A bold 12m2 / 129 sq ft St. Remy, Chimay ceramic with triple borders

Reclaimed with care and restored to their former splendour, this antique Belgian ceramic floor offers a delightful composition of encaustic artistry and ornamental poise. The design, shamelessly bold and ornate, is thought to date to between 1920 and 1930 and was produced by Société Anonyme des Produits Céramiques, St. Remy, Chimay, it features two interlinking motifs achieved by the 4 tile tessellation of their 14cm / 5.5 inch square field tiles, complemented by identical-sized borders and their half-sized counterparts—laid in duplicate, geometrically framing the floor with rhythm.

Covering approximately 12m2 / 129 sq ft the surface unfolds in soft, balanced tones—neither bold nor faded, but quietly harmonious. The tiles, a robust 15mm / 5.9 inches thick, reveal a delicate antique patina; there is some tonal variation that adds charm and speaks to their handmade production in small batches. The high-resolution photographs in the gallery capture the floor’s character with accuracy: they are in good condition with only a small number of tiles bearing groutable edge nibbles and small chips as well as a few with shallow surface capillary cracks, formed when the tiles were cooling after leaving the kiln almost 100 years ago.

The original border corners—four large and four small—have all been recovered. For those envisioning a double layout, any additional corners required can easily be mitre cut from the regular border tiles, a practical solution that honours the geometry of the design. Mitre cutting border corner tiles from regular border tiles has been a common practice since tiles were first produced and laid. 

These are highly fired ceramics, requiring no sealant once laid—just a regular wash to keep them clean. Their strength and resilience make them just as suited to a garden room, conservatory, or patio as to a hallway or entrance. Wherever they’re laid, they bring enduring elegance and a legacy of Belgian ceramic tradition, full of personality.

Tile quantities, by tile type:-

FIELD - 475 tiles - 9.5m2 / 102 sq ft

LARGE BORDER - 70 tiles plus 4 corners - 1.45m2 / 15.6 sq ft. - 10.4 linear metres / 34 linear feet.

SMALL BORDER - 135 tiles plus 4 corners - 1.34m2 / 14.4 sq ft. - 18.9 linear metres / 62 linear feet*.

* halve the linear lengths for a double border lay.

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.