Tag: Spain

The Ceramic Egg Tray

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Two years ago I went to the Drome Valley of the Provence, which is in the heart of that county, one our South of Lyon, two hours north of Marseilles. The most gorgeous inland area of the Provence with lavender fields in bloom, poppies coming out, sun flower fields starting. Slowing rolling hills and small medieval villages situated on either side of the road.
What I did not know that this particular area was known for a very special red and white clay.
The reason for that is, of course, the weather. Even when my husband and I visited, it was hot and sunny during the day, but heavy rain storms during the night. In the morning everything was breathing, steaming, mist was lifting just the most magical climate.
But what if must do to the earth is providing it with the right ingredients for the best possible clay, white or red, though red clay is clearly the superior one.
We visited a small pottery, one of many, and that is where I first saw the ceramic egg tray . I have never seen anything like it and it just looked so nice, cute and practical at the same time. Luckily my husband speaks almost perfect French so, I asked him to find out about these lovely products.
I always thought that eggs must be kept in the fridge to keep them safe. But there and then I learned that eggs are better kept outside the fridge as the porous shells can pick up everything else from the fridge, whether its ham or cheese or meat and chicken smells.
It cannot possibly be dangerous to keep eggs in a fridge or I would have died a long time ago, but ever since, when I bought my first ceramic egg tray or egg holder from that little pottery shop in Provence , I have kept my eggs outside the fridge.
It is not only an attractive addition to our kitchen, it holds 12 eggs (6er egg trays are the other choice), but it seems to be the better way to keep your eggs at home.
And I have noticed the difference in taste. Of course this could be imaginary but it seriously does feel as if my mushroom or cheese omelette tastes better since I have our eggs outside the fridge than before.
All in all, this is one of the unique kitchen or pantry items I have ever seen and all people who have come to visit have become egg tray or egg holder. Erde Ceramica is a unique ceramics and pottery shop where the products are hand-made, hand-painted kitchen and tableware from a selection of longstanding family owned potteries in Provence and Aubagne in France and Manises near Valcenica in Spain.

www.erdeceramica.com converts!

Ceramic Plates, Jugs And Other Kitchenware

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Ceramic plates have for a long time been a source of fascination for amateur enthusiasts, avid collectors, artists, and everyday appreciators of fine pottery. Pablo Picasso is perhaps the most famous example of an artist who realized that great art works neednt be purely created on canvas. Picasso discovered a new form of canvas in the manipulation clay into objects such as ceramic plates, vases and jugs, allowing him to express himself more freely and obsessively onto the 3D reinterpretations of the traditional canvas.
Ceramic plates with designs of mythological and classical imagery where compulsively created by Picasso, who, within the years 1947 to 1948 created over 2,000 individual pieces in his workshop in Madoura pottery in Vallauris. Painted pottery weather in the form of ceramic plates or other wise are statement pieces that stand out in any gallery or home. His attempt to distil the spirit of his Catalan heritage into clay can be seen in his works, which emit the scents, sights, sun and history of the Mediterranean.
If a Picasso is out of reach, you can capture the essence of the Mediterranean, in any number of ceramic plates, vases or jugs, weather authentic or replicas. Any excursions into rural France or Spain can yielded any number beautiful discoveries in the form of ceramics. Yet, one of the best tools for those searching for high quality ceramics is the internet, where many authentic bargains can be found and shipped at your convenience.
An authentic, well made, beautiful piece of hand painted pottery could set you back a fair amount, especially if it has been sourced through an auction house, many of which specialise in ceramic plates, jugs or vases, particularly those with artistic merit. However, if you know what you are looking for and the signs of a well made piece, perhaps with some history, you could snap up a bargain from a flee market, or even an antique dealer who doesnt know what they have their hands on. Alternatively, if you seek something more personal, you create you own hand painted ceramic pottery for a more customized feel.
The huge range of sources where you could find ceramic plates, jugs or vases and the sheer variety of styles, colours and patterns ensure that finding a particular piece to match your own taste, and that would fit into your home on both a practical and purely decorative level has been made easy.

Ceramic Tiles – Why We Can Consider It As An Ideal Flooring Material

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The ceramic tiles are the man-made materials which were formed almost 4000 years ago. The word ceramic was derived from a Greek word Keramos, which means pottery. The evidences of ceramic tiles first found in pyramids and also in the ancient cities of the Greek. The other archaeological evidences of ceramic tiles are Persian tiles work, mosaic of Spain, the Majolica floor tiles of Italy and so forth. We can say this ceramic tiles discovered by our forefathers are the oldest flooring material.

In the beginning, the Ceramic tiles were simple white or fawn color used basically for the flooring of kitchen and the bathrooms, but today they come in wide range of sizes, shapes, designs, colors and patterns and thats why they can be installed anywhere in the house. With technical advancements, the ceramic tiles are available in countless designs and patterns.

