Tile Designs

In the 1920s Frank Lloyd Wright built the Ennis and Freeman houses in Los Angeles from patterned concrete textile blocks. These tiles redraw both patterns on a 30 mm square, with a half tile for edges. Each one is a small raised pattern that catches light from the side.

The frames are clad in them. One row of tiles runs around the picture, and half tiles turn the corner onto the outer edge. They are modelled into the frame and print as part of it, not glued on afterwards.

A picture window is rarely an exact number of tiles, so the tiles stretch or shrink a little to fit. Their edges land right at the window with no thin slivers. Frames come from 8 x 10 to 24 x 36 in, plus one poster size.

Beyond the two Wright families there are themed sets: City, Musical, Orchid and Nautilus, and a set inspired by Ralph McQuarrie's concept paintings. Each themed set has tiles for corners, borders, accents and open areas, and software places each one on the border, turned so the ornament reads the right way.

The artwork slides in from the back and is held by four triangular corner brackets. Larger frames split into printable pieces along tile lines, joined by flat keys, and every frame hangs from two keyholes in the top rail.

These are made of tile. The Ennis block covers every face, with plain stone round the edges and grout between the tiles.

The wall plates screw on through counterbored seats. A printed cap pushes into each seat and finishes flush with the tiles, so no screw shows. The back is dished, so the plate sits on the wall and not on the switch.

The bath pieces hold toothbrushes and toothpaste, a toilet brush and plunger, and soap. The soap dish drains through the tile pattern's own openings.

The corbels are shelf brackets that step out like Wright's cantilevers. Each prints in two halves, split down the middle, so both sides carry the pattern.