Early 20th century Sand & Cie French ceramic c.20m2 / 215 sq ft

An exceptional early 20th-century French ceramic floor, produced by Carrelages Ceramiques Sand & Cie, Feignes, covering approximately 20m2 / 215 sq ft. This rare ensemble includes the principal field tiles along with full-size and half-size borders—an original, documented set, with scans from the maker’s catalogue that echo its remarkable provenance.

Each 15.5cm / 6.1 inch tile, 15mm / 0.59 inch thick and weighing over 1.1 kg / 2.4lbs, forms part of a dramatic four-tile motif that reveals itself as a lush, ornamental composition. The pattern is bold in both scale and spirit—exquisitely rendered with crisp detailing and rich colouration that evokes the finesse of hand-painted work. Meticulously cleaned, the surface now radiates its original clarity; a small number of tiles display groutable small chips or edge nibbles, commensurate with age, and all adding to the antique charm of the floors patina as displayed in the high resolution photographs. 

The border tiles are a visual crescendo—finely executed and rhythmically styled, they embody the geometry and sweep of early French art nouveau design, enhancing the drama of the central field. Altogether, this floor doesn’t whisper—it announces itself.

Highly fired and exceptionally durable, it’s compatible with underfloor heating systems and can be laid indoors or out. Whether in a grand entrance, garden room, or creative commercial space, it transforms flooring into visual theatre and given the bold and ornate design it would also work very effectively visually as a carpet style feature in a larger area, framed by an antique wood or a complimentary ceramic.

If you’d like help imagining how this would settle into your space, we would be happy to explore the layout possibilities for you. 

Tile quantities:-

FIELD TILES - 655 tiles - 15.75m2 / 170 sq ft.

LARGE BORDERS - 105 tiles plus 3 corner tiles* - 2.6m2 / 28 sq ft. or 16.8 linear metres / 55 sq ft.

SMALL BORDERS - 145 tiles plus 1 corner tile* - 1.75m2 / 18.8 sq ft. or 22.5 linear metres / 74 linear ft.

* The missing border corners can be mitre cut by the tiler 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.