Well, the ceramic tiles are gaining popularity and now are becoming a favorite choice for designing house. This is only because of the qualities these tiles possess. Besides durability and toughness, the tiles are also known for their sophisticated and elegant look. The tiles give a classic glimpse to floor and are a much preferred flooring option because of their cost effectiveness as well as looks.

Numerous variety of ceramic tiles product are available in the market that can be used as floor tiles, wall tiles or roof tiles. However, based on the properties and materials, ceramic tiles are broadly classified into Vitrified tiles, Porcelain tiles, Mosaic tiles, Glazed tiles, Quarry tiles and Terracotta tiles. All the tiles have their own specialty and based on that have diverse uses.

The vitrified tiles are the replacement of stones and marbles due to their flawless joint, uniform color and texture. The porcelain tiles are excellent choice for using in outdoor, as they dont get damaged under heavy traffic. The mosaic tiles are most suitable on walls, curved surfaces as murals, in water pools, and low traffic floors, as they do not chip easily and are slip-resistant. The glazed tiles with satin finish are suitable for countertops, walls and low traffic areas. The quarry tiles are mostly used in the heavy commercial establishments due to their naturally stain resistant and slip resistant qualities. The handmade or the machine made terracotta tiles are mostly used in the roof as they remain cool in the summer and hot in the winter.

Today, the ceramic tiles are used everywhere, like interior or exterior of a home, residential or commercial spaces and for their comprehensive usage they have got a new style statement. For having a long lifecycle, durability as well as low-maintenance features, the ceramic tiles are now treated as an ideal flooring material.

Making Use Of Porcelanosa Tiles To Create Delightful Styles Throughout Your Residence

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PorcelanosaGrupo has around 40 years’ experience and is located in about 100 nations around the world. This accomplishment is the result of a unique business model based upon an effective corporate tactic. According to an investigation released by consultancy company Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the Financial Times, it’s one of Spain’s most genuine corporations on the global arena, which is also regarded by consumers to be an intense and powerful company,as shown in a report carried out by the Reputation Institute.

PorcelanosaGrupo is, today, a major benchmark on both the Spanish and worldwide market segments. It is consolidated placement has actually been set up on ideals such as invention and superior quality, and especially the belief placed in its large labor force, comprised of nearly 5,000 proficient specialists, together with its concern for its stakeholders and the surroundings.

Diversifying production has played an integral part in the development of a business group that started off producing only one product: ceramic tiles. Today, the group’s 8 companies provide a broad array of products which ranges from bathroom and kitchen accessories to state-of-the-art building solutions for innovative architecture.

PORCELANOSA: Desire for specifics
Porcelanosa is the ceramic wall tiles plus floor tile field’s primary company. It has got a labor force of around Eight hundred personnel and is very reputed world wide, thanks to its on-going efforts in the realm of research and standard. Porcelanosa specializes in single-fired porous, stoneware, plus porcelain wall tiles and flooring tiles in a large assortment of formats and styles. Its items exceed for their high-tech qualities, innovative design as well as unrivaled standard.

STON-KER Ceramic Stone
Known as Porcelanosa ceramic stone, STON-KER is a very resistant material with a surface unchanged by the most intensive conditions. With STON-KER, PorcelanosaGrupo has taken the tile making technique to the next level, creating something with a hued body and impressive resistance, in fact able to go beyond the qualities of porcelain tiles. A material developed to meet probably the most challenging architectural requirements.

Non-slip floor tiles
PorcelanosaGrupo manufactures non-slip varieties of its tiles that are ideal for external use, for example in balconies or poolside zones. Apart from its resistance, durability and quick-to-clean characteristics, this ceramic product features a large selection of decorative choices.

VENIS: Special, astonishing styles
Porcelanosa’s experience with the ceramic tile production sector prompted the development of Venis. Consequently, directly from the very outset, it was successful in making a leading international popularity as a stoneware and porcelain tile manufacturer. With a talent for innovation that it has never lost, Venis is one of the manufacturers whose ceramic tiles have improved the most in all senses of the word, from design and quality specifications through to the company’s environmental commitment in manufacturing techniques and its search for different tile purposes in contemporary architecture

PAR-KER Ceramic Parquet
Since this is a ceramic material, PorcelanosaGrupo’s ceramic parquet presents a number of positive aspects over classic wood parquet, while yet preserving the comfortable, welcoming appearance of pure wood. Ceramic parquet is highly tolerant to the deterioration due to constant usage, and it is in fact suitable for locations having a high level of pedestrian traffic, for example eateries and shopping facilities

L’ANTIC COLONIAL: The very basis of nature’s own materials
Ever since its formation, L’Antic Colonial has striven to meet up with the demand for extraordinary, top quality natural materials for example slate, natural wood, marble or even mosaics. If they are used in conjunction with contrasting items by the company, for example its wash basins, counter tops or bathroom furnishings, international design assignments could be designed with all the warm evocative of nature’s very own materials. It is demonstrated time and again by the visual beauty and technical qualities of its goods, in both public and private style assignments.