Hand-painted tile murals and traditional delft tiling are Francis Ceramicsí speciality. Our tile collections range from traditional delft style tiles in both cobalt blue and manganese magenta decoration, to art inspired and contemporary designs, and all are hand-painted in the traditional manner. The company has many years of experience in working with individual clients, architects and interior designers, helping them to create unique pieces to enhance and enrich the experience in living spaces, corporate installations or permanent art within the home. We believe that we offer some of the best tiles available.
HAND PAINTED TILES
Francis Ceramics produce hand-made, hand-painted tiles in traditional blue and white delft tin glaze, contemporary and abstract designs, and murals. Whether you wish to install tiling in a kitchen, behind an Aga, as a shower wall, a fireplace surround or maybe to enhance an area of the garden, our hand-painted tiles and murals, will enhance an area either by creating a focal point or blending with an existing scheme.
We have always believed in quality and in striving to achieve our best for every customer, and, when working with us, you can be assured of our dedication in helping you to achieve the look that you desire.
The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. Mike and Carol Francis trained as fine artists at the Royal College of Art and the Royal Academy respectively, and it is this background that has helped them to establish a studio that is highly respected for hand-painted ceramics, both in the UK and overseas. The partnersí painting skills show a freedom and vivacity that comes from years of experience and this all adds to the artistic quality achieved in all of the studioís output and this approach is evident throughout all the ranges.
We built our reputation for hand-painting with traditional delft style ceramics and have been concentrating exclusively on tiles for the past three years. We believe that our delft ranges of birds, animals, sea creatures, etc., capture the spirit and vivacity of those produced in the seventeenth century. Our background in fine art also enables us to produce hand-painted murals, both large and small, that can be painted in a variety of styles such as traditionally classical, impressionist or even abstract expressionist. Working with our clients, we are able to achieve the look that is required for a particular area.
The bespoke service enables clients to commission areas of tiling tailored to their exact needs. Customisation covers both the design and the exact fit of the tiling to an area. This ensures that there are no unsightly cut edges to be seen in an installation and considerably reduces or negates completely the need to cut tiling on site. Please see the Bespoke page for a description of the commissioning process. You will find working with us is a pleasurable experience.
Our restoration service offers the opportunity to renovate areas where you need to add to existing tiling or replace with similar examples. We are often able to analyse samples of older tiling and to make replacements where loss or damage has taken place.
The main soft white glaze, which forms the back ground for much of the decoration, is a completely practical glaze for use in areas of higher water usage. The tiles are fired to the vitrification point, making them strong and water resistant. Two lower temperature glazes are also used. Our crackle glaze gives an antique feel to the decorated tile and the cream glaze gives a softer, warm look. These two glazes are fine for occasional light water covering and are also suitable for kitchen splash backs, behind Agas and Rayburns and for fireplaces.
One of the secrets of Francis Ceramicsí long success has been due to its excellent customer care and attention to detail. Every project receives dedicated focus and from initial design work to final installation. Over our twenty-seven year history, we have had the opportunity of working with top designers, department stores and institutions world-wide and have exported to over thirty countries.