Journal

Truly Artisanal Production

At Claybrook we love finding smaller firms to work with who can produce great quality handmade tiles over and over again. With generations of experience crafting fine products at their atelier in the south-west of Italy, we were delighted to meet a talented family and even more excited once we started working on tile together.

Wood that's covetable as well as sustainable

The beauty and practicality of wood as a use for flooring has long been recognized. It was in the 17^th century though that panels were designed for Versailles to replace marble as the practical floor of choice. 

Our Studio at 123 Curtain Road, London

When we created Claybrook we knew we wanted a studio space that would cater to homeowners and contract specifiers alike. It had to be accessible but with an edge. Big enough to display our full range of tiles from day one, but flexible enough to allow us to grow over time, and in an interesting building located somewhere with buzz. 

Next stop Arizona

Next stop on the Claybrook express has been the wonderful city of Scottsdale Arizona. Perhaps not the most obvious place for us to find beautiful tile product but Scottsdale it was. The temperatures regularly hit the 100F mark and so we were a little perturbed to be told ‘that’s nothing, wait till its 120F, you can fry an egg on your car hood and in 2017 the road signs melted’. 

In with the new

It's so lovely when new ranges that we have been working on behind the scenes at Claybrook HQ are ready for their big reveal. I find the manufacture and selection of ranges is as much about editing out ideas and options as designing features in. Ultimately though, wall and floor tile production are limited only in terms of the imagination of the creatives behind them, although other parameters do come into play.

The Marvel of Marble...

In a previous role as creative director for an interiors brand it was my job to spot what was coming next in terms of domestic interiors. Not so much for a season or two but looks that would be around for years to come. 

Moroccan Adventures

Claybrook recently visited the amazing city of Marrakech in the north west of Africa, home to secret gardens, maze-like alleyways and more hustle and bustle than seems credible in one place. Densely packed, the walled medieval city is renown as a meeting place and economic centre like no other with influences that include Arabian, Berber (a key ethnic group indigenous to North Africa) as well as European.

On the road

At Claybrook we are on the road quite a bit searching the world for the most beautiful handmade wall tiles and lovely floor tiles, as well as wood flooring.

I thought I would share a few handy tips based on what we have learned along the way in the name of creating stunning interiors.

Head over heels...

It’s a funny old thing when colours become fashionable after languishing in the dark for eons. Why certain colours become de rigeur can be hard to trace. 

Navajo Hand Decorated Tiles

When researching the styles and motifs behind our Navajo range it became clear that the designs are rooted in a long and admirable history of people, struggle and inspiration.

Money, money, money

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what constitutes ‘good value’. Consultants will tell you that it is the perceived benefit of something minus the perceived price. In other words, the more you feel you are getting in quantity or quality terms for the cheapest price the happier you feel.