Berlin kitchen
The project began with a request from a new homeowner: our client wanted to bring character to their light-filled kitchen in Kreuzberg, Berlin. They imagined a tiled accent wall which would bring “Mediterranean sunset vibes” with earthy terracotta colours. The inspiration was a hand-drawn illustration of sand hills that the client supplied and the goal was to mimic the flow and colours of the landscape.
The first step of the collaborative design process focused on establishing the essential aesthetic parameters. To maximize the warm, homely feel, our client requested the cream base glaze, which tends to produce slightly richer screen-printed colours. The conversation then turned to the layout itself, where the clients wanted a pattern that would be full and complex but not too artisanal and vintage. They liked the idea of double screen-printing on many of the tiles to create overlapping layers of colour and a flowing effect that would would suit their aesthetic.
The kitchen already featured an island in a terracotta-like shade and a back wall in a creamy colour. They wanted to use the tile design to link the kitchen to the adjoining hallway, painted in a complementary grey. For patterns, the brief was clear: they liked round patterns but preferred smaller circles to avoid a “sixties” feel. The overall design needed to feel flowy and not too rhythmic, reflecting their “sand hills” drawing.
