Sun and Shadow Tile

Mixing boxes is the golden rule with handcrafted tiles: draw Carreau Soleil Ombre alternately from several of the 12-tile cartons as you lay, so the natural terracotta and beige nuances scatter evenly across the floor. The abstract sun pattern then reads as one warm, vibrant surface, exactly the living effect a Carocim cement tile is made for.

€220.50 per square metre positions Carreau Soleil Ombre above commodity ceramics, and the difference is the point: each tile is hand-poured by Carocim with terracotta and beige pigments in the mass, 16 mm thick, from a designer sun motif by Coco Brun & Aurélia Paoli. You are buying a durable, authored cement tile, not a printed surface.

An outdoor kitchen combines sun, water and grease, three challenges this tile is equipped for: Carreau Soleil Ombre is rated for exterior use with Carocim's systematic anti-UV pigment protection, and a good water- and oil-repellent sealer handles the cooking splashes. Clean with neutral soap only, and the terracotta and beige cement tile suns will thrive in full sunlight.

No need to look far: a mild, pH-neutral soap such as diluted Marseille soap is the best daily cleaner for Carreau Soleil Ombre. Ban bleach, acid descalers and aggressive detergents, which attack a cement tile's mineral surface. Gentle washing plus periodic resealing keeps this warm terracotta and beige Carocim sun glowing for decades.

Rotation is this design's hidden talent: turning Carreau Soleil Ombre tile by tile or in groups makes the stylised rays compose suns, waves or pinwheel effects across the floor. Plan the layout dry on a few square metres first, then keep your chosen rhythm. The terracotta and beige palette of this Carocim cement tile shines in every orientation.