the kitchen - where a 'Guten Appetit' for my custom tile work is waiting!
I have been busy designing and creating a kitchen backsplash, from deciding on the general layout to planning the overall theme to choosing a general color scheme. It has already been three months in the making. Tiles have to dry slowly which allowed me to carefully consider each step along the way.
First was to discuss what the clients wanted. Based on the location of the house in rural Wisconsin and their outdoor interests, we came up with a list of ideas. I measured and took pictures. I took all the information home and gathered my thoughts. One thing that kept coming back was the rooster trivet they have. The simplicity in the curves and the brightness of colors seemed to fit in well and made its way onto the backsplash that will be installed over the stove. Their love of nature and gardening inspired the tile themes that will run along the countertop, interspersed between plain tiles.
Meanwhile, I chose a color palette for the tiles. I wanted a bright, cheery theme without being too gaudy. I bought a new assortment of Amaco matte glazes and made a few test tiles. The background color was the hardest to choose and took me until I had already glazed the rooster mural and each decorative tile to finally realize which it should be. The dark blue in the rooster body was the natural choice. Like the blue of the sky, it would allow the richness of the colors in each design to be highlighted. And the light orange of the clients' kitchen would complement the blue as well.
Each hand carved design needed to be carefully glazed with fine brushes and then covered with wax resist. The wax keeps the background color off of the design. Then each tile was brushed with blue and fired again.
Next up is the installation. I bought some mortar and grout and will head over with all the tiles in the coming week. More pictures of the end result will surely follow. I love making custom orders because I know exactly where and how my work will be enjoyed. Now off to the kitchen - where a 'Guten Appetit' for my custom tile work is waiting! 
