Tile and stone brand Walker Zanger has introduced its first major green product collection City Bricks, a line of handcrafted ceramic tile that is made from 31% recycled post-industrial content and 58% locally sourced natural clay from the company’s San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, factory.
Walker Zanger says the collection is a response to the growing demand for materials that are both sustainable and created by using trusted artisanal techniques.
“As the leading tile and stone design resource in North America, Walker Zanger was drawn to the cultural richness of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and began distributing the handmade tile creations of Cerámica Antique nearly 30 years ago,” the company says. “Now, after acquiring the company in 2009, they run one of the world’s largest artisan ceramic tile manufacturing facilities in a city which is historically and culturally rooted in the tradition of tile-making.”
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Located just four hours North of Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende is a UNESCO World Heritage Site characterized by its cobblestone streets, brightly colored Spanish colonial buildings and lively artisanal craft traditions. Known for its Bohemian nightlife, iconic Baroque architecture and hand-painted tile, San Miguel has long attracted artists, architects and designers from across the globe, the company says.
City Bricks tiles take the rustic character of real brick while updating the look for modern sophistication, Walker Zanger says. The collection is available in six rich colors and in a choice of gloss or matte finish options while the textured surface reflects its handmade production and character. Products can be used in commercial interior walls, residential bathroom floors, residential interior walls, and shower spaces.
The City Bricks collection comes as a 3-inch-by-9-inch field tile or as a demi bullnose measuring 1.5 inches by 9 inches by .5 inch. Each handcrafted tile features a textured surface and is available in eight colors with gloss and matte finish options. Colors include Black Matte, Black Gloss, Street Light Matte, Street Light Gloss, Skyscraper Gloss, and Sidewalk Gloss.
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“Inspired by Mexico’s energetic markets and longstanding artisanal techniques, these versatile, vibrant and dynamic tiles are unparalleled,” the company says. “Handmade and hand-painted by local artisans who carry on a trade that is slowly disappearing, the uniqueness of the product is in the process.”
As Walker Zanger explains it, when tile production begins, each craftsperson contributes his or her own unique skill to the process where tiles are touched up by hand up to 30 times. Tile production can take several days depending on the size, method and complexity of the tile. “During this time, the tile is molded, cured, and reviewed several times until the product reaches the company’s highest quality standard,” the company says. “Other popular Walker Zanger ceramic collections handmade from this facility include 6th Avenue, Andalucia, Ceramic Alhambra, Gramercy Park, Robert A.M. Stern, Sketchbook, Spanish Cotto, Studio Moderne, Tilt, Tuileries and Vibe.”
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