Subway Ceramics - Heritage Tile

Oscar Nominees for Best Production Design as Heritage Tile Glazes

Apr 23, 2021 | Subway Ceramics

As Oscars anticipation builds we are taking a moment to appreciate the nominees for Best Production Design. As a company that has had our tile featured on various sets, we are intimately aware of the role a good set plays in telling a captivating story.

Today we will explore each of the nominees for best production design and determine which of our glaze options best matches the film’s overall aesthetic.

*Please keep in mind that Heritage Tile is in no way affiliated with any of these films.

THE FATHER

Production Designer: Peter Francis

Set Decorator: Cathy Featherstone

The Father is a deeply emotional exploration of the complexity that comes with aging and familial relationships.

We have chosen B1 Tea Rose and B3 Sunbeam Yellow from our Subway Ceramic’s Bungalow Series to match this film’s yellow palette.

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM

Production Designer: Mark Ricker

Set Decorator: Karen O’Hara & Diana Stoughton

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom follows the “Mother of Blues” during a tension-filled recording session in 1920s Chicago. This film takes place at the end of the Arts & Crafts movement in America. This artistic movement emphasized the importance of American craftsmanship and highlighted the dangers of American industrialization. This era referenced is in the film with its use of a rich jewel-toned color palette.

To reflect the rich, bold colors of this film we have chosen 71 Garnet and 53 Midnight Blue, both from our Classic Subway Tile Series.

MANK

Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt

Set Decorator: Jan Pascale

Mank takes us into 1930s Hollywood through the eyes of Herman J. Mankiewicz and follows his turbulent journey to finish writing the screenplay for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane.

We have chosen 99 Gloss Black and 61 Emerald Green from our Classic Subway Ceramics Series to match the luxury and glamour this film oozes as it transports us into Hollywood’s golden age.

NEWS OF THE WORLD

Production Designer: David Crank

Set Decorator: Elizabeth Keenan

News of the World follows a Civil War veteran and the young girl he is tasked with delivering back to her family.

We have chosen 43 Khaki from our Classic Subway Ceramics Series to represent the harsh desert climate our protagonists face and the canvas covered wagon which carries them through their dangerous voyage.

As the film takes place primarily outside , our 33 Sky Blue from the Classic Subway Ceramics Series represents the wide open sky that follows the pair throughout their journey.

TENENT

Production Designer: Nathan Crowley

Set Decorator: Kathy Lucas

Tenet is a mind-bending story of a man tasked with saving the entire world.

We have chosen our Classic Subway Ceramics Series 14 Gloss Avalon and 41 Heather Grey to convey the cool mysterious concrete motifs that dominate this film.

As you admire the sets of these films through your television screen, take a moment to reflect on the set around you. Is it conveying an emotion you resonate with? Is it telling your story?

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Aesthetic Curation: Bungalow Series

Jul 15, 2020 | Subway Ceramics

Bungalow tile is the light-hearted, fun-loving friend of Subway tile and it shows in design. Offering a creative feel to design is what Bungalow tile does best. Our Bungalow series is the epitome of soft coziness steeped in the authentic tradition of the Arts & Crafts era.

Our Bungalow series offers traditional looks and styles from the original era of the American bungalow homes. With the classic tile created in four and a quarter inch squares placed in a straight set pattern, we like to honor that tradition by reproducing a classic Bungalow style design with mouldings, accent liners, trim pieces, and a historic field tile composition.

The Bungalow tile series offers soothing colors that make spaces like bathrooms and entryways feel light and open. With glaze colors like Seafoam, Tea Rose, and Sunbeam, the series stands by its roots of the archetypal Arts & Crafts palette. These glaze colors were inspired by ceramics and china ware from that era that we found at flea markets. Using these colors as a sample, a soft, satin finish is applied in the glaze to bring the Bungalow series into the present day with a sleek, vintage feeling. Incorporating these elements into our Bungalow series makes restoring your American bungalow home, or creating a space that feels rooted in that era, effortless and authentic.

One of the most intricate pieces to our Bungalow series is our Polychrome tiles. These are specifically and specially designed creative tiles to embody the era and act as finishing touches to our collection. These Polychrome pieces add character and confidence to spaces which effectively creates authenticity. The Polychrome tiles are glazed in similar and complementary colors to the collection which both make a statement and blend seamlessly into the design of the entire Bungalow series.

Reproducing authentic Bungalow style tile aesthetics is important to us. We strive to preserve the design of the bungalows from our past while updating glazes, finishes, and tile layouts to bring this authentic tradition into the present day. The rest of the Aesthetic Curation Series focuses on modernizing the traditional designs of tile from different time periods.

Aesthetic Curation: Atomic Series

Jul 15, 2020 | Heritage Tile, Subway Ceramics

To add a youthful exuberance to any space, explore the Atomic Subway Tile Collection. This high energy relief tile and color palette transforms the original subway tile into a mid-century modern masterpiece.

The Atomic Subway Tile Collection extends our timeline to the mid-century modern period in American architectural design. The collection pays homage to the exuberance of notable American designers with a color palette inspired by the bright hues of 1950’s Fiestaware and the softer shades of Formica Boomerang countertops.

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With exuberant colors like Satin Mango and the classic Satin Atomic red, this collection easily brightens up a space with one accent wall. This youthful color palette is finished by a low-luster satin gloss that delivers a surface with character and energy.

Spanning approximately 1940 to 1970, the mid-century modern movement was a forward-looking style advocating simple patterns, clean lines, and the usage of readily available materials. Interior design elements were often simple in form with bold colors and patterns inspired by the space age era. In the same manner that subway tile has endured the test of time in NYC’s subway stations, the Hex Flat and Hex Dome tiles found in San Francisco’s BART stations continue to prevail.

