country floors debuts two painterly ceramic tile collections by erin adams

renowned product designer erin adams was invited to create a duo of contemporary ceramic tile collections exclusively for legacy american luxury tile brand, country floors. SCAPE and TERRAIN express an aesthetic that is at once ethereal and of the earth. country floors has championed the rise of artisan tile since its founding in the 1960s, and the tiles are made by the brand’s own artisans using a combination of old world techniques and state of the art technology.

country floors SCAPE chevron tiles by erin adams in mist blue

adams’ love of nature, art and pushing the boundaries of what materials can achieve are evident in the SCAPE collection for country floors, which evokes nature in a uniquely painterly way. her matte ceramic tiles awaken the senses, with washed watercolor glazes that suggest a variety of imagery. the overall effect could be interpreted as a seascape, a landscape, clouds or rolling mist. within each tile, tones range from pale to intense, with a matte finish that underscores the watercolor theme. SCAPE creates an artful and remarkably clean surface ideal for creating distinctive yet versatile feature walls in contract or residential built environments, and is offered in a cool, foggy grey called ‘storm’ or a fresh, saturated indigo called ‘mist’. 

country floors SCAPE subway tiles by erin adams in storm grey

SCAPE in ‘storm grey’ adorns this bath design

SCAPE evokes a watercolor interpretation of a sky or seascape

meanwhile with TERRAIN, adams creates a soothing, abstract, marbleized effect quite similar to that of natural stone. a closer look reveals that the bold, glossy, ceramic hexagons and elongated rectangles bear the swirling shading and tinting that are hallmarks of topography, where natural features such as landforms, water courses and vegetation are charted from above. the ‘haku’ line was inspired by a japanese mountainscape; ‘sedona’ by the high desert in arizona; and ‘saturn’ by the planet’s icy rings. the three swirling styles each come in two shapes — a 5” hexagon and a 3” x 9” elongated rectangle.

TERRAIN by erin adams in ‘saturn’ is placed in an offset brick pattern in this bath design

detail of TERRAIN in ‘saturn’, which evokes the planet’s icy rings

TERRAIN creates a soothing, abstract, marbleized effect quite similar to that of natural stone

TERRAIN in a hexagonal shape is great for walls and backsplash designs

project info:

name: SCAPE and TERRAIN ceramic wall tiles
designer: erin adams for country floors
author site: erin adams for country floors

about country floors: 

country floors holds a unique place in the modern history of interior design in the united states. a 55-year-old heritage brand, country floors is widely considered to have been responsible for the resurgence of america’s interest in hand crafted tile. today, in addition to their own international production and exclusive creative partnerships with leading and emerging global makers, country floors also designs and manufactures tile and mosaic in america. materials include ceramic, porcelain, stone, glass, cement and terra cotta, with a pairing of time-honored artisanal techniques and state-of-the-art tile technologies yielding a stunning selection of classic and modern looks. 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.