Here’s mural I did last year that I finally got pictures of. It features one of the lifts at that ski area. It also has, in the upper left corner, the Wild Rainiers, a much-loved ad campaign for Rainier Beer, that had people in beer bottle costumes running around in the woods. And in the lower right corner, hiding in the trees, a yeti. Not a Sasquatch, as you would expect in the Northwest, but a yeti.

This is a mural I did a few years ago for a church in California. To give you an idea of scale, these are 6” tiles. Most of the children in the picture are children in the congregation. I’ve done a number of custom tile murals for churches and would love to do more. If you know of a church that’s building or remodeling, or would like to add a tile mural, please have them contact me.

Mt. St. Helens Box. A friend has been cleaning out her house and asked me if I wanted this piece back. Absolutely! I wish I’d kept more of the pots I made for 20 years. This is porcelain, cone ten reduction from back in the days when could still throw. I know exactly when I made this because the ash cloud in the sky is actual Mt. St. Helens ash, so it was 1980. I could sell all the Mt. St. H. pieces I could make that year, and a few in 1981, but none after that. Like every other NW potter, I got a bucket of the ash and tried it in glazes. It settled out so fast it was kind of useless. So to make the ash cloud in this scene, I glazed the landscape the way I always did, trailing on each glaze. Then I put the dry ash in a salt shaker and just piled it on top of the glazes. Looked just like an ash cloud!

The best of both worlds is achieved when paint and tiles are combined. In places with intensive work and activity, such as the kitchen and bathroom, hand painted tile offers the stone-cold toughness required while introducing creative sensibilities that create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. With this kind of personalized tile work, you are not limited by geometric lines or material limitations, and because each pattern is hand-painted, it will always be unique. Come see these seven creative uses for hand-painted tiles in your house with me.

1. Create a Visually Unique Piece of Art

Whether it is a home or your commercial space, a unique tile mural can entirely change the environment and surroundings, leaving a refreshing impression on the viewer's mind.

Converting an innovative idea into an incredible vision is truly an art. It is all about turning your ideas into something compelling and captivating. Tile murals offer countless options and possibilities for customization, allowing you to craft a masterpiece that provides you with distinction from the crowd. Whether it's a bold design or an intricate pattern, each mural becomes a different expression of your style. These personalized works of art not only enhance the aesthetics of a space but also create a conversation piece that draws the eye and captures the imagination artistically.  

"Compelling Creations Are Born from Creativity "

2. Use Creative Designs to Decoratively Protect Surfaces

A countertop or range is a challenging space for painting due to its exposure to heat, steam, and grease. If you paint in these conditions, it may become discolored over time. To deal with these conditions, you can use bespoke custom landscape tiles, but you need to ensure you have tiles made with durable materials like ceramic or porcelain. These materials are favorable for a harsh kitchen environment. You can add an attractive, retro touch by installing a hand-painted landscape tile mural behind the range. This way, you will have a durable surface that resists damage far better than paint alone. These tiles made with travertine, tumbled marble, or other natural stone materials can be painted using ceramic glazes.

Moreover, you can place impressive hand-painted tiles in areas surrounding a pool. This way, you can embellish your pool by adding lively colors. Although these tiles are appealing to the senses, they are durable enough to handle the toughest weather conditions and water.

3. Highlight Rooms in Your Home

A painting's frame adds the last detail to any masterpiece. In a similar vein, you may embellish any room in your house with beautiful borders made from hand-painted tiles. Above a stove range, you can frame in addition to adding a focus artwork on stone.

If, on the other hand, you're more of a minimalist, ornamental borders can still be used to gild a room without taking over. For example, hand-painted border pieces that lend a subtle touch to the wall space along the countertop and above the range are still an option if you want some painted fruit in your kitchen but not a complete wall. 

4. Add a Window View

Certain windows and bathrooms may be dimly lit or devoid of windows. Adding a "window view" in place of a window is one technique to trick the eye and give the impression that the area is even larger. Anywhere you want, hand-painted shower tile artwork may simply serve as the background for a new "window." To create depth in a bar area and create the illusion that you are seated in your own private home, gazing out over the hills, use a balcony view theme. Adding a landscape to an alcove that serves as the outline of an existing window frame accomplishes the same visual effect.

