I fell in love with these tiles in our Pondicherry hotel!
If you remember my post about the Lisbon Tile Museum, last year in August (https://wordpress.com/post/elisabethkhan.wordpress.com/4178), you won’t be surprised by what follows.
When we were first decorating our Bhopal house in 2013, I was frantically searching for tiles to finish my kitchen backsplash. And again, a few years later, when we had to redo all our downstairs floors due to a construction issue. Although tile shops abound in the city, I had a hard time finding something that I liked. I ended up going for a fairly neutral backsplash (in my favorite color, turquoise) and white, faux marble floors.
I have not regretted my choices, but I was disappointed at not being able to find something more authentically Indian. Yet, in certain restaurants in town I had seen vintage tiling that resembled old-style European and Vietnamese cement tiles. And on a recent visit to Pondicherry in the South, our hotel room had some glorious, colorful tiles that I assumed must be local. I was told they’re called Athangudi (also Attangudi) tiles, after the village in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu where they originated. I had, however, little hope that they would be available outside that area.
In 2015 we had to replace the downstairs floors, with neutral tiles, out of necessity.
Until today, when I found in my (Indian) Houzz feed, an enlightening article about Athangudi tiles, the answer to my dream. Fellow tile lovers, rejoice! You’ll find a link at the end of this post.
Now that I finally know where and how to get my hands on these beauties, I have to find a project to use them. I’m thinking of redoing my bathroom, for starters… I never liked the builder’s default lime green.
 Time to redo the bathroom tiles. Never liked this color!
Link to Houzz article on Athangudi tiles:
Tiles, glorious tiles! If you remember my post about the Lisbon Tile Museum, last year in August ( you won't be surprised by what follows.
