Good ideas for clay floors

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Fired clay tiles, which are still popular today, had their origin 4,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. During the Middle Ages in Europe, rust colored tiles were quite popular. You can still see these beautiful clay tiles in ancient monasteries in England. Spain and Portugal added a colorful touch by hand painting the tiles in bright colors to suit their sunny climate.It seems hard to believe that messy, sticky clay taken from the earth goes through a metamorphosis and becomes a beautiful floor that is hardwearing and long lasting. The changeover process is accomplished when the clay is fired to high temperatures in a kiln. Originally the clay was hand-molded into wooden boxes and left to dry. Once dry, the clay was fired in a kiln.Our current technology renders that process old fashioned. Mechanical presses use dust-dry clay instead of wet clay. These tiles are sometimes called terracotta, meaning burnt earth. Quarry tile is basically the same thing (quarry meaning square from the French term quarrel). The terracotta and quarry tile last a long, long time, since they have no pattern or paint to wear out.The joints between the tiles can add or subtract from the appearance of the floor. If they are too wide, they can overpower the tile, which in some cases might be good. For example, let's step out into the patio for a moment. If you want an old world look, use a thick (2 to 3 inch) grout between the terracotta tiles. If your breakfast room is adjacent to the patio, you might want to continue that patio floor into that room. On the other hand, if the tile is what you want to emphasize, the grout should be minimal.Still another idea is to use a colored grout that is different from the color of the tile. You will end up with a checkerboard pattern in the room. That can be quite complementary to the rest of the decor.Example: white tile, blue grout with a blue and white motif used in the rest of the room. If you are doing this in the kitchen, you might take it a step further and tile and grout the kitchen counter the same way. While we're at it, have a breakfast table made with a top that is tiled and grouted to match. Contrasting color grout, however, should not be used with irregular edged tiles.The irregularity in the tile will cause an uneven grout pattern that will look messy.Square tiles can be laid square or in a diamond pattern. The diamond pattern uses more tiles, as more material is wasted, particularly when you get to the perimeters of the room. The diamond pattern is always more dramatic. To add even more interest to your tile, consider a tile border. The border can be a different size or shape than the rest of the room or it can be the same but of a different color.Where do you put the border? Anywhere you like. Try the border two feet in from the walls. If the border is in a passage area where there will be no furniture, perhaps a circular pattern will look good.If there is furniture, border around the furniture.Just remember, anything goes, as long as you like it.(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color." For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest(at)aol.com