5. Seize an Emotion or Memory

"True Art comes out from Inspired Creativity."

It's something beyond the boundaries, thinking beyond the conventional and bringing new perspectives to life in a way that resonates with people. A spark of creativity initiates the crafting of a masterpiece. It's the driving force behind innovative ideas and breathtaking designs. Whether you're designing a custom tile mural, crafting a product, or even decorating a space,

"Creativity transmutes the ordinary into the exemplary."

The sum of creativity, imagination, ideas, and skill gives birth to a memorable piece. Creativity and creation are not about following the trend. It is about being the trendsetter. It's what takes a simple idea and turns it into something compelling, something that grabs attention and stirs emotions. The power of creativity can magically revamp art, design, or appearance. Try and let the magic happen. For example, you can bring a natural scenery to your kitchen by incorporating elements like botanical patterns, old homes, and natural textures. This image can transform your space into a peaceful, inspiring retreat.

6. Bring the Outside In

Large landscapes serve as focus points throughout their homes for those who simply wish to open up their interiors to the outdoors. The eye may be drawn from the area around the kitchen and into a wider perspective with the aid of tiled artwork that concentrates on rural sceneries with rolling hills and walkways. You could forget you're in a metropolis when there are a few mountains in the distance.

7. Honor Existence and Living

Any subject, such as still life, landscapes, or animals, may be shown on painted tiles, as seen in the cave paintings. When you purchase bespoke hand-painted tile work, you can put whatever you want to commemorate on stone tiles. While moods may be effectively created by landscapes, thematic still life’s can serve as a unifying element in the space by providing a color scheme and focus point. 

Conclusion

Hand-painted tile art opens a world of design possibilities, transforming your home into a unique masterpiece. From creating window views to capturing memories, these tiles offer an artistic way to personalize your space. If you're ready to bring these creative ideas to life, Paul Lewing Tile is your go-to tile artist. Based in the Seattle area, Paul creates beautiful, hand-painted custom tile murals tailored to your vision. Whether it's for your kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, or even your pool, Paul's work guarantees satisfaction. These are only a handful of his most creative uses for hand-painted tiles, but the possibilities are endless. Ready to get started? Visit Paul Lewing Tile today! I hope the list was helpful, but can you think of any additional use for these lovely tiles? If so, please leave a comment below and remember to tell your friends and followers about it.

This little mural got installed really quickly after it arrived. Sometimes these things take years, or months, but this one went up right away. It features the view from the home in California, with plants in the foreground from the garden there.

Here’s another image from my catalogue. I’ve done this one several times as you can see on my Shop page, https://www.paullewingtile.com/shop/heron-friends. There’s a picture of this mural installed in a kitchen.

This picture was recently sent to me by someone who had bought this mounted tile piece at an estate sale. The seller had the original receipt from 1995. She paid $295 for it then. It sold at the estate sale for $250. See how art work appreciates over time? This is a picture of Waptus Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, and it’s all different cone 5 oxidation glazes.

Here’s a really old one! I was at an art fair over the weekend and a woman came in and said I’d done a mural for her and her husband many years ago. I certainly remembered them because the guy took care of the hornbills at the Woodland Park Zoo. So she sent me this picture. It still looks good, but I can sure tell that my style has changed over the years.

This is this year’s senior class tile for the high school near Spokane. I’ve done this for them every year since 2006. Each year they have a contest among the seniors to design a tile for their class, which is displayed on a wall in the school cafeteria. It’s not a big impressive project like some of the bathrooms at https://www.paullewingtile.com/bathrooms, but it’s a fun project.

Here’s another oldie but goodie. This client showed me this famous piece of South African rock art and wanted me to incorporate it into a story that encompassed the whole of her walk-in shower. It’s called The Hunt, and as it continues around the room, it represents hunting, death, rebirth, courtship, hunting, and death again. To see more of my custom tile showers, go to https://www.paullewingtile.com/bathrooms.