By Colin Barber
This Christchurch house had new owners - who were setting about enhancing the place to their own style after a year getting the sense of the space.
In what to many would be a brave decision they chose to have not only the hearth and area to the rear of a new wood burner tiled, but to extend it out to the whole side of the living area. They chose a tile by Italian small tile specialists Kemdom - through Italian Ceramic Tiles Ltd. - that replicated a rustic, textured and random wooden paneling.
The outcome was everything they hoped for: giving the room an entirely new feel - warmth, colour, feature and a Mediterranean type feel. A second phase to tile the floor in the hearth tile shown, across the entire area and extending into the kitchen will fully develop this plan.
Photo Credit - Colin Barber
Colin is a specialist tiler of great experience. He hs been trading as Colin Barber Tiling Co since 1988 in London UK, and now based in Christchurch NZ.
Colin has worked as tiler-contractor on many architectural projects and high value residential works, notable among them restoration work at Buckingham Palace and master bathrooms for Sting, Kate Moss, Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Bloomberg and Simon Cowell.
He was the tile contractor for TileMile project in Clerkenwell Design Week which won a London Design Week Gold award in 2014.
He has been in demand for his quality of work with tiles for 3 + decades, and is experienced with every type of tile material and format - mosaics especially.
He has been a member of the UK Tile Association - the umbrella body representing the UK tile trade and industry - since 2000, and is designated a 'master tiler'.
He has done international work for clients in Paris, St. Tropez, Marbella, The Highlands of Scotland, New York, and now of course New Zealand.
In moving to New Zealand in 2019 with his Christchurch born wife - the photographer Fiona Fletcher, he brings with him 30 plus years of tiling experience as tiler and contractor, much of it on first-class projects.
Projects large and small