Give in to Your Sense of Wanderlust with The Encanto Collection

After almost a year of social distancing and staying at home as much as possible, even the proudest of homebodies are feeling some nostalgia for the freedom to travel to faraway places again. The excitement of planning and packing for the trip, the feeling of adventure when the wheels smoothly lift off the runway to then touch back down again somewhere you’ve been longing to return to — or better yet — somewhere you’ve never been before. That first moment you step outside and you can feel your world expanding right before your eyes and you wonder why it took you so long to finally get there.

Part of what makes the new Encanto Collection from Mission Stone & Tile so special is it brings to mind the color, texture, and patterns of faraway places where tile is not merely a functional, easy-to-clean, and durable surface material, but a work of breathtaking art and a representation of cultural identity. In Portugal, for example, polished, painted tiles known as azulejos are a testimony to the history and craftsmanship of generations.

Introduced to the country by the Moors (who learned to make it from the Persians), the colorful, decorative tiles can be found on facades of homes, churches, restaurants, museums, and even metro stations, in cities throughout the country. The use of glazed and decorative ceramic tiles traces back to ancient Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and the Greco-Roman world.

The tiles found in Portugal are often blue and white in color because the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli was prized for its royal blue color and as a way to show off the wealth of the country at the time.

For many, the sight of these blue and white tiles brings to mind wine tasting and dining on fresh seafood along the river Porto, visiting Moorish castles in Sintra, shopping for handmade arts and crafts during a festival in Obisoa, or making a holy pilgrimage to Fátima.

Blue and white are also predominant colors in the Encanto Collection, which features decorations that could be found on many streets in Portugal such as interlocking geometric or floral patterns, fleurs-de-lis, and eight-pointed Moorish stars.
  

Even when travel restrictions are lifted again, Encanto can help homeowners create a private oasis at home, whether it’s used for bathrooms, kitchens, fireplace surrounds, or mudrooms, or outside on fountains, pools, or outdoor kitchens. Offered at an affordable price point (starting around $13 per-square-foot), the tiles are made in the USA and come in a range of sizes and thickness. Since the tiles are stocked at Mission Stone & Tile’s East Coast warehouse, they are available for quick delivery (standard time is 1-3 business days). To help pick the right stone or tile for your project, Mission Stone & Tile offers a free Design Consultation Service where homeowners, can get expert one-on-one interior design consultation.

Feeling inspired to embark on your next project? Come start your journey with Encanto today.

EXPLORE ENCANTO COLLECTION