Online - March 19, 2008

Girl’s Gone Tiled

Xenia Taler Tiles

The plight of a ceramic tile is not a pretty one: moldy shower walls, greasy kitchen counters, hairy bathroom floors.

Unless the tile is a Xenia Taler creation.

Under the capable hands of this Toronto native, ceramic tiles become bona fide art. Taler and her partner Steven Koblinsky craft square and circular tiles out of clay, mix vibrant glazes from scratch, and hand-paint each one with a simple yet gorgeous image — from birds and hedgehogs to graphic dots and stripes. We heart the vintage-looking flowers on the Meadow collection and the folk art-inspired, black-and-white Crochet series.

Each comes equipped for wall hanging and has cork on the bottom so they can double as trivets. Or you can redeem your current tile situation with the installation version — thinner, with unglazed sides suitable for grouting.

’Cause what you got going on now is downright vile.

Available online at xeniataler.com.