Designers and architects are choosing traditional clay quarry tiles and brick slips from British manufacturer Ketley Brick for flooring and cladding in trendy bars and restaurants. These clay products give authenticity to newly designed spaces, are extremely durable, have excellent slip resistant qualities and require minimal maintenance once they are laid. Made in much the same way and from the same clay as engineering bricks, they are frost resistant and can therefore be used both internally and externally. Naomi Doran from Relic Interiors London, who designs the Draft Houses explains, “I love these floor tiles as they give the impression that they are integral to the building, that they have always been there and have just been uncovered. Unlike a lot of other floor tiles that have perfect regular finishes, these tiles are effectively thin bricks. Their finish has imperfections and irregularities that can transform an interior and give the space a warmth and character from the moment they are laid. The variety of colours and sizes available in the range makes them very versatile and I find that I can achieve a very different look by using a different colour or laying pattern.”
Gundry and Ducker have used Ketley Quarry tiles at the new Temper restaurant in Soho. Brick sized Staffordshire blue tiles have been used both on the floor and to clad the walls, and are a key feature in the design of this large trendy space. A combination of Staffordshire Blue Brick slips and bricks also played a big part in Universal Design Studios high quality refurbishment of the former Crowne Plaza Hotel in Shoreditch, now the Ace Hotel. The blue brick used has given an “uber-cool” feel to the boutique Hotel and creates a sleek and modern look whilst also blending in with the Shoreditch Streetscape. The project and the Ketley Brick slips were awarded a prestigious Brick Award for Best Refurbishment.
Foster and Partners chose Ketley’s Quarry tiles for the flooring at the new Maggie Centre in Manchester which opened last year. They used a natural palette of materials including clay and wood with the aim of merging the building with its surrounding landscape. The Staffordshire blue paving on the veranda and in the garden blends perfectly with the Staffordshire blue quarry tiles inside the building, helping to blur the distinction between inside and out.
Alex Patrick-Smith, Ketley Bricks’ Managing Director comments “our quarry tiles are a traditional authentic clay product that are being increasingly used in modern spaces where they add character and warmth. Their durability and excellent slip resistant qualities in both wet and dry conditions make them highly suitable for commercial projects. When architects and designers are looking to merge inside areas with external spaces, they can provide a seamless transition, their frost resistance and durability ensure that their performance is not in question allowing the aesthetic considerations to be preeminent.
