Large antique carreaux de ciments floor c.1920 in a warm palette (CM33)

Reclaimed from the reception room of a town house in Thiennes in the Nord department of France a large, 19.5m2+ / 210 sq ft, antique carreaux de ciments floor beautifully framed by its original same size and half size border tiles.

The main field and large border tiles are 20cm sq, close to 2cm thick and weigh c. 2 kilos each.

The palette is a mix of warm and cool tones; mustard and red meet mid greys, charcoal and mediterranean blue piping. The field tile is a classical geometric four tile motif but the same size large borders are fluid and indulgent with art nouveau influences. Between the two are a half sized border 20cm long by 10cm wide.

Years of old wax and dirt have been painstakingly removed tile by tile and the floor has cleaned well, it now being in its matt state, and it will required sealing and/or waxing once relaid. The floors patina is aged and rich, some tiles display surface crackling, some occassional chips and nibbles and the photographs below are of a representative sample of the floor. Being carreaux de ciments and cured rather than fired, the tiles should only be laid internally unless you live in a climate where there is no risk of sub zero temperatures. Internally, the tiles can be used with underfloor hearing systems (they were rather warm after only 15 minutes in the sun during the photo shoot below!)

Tile quantities, give or take one or two:-

FIELD – 350

LARGE BORDERS – 80 (4 corners)

SMALL BORDERS – 120 (3 corners)

plus a very large quantity of offcuts for cutting and keying