A 7.6m2 / 82 sq ft. antique ceramic in cool tones c.1904-1911

A fully restored antique ceramic floor, complete with its original border tiles, reclaimed from the reception room of a house in the northeastern suburb of Bondy, Paris. The floor totals 7.6m2 / 82 sq ft.

For provenance, the floor was manufactured by Societe Anonyme des Carrelages et Produits Ceramiques de CHIMAY Forges-lez-Chimay, Belgique, c.1904-1911, and we include in the photo gallery scans from their original catalogue presenting the tiles.

Although manufactured earlier than the Art Deco period, the design of the floor shows early Art Deco influence, particularly in the use of bold geometry, symmetry, and a clean, stylized pattern. While the base design carries strong echoes of Moorish and Victorian tile traditions—especially in the floral/star motifs and lattice structures—the sharp lines, repeating rectilinear borders with their stars, and cool, limited colour palette also reflect key elements of the Art Deco style.

Art Deco, which bloomed in the 1920s and 30s, often incorporated geometric repetition, symmetry, and industrial precision—traits clearly present here in the crisp black-and-blue diagonals, the rectangular medallions in the borders, and the overall structured layering of the pattern. The way the borders are stacked and framed gives it a very designed look, with a focus on modernity and elegance rather than organic or overly ornate detail.

So, while the tile work may be rooted in older traditions, it’s fair to say this particular floor blends Art Deco stylization with historic tile-making techniques, placing it stylistically in the transitional period between the late 19th century and early 20th century.

The floor has restored very well, as the high-resolution photographs of a random section show; the ceramic is of excellent quality, colours are consistent and, aside from the occasional groutable edge nibbles or small chips on a few tiles expected of a floor over 100 years old, it is in excellent condition. Being ceramic, these 15mm / 0.6-inch-thick tiles can be laid with under-floor heating systems as they are superb distributors of heat.  As highly fired tiles, they are impervious to high summer and sub-zero winter temperatures and can therefore be laid inside or outside the home.  their beauty.

Tiles quantities

FIELD tiles - 270 -  5.7m2 / 61.3 sq ft.

LARGE BORDER tiles - 42 plus 4 corner tiles - 1m2 / 11 sq ft. or 6.7 linear metres / 21.9 linear feet

HALF-SIZED BORDER tiles - 80 plus 8 corner tiles - 0.9m2 or 12.2 linear metres / 40 linear feet

NOTE Antique tiles were most commonly made in single or two tile moulds. Before current computer automation methods their moulds were made by hand and the colour slips mixed by eye. Kiln temperatures could also be variable, as could the firing time. The result is that tiles often 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.