Ten years ago, I visited New Terracotta in Portugal for the first time. Isabel, the flamboyant manager, had invited me to present her then brand-new collection of handmade glazed tiles. Nothing dusty azulejos, but characterful tiles for contemporary architecture. New Terracotta resides in a stylish showroom in posh Cascais near Lisbon, but the actual production workshops are hidden deep in the hills of Portugal's interior.

Isabel had just left her career in international business to pursue a dream. Her path was similar to mine; I too had worked in big companies before following my passion for architecture. Isabel wanted to revive the culture of Portuguese azulejos, the famous glazed decorative tiles. In cities like Lisbon and Porto, you can still find these tiles all over the facades of historic buildings. But she was sad to see traditional workshops closing their doors and artisans no longer bringing innovation. Isabel decided to use her marketing savoir-faire to change that.

The first thing Isabel and her team did was to develop a unique colour collection. Inspired by Farrow&Ball in the paint world, they created a stunning palette of colours with attractive names (Flamingo Baby, Innocent Pink, Wasi Sabi Explosion.... More than 150 colours in total). In addition, they introduced a wide collection of shapes and formats. The attractive concept of New Terracotta is that every order is made to measure, without stock, from 3m² upwards. Thanks to efficient organisation, the lead time at New Terracotta is just six weeks. Orders are securely packed and delivered directly from Portugal to the customer.

Ten years ago, the contrast between the trendy showroom in Cascais and the outdated production buildings was enormous. Tile factories sprang up historically where clay and wood were abundant. The clay formed the basis of the tile and the wood served to fire the kilns. Isabel had taken over a neglected tile factory in the middle of nowhere. The staff, experienced in the complex firing and glazing process, fortunately stayed on board. Clay firing and glazing is a craft that requires a lot of experience.

Recently, I visited New Terracotta again and the factory has changed beyond recognition. Where it started with a handful of workers, there are now more than a hundred of them. New buildings and modern kilns mark the progress. Sustainability is paramount and the proud staff wear t-shirts that say ‘handmade by me’. New Terracotta now supplies tiles worldwide, from the US and Australia to the Middle East. In Belgium, we at David & Goliath do our best to represent this special brand. New Terracotta's tiles are suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications, on walls and floors, in dry and wet areas. In addition to the existing collections, customisation is possible, with artists and designers constantly developing new colours and formats. 

Pieter Ballegeer

Founder of David and Goliath