Pattern Talavera Tiles

The Classics
This design range is comprised of the most timeless Spanish, Mexican & Mediterranean tile designs dating back many centuries. Whether you want a subdued romantic fireplace surround or a lively kitchen backsplash that exudes fiesta fun, this range has your tile.

Arabesque Lantern Tiles
Handcrafted, traditional tiles that recreate the classic lantern shape using our time-honoured techniques. With these unique tiles, it is the shape that catches the eye! 

Moroccan Inspired Designs
These tiles have been selected from the Classics ranges because they can be used to obtain a Moroccan design. The patterns, strength and colours of these tiles are ideal for Moroccan interiors.

Antique Inspired Designs
These tiles have been selected from other ranges because they have an antique presence and quality about them. These tiles are all handmade and hand painted and their characteristics mirror those found in authentic antique tiles.

The Solids
This design range offers a variety of solid coloured tiles to complete your project. These tiles are also handmade and hand painted.

Mixed Sets
Combinations of tiles are showcased for the designer who wants to have fun and create a random design. The sets are creative and inspiring and may tempt you to create your own mixed set. 

All of these beautiful tiles are handmade and hand painted and feature centuries old designs originating from some of the world’s most culturally rich and colourful places like Spain, Portugual, Morocco, Mexico & the rest of Latin America. Their tiles are known as Talavera ceramics.  Talavera ceramics date back to 15th century Spain.  At the time, the Spanish used clay and fire to make ceramics and then hand painted each piece with designs derived from their cultural influences --  Italy, Portugual, Morocco and Asia.  The Spanish then introduced the art form to Mexico where today Talavera artisans are still creating beautiful handmade and hand painted tiles which showcase the exquisite designs of centuries past and lands far away.

What makes these  tiles so beautiful and captivating is the fact that each tile has very subtle differences due to the handmade processes.  The tiles are naturally rustic in appearance which gives off a warm and inviting feeling.  Each tile has a unique charm which machine-made tiles can not replicate.

Whether you are looking for tiles with a distinct Spanish, Mediterranean, Moroccan or Mexican style or perhaps want to have fun creating your own unique pattern using a mix of tiles.  Use them in and around your home to add beautiful colour and style.

Before buying Talavera Tiles read some of Important Information at the bottom of this page or inquire in store about the natural characteristics of Talavera Tiles. 

Talavera Tile Inspiration

Talavera tile is influenced by the traditional Spanish Talavera de la Reina pottery from Talavera de la Reina in Spain is a stunning decorating material. Talavera tile has a handmade and hand painted aesthetic using traditional Spanish and Mexican designs with a Mediterranean influence. This means there is lots of intricate designs and the colours pop at any opportunity. 

Talavera tile will be decorated with patterns, solids, animals, floral works and many more designs using bright Mediterranean colours such as red, yellow and green.

These rustic and hand made look talavera tiles make for fantastic DIY projects. Customers are delighted to use these tiles for wall decorations, borders, tabletops or as a picture frame.

If you are looking for the rustic and antique look of old Mexico, then these traditional tiles are just for you. Nerang Tiles has over 100 different Talavera designed tiles with a hand made and hand painted look. Get the look of Old Mexico with slight variations in colour and crazing to create a charm of traditional Talavera de la Reina in Spain in your own home.

Important Information About Talavera Tiles

​Please note that the following information is offered as a guide only and in all cases professional advice should be gained from a qualified industry specialist.

All talevera tiles are made by hand, therefore noticeable variations in thickness, colour, shade and size are to be expected. Edge chips, blowouts, scratches, crazing and warping are a normal occurrence for this archaic tile. These irregularities give Talavera tiles their unique and enduring beauty that has a wonderful organic and natural feel.

IMPORTANT: Due to the noticeable colour and shade variations, it is very important to blend the tiles from ALL BOXES once they arrive and place them in their installation area to ensure you have the layout you want before installing. Do not install without blending tiles from all boxes. There is also colour and size variation between batches that will be hard to match with an add on order, please keep this in mind when calculating your order, and be sure to purchase enough material.

What may be considered a flaw, fault or defect in other tile ranges such as vast colour variations between tiles, varying shapes and sizes is NOT a flaw, fault or defect. We do not accept returns of talevera tiles. They are sold with the understanding that all the characteristics as outlined here have been explained and or shown to the customer.

Lipping of the tiles is normal and cannot be avoided.

Talavera tiles are a form of ceramic art and should not be compared to machine-made tiles. A grout joint of 5mm -/+ is recommended to accommodate for the size variation that can be -/+ 8mm.

​All of Talavera Tiles and Encaustic Tiles displayed on this page are handmade and hand painted. Slight variations in each tile's size, weight and paint should always be expected. Some crazing marks will be noticeable and the tiles may not be perfectly flat or square. These characteristics are not faults. The imperfections of Talavera tiles are what give them their antique look, personality and charm. Talavera tiles are a form of ceramic art and should not be compared to machine-made tiles. This means that larger grout joints need to be considered and planned before installation.

What Grout Joint Should Be Used for Talavera Tiles?
The size of the grout joint for Talavera Tiles is completely personal and up to you and the design in which you want to achieve. The most common grout width is 5mm for handmade tiles however if you are aiming for a more rustic charm use a 6mm grout joint.

If you want to recreate the tile arrangements found in old Spanish, Mediterranean and Californian homes, a fine grout line is recommended.  Keep in mind, the finer your grout line, the more apparent the tile characteristics become.  So uneven edges, slight size differences, paint differences will be more noticeable.  

Remember when you are deciding on a grout line that a fine grout line will exaggerate the characteristics of the tiles while a wider grout line will tend to blend the tiles.  We strongly recommend that you or your tiler lay out your tiles prior to the job beginning so that you can decide what size grout line and what tile layout appeals most to you.

What colour grout should I use?
The most popular colour is off-white.  However to showcase the crazing lines in the Talavera Tiles choose a contrasting colour grout to the tile. For a more unified appearance choose a colour similar to the tile. If a darker colour grout to the Talavera Tile colour is selected and used it is advised to sealing the Talavera Tiles prior to grouting as the dark grout colour can get caught in the crazing lines on the face of the Talavera Tiles accentuating the crazing lines further.   

Do I need to seal my Old World tiles?  
The tiles are glazed therefore they are already fairly resistant to the elements.  However, we do recommend that you thinly apply a water repellent and a sealer for more protection.  Make sure these steps are done when the tile and grout joints are completely dry.  If using in wet areas, always use a water repellent and sealer.  An experienced tiler can recommend the best practice and products.  If using a dark colour grout with light coloured tiles or tiles with light backgrounds, we advise sealing the tiles prior to grouting as the dark grout colour can get caught in the crazing lines on the face of the tiles accentuating the crazing lines.

Authenticity

Nerang Tiles on distributes talavera tiles of the finest quality ceramic tiles.  All of the talavera tiles are inspected prior to import and we never accept tiles that are seconds or off-cuts.  The talavera tile range showcases painted designs that are timeless and have been created by true artisans.  

Talavera tiles are handmade so no two tiles are identical. The talavera tile range  have been used in many of the finest homes and commercial applications in Australia and throughout the world. Colours used in these tiles may vary from batch to batch and while we will assist you in your selection when asked, we are unable to guarantee colour matching because our suppliers deviate with their colours from time to time.      

All talavera tiles are not imitations. Many other manufacturers' attempt to copy these hand painted talavera tiles but have fall short of the authentic tile. 

The painting technique and designs customary in real authentic tiles result in a uniquely organic tile full of character.  The gorgeous variations between tiles is difficult to imitate by modern techniques, paints, molds and other mass production practices.