A 23m2 / 250 sq ft art nouveau Belgian ceramic with double borders

Geometry in Motion: A Stylised Art Nouveau Ceramic Floor by Société Anonyme AMAY, Belgium

This remarkable floor, crafted in the early 1900s by Société Anonyme AMAY, Belgium, is a rare expression of stylised Art Nouveau—an era defined not only by botanical ornamentation but also by its sweeping lines, precise symmetry, and reverence for architectural rhythm. Covering an impressive 23m² (248 sq. ft.), this high-fired encaustic ceramic floor is a masterwork of form, function, and modernist spirit.

At its core is a principal field tile whose design elegantly manifests itself across a four-tile tessellation: a graphic interplay of linear cross forms and dot detailing, structured and measured yet softly dynamic. The full-sized border tiles echo the same stylised geometry, framed neatly by their corner pieces, while a half-sized border tile introduces a lattice motif—subtly evoking ironwork grilles and glasswork tracery common to the period’s decorative vocabulary.

The palette is quietly poetic and distinctly early 20th century: a cool harmony of sage green, vieux rose, off-white, and charcoal—earth tones interpreted through a modernist lens, evoking nature not through illustration but through atmosphere. This sensitive use of colour and motif places the floor firmly in the tradition of Belgian Art Nouveau, where design was viewed as an architectural element in its own right.

Each tile—14 cm (5.5 inches) square or 14 x 7 cm for the half-borders, all approx. 15 mm (0.6 inches) thick—has been carefully cleaned and restored, arriving ready for reinstallation in a contemporary or historical context. Their durability and compatibility with underfloor heating make them as practical as they are beautiful. Accompanying the floor are scans of original Societe AMAY catalogue pages, grounding this piece in its historical origin while emphasizing its timeless relevance.

Reclaimed from the same house we have another Societe Amay floor of c.17m2 / 183 sq ft. in the same palette but with a subtly different field tile anchored by the same large border as this floor, presenting opportunities to use both of the floors in different areas. More details on the floor can be found if you click here

Tile quantities by tile type:-

Field tiles -  925 - 18.5m2 /  199 sq. ft

Large borders - 126 plus 4 corners - 2.6m2 /  27.4 sq.ft or 18.2 linear metres or 59.7 linear ft

Half size borders - 199 plus 6 corners* - 2m2 / 21.5 sq ft or 28.3 linear metres or 92.7 linear ft

*The missing corners can be mitre cut from the regular borders

NOTE:-
Antique tiles were most commonly made in single or two tile moulds. Before current computer automation methods their moulds were made my hand and the colour slips mixed by eye. Kiln temperatures could also be variable, as could the firing time. The result is that often tiles display subtle size and thickness variations and there can be tonal variations in colours, owing to the slip mixing and/or firing time. All of this makes these handmade tiles unique and adds to their charm. Some floors display their subtle variations in size and tones, some not, but when photographing we always take a random section of the floor so that it is representative of the whole. A tiler should always dry lay a section of the tiles to familiarise himself with them before starting to fix lay.