If you think of cement tiles, no doubt you'll have one of Popham Design image saved in your Pinterest board (like mine on Floors) or in your Inspiration folder. Every single interior mag has been featuring stunning homes decorated with the highly colourful and bold patterns of Caitlin and Samuel Down-Sandes, the owners of the brand. They have revolutionised cement tile designs thanks to their vision and collaborative projects with international designers such as Claesson Koivisto Rune who designed the iconic Dandelion tile.
So when I knew we were going to Marrakech this Winter I immediately contacted their Head Office which is located at about 10mn car drive from the city center.
We were greeted by the lovely Mariam who proudly showed us around their beautiful showroom, with floor to ceiling examples of their most iconic designs.
Here is Lucien in his djellaba in front of the blue and white wall panel featuring the ZigZag pattern.
Pentagone design:
Splinter asymmetrical design:
Mariam offered to give us a tour of their nearby factory and ask the kids if they wanted to make their own tile. The answer was a cheerful YES! OUI!
Our first impression beyond the amazement of the fine craftsmanship was the smile and the warm welcome we received from the artisans. They were so happy to share their skills and knowledge of their craft with us. It felt like entering into a large friendly family.
The children were fascinated by the process of layering the pigments, marble powder and cement into the different sections of the moulds. Each tile is entirely made by hand by these skilled artisans.
ZigZag design with a different pattern layout.
Check out their Pinterest, Instagram and website for an overview of their huge collection and colours.
I haven't even imagined how creative is the process of creating tiles!
Amazing!
Thanks for giving us a small insight!!
Posted by: πινακες | February 02, 2018 at 01:02 PM