The Atomic collection is installed in the authentic straight set pattern using four inch square tiles. Delivering on the historically authentic mid-century modern time period while still updating the sheen and look of these tiles creates a timeless design style. The relief shapes in this tile are made in sphere, diamond, and star reproductions of the traditional pomona tile. Modeled off the mid-century designs of Saul Bass, these tiles are both authentic to the mid-century modern design and updated to create timeless spaces in the modern era.

This exuberant color palette paired with the interesting relief style of the mid-century era creates a bright authentic look in any space. To read about our other Subway Ceramics collections visit the rest of our Aesthetic Curation series.

The Chelsea Market: A Look Into the Past

Jul 15, 2020 | Heritage Tile, Subway Ceramics, Subway Mosaics

Restoring historic spaces to fit modern uses makes for both an exciting project and a great responsibility. When we took on the project of restoring and updating New York’s Chelsea Market, we made sure to use authentic materials and timeless designs.

The Chelsea Market was originally home to an Oreo cookie factory, built in the 1890’s. Now, it’s one of the most visited and talked about destinations in New York City. With six million annual visitors, this landmark has implemented additions to make it more visitor friendly. “The Cellar” addition officially opened in 2019 as a food-focused floor. While the restoration of this building fluctuated and thrived as a tourism hot spot, the restrooms remained inadequate for large crowds. In the past long queues for individual restrooms were common, but now, long bathroom lines have become a thing of the past.

Our Subway Ceramics collection was used to restore original Victorian character to this landmark. With a strong focus on authentic materials, you’ll see great attention to details of the past. Keep your eyes open for overlapping radius corners and cove trims; pencil-thin grout lines, a perfectly flat field tile, and a simulated “patina” glaze effect produced by introducing a slight variation in tone between tiles.

By maintaining focus on the historically significant details in this restoration project, we created a space that feels authentic to the original character of this landmark. In tandem, the new restroom facilities are updated to accommodate the millions of visitors. With an attention to detail, timeless design, and updated facilities, this project pairs traditional with modern to create an authentic and updated space. The historic beauty doesn’t stop here. Check out other commercial subway tile projects we have been a part of!

Aesthetic Curation: Subway Series

Jul 15, 2020 | Heritage Tile, Subway Ceramics

Subway tile is the classic older sibling to all of our other Subway Ceramics lines. The authentic subway tile is timeless, beautiful, and most importantly buildable. These old standards are the perfect authentic material to act as the base for a redesign of any space.

The traditional pattern for subway tile is an offset grid of three by six inch pieces. This pattern got its start in the New York City Subway in the early 1900’s. Heritage Tile is the sole supplier for restoring the original tile in the NYC Subway. With a flat surface, rectified edges, and pencil thin grout joints, this attractive tile was quickly adopted for use in homes and businesses. Brownstones, Queen Anne style homes, and Bungalows were just a few of the architectural styles that embraced this aesthetic in the early 20th century.

This collection includes classic moldings, trim pieces, and ceramic accessories in over 40 glaze options. Each piece was created as part of a comprehensive tile system that provides luxurious surfaces, sleek radius curves, pencil-thin grout lines and intricate details.

This authentic tile has edged its way into modern decor with its sleek finish and large role in the “farmhouse chic” trend. While our inspiration comes from a desire to preserve the heritage of authentic American tile, this material translates well into the decor styles of today and still manages to remain timeless.

Our subway tile glazes reproduce classic Victorian-era colors in a deep, translucent, crackle finish. Simple finishes like Satin Ivory and Gloss Avalon enhance the sleek style of the traditional Subway Tile Series. The glaze colors for this series were specially selected to enhance the design and reflect the timelessness of these gorgeous tiles. For a simple and truly classic look, the Subway Series is the perfect material for you.

For a truly timeless look, the Subway Tile Series is your go-to for a large room of tile or small accents for a backsplash. You really can’t go wrong with a classic look that transitions seamlessly into modern design! To order your subway tile samples click here. The rest of the Aesthetic Curation Series focuses on modernizing the traditional designs of tile from different time periods.

The BMB: A Historic Gateway

Jul 15, 2020 | Heritage Tile, Subway Ceramics, Subway Mosaics

Every once in a while, we get a rare glimpse into the past. Our most recent opportunity presented itself through the Battery Maritime Building in Brooklyn. This building stands at the foot of South Street on the East River and was originally designed as a ferry port to Brooklyn when it was built in 1909. Since 1956 it’s served as a gateway to Governors Island. This Beaux-Arts building with its distinctive Guastavino vaulted ceiling and structural steel cross beams, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

Heritage Tile recently teamed up with the Cipriani company to help restore this gem to its former glory. While renovations to complete the update of this entire building are extensive, the first phase of the project was completed in 2019. The first phase introduced a massive event space labeled as the “Great Hall” which seats up to 800 people. Phase two of the renovation will include a hotel and rooftop restaurant.

This historic landmark called for authentic material to bring the timelessness of this space to life once again. With that in mind, all 4 public restrooms and selected common areas were designed with our Subway Ceramics collection. All of these spaces were revived by Victorian White glazed tile which features a tinted crackle and gloss finish. This vintage finish imparts an aged yet timeless aesthetic, and pairs perfectly with the wood tones and bronze fixtures found within the rooms of the Battery Maritime Building. You can experience our Victorian White glaze by ordering a complimentary sample today. The white crackle glazed tile was laid in an offset pattern with historically accurate six-inch square tiles to restore the period authenticity of this grand and elegant structur

It’s no secret that the Battery Maritime Building has incredible historic significance as the gateway to Lower Manhattan. Honoring this landmark called for authentic Subway Ceramics and a Victorian White glaze. Stay updated on the upcoming phases of this project and read more blogs here