Retro Renovation

Remodel & decorate in Mid Century Style

Home / Bathroom / Tile

Bathroom tile in a rainbow of colors & styles from American Universal

pam kueber - Updated: August 17, 2021

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

octagon-and-dot-tile

EXCITING NEWS: We have a newly discovered resource for ceramic tiles: American Universal Corp. I love their website — it’s easy to make your own octagon-and-dot combinations, for example. Like my peach, raspberry and grey floor tile combination above — what do you think? There are many colors, many sizes and styles, and the prices don’t look bad at all. Note: Consult with professionals when specifying tile — some tile may not be specified for flooring, for example. There are 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s options galore. Have fun at American Universal’s website ogling the whole lineup.

Reader Interactions

Comments are closed. 

5 comments

Comments

  1. Brenda says

    I’m looking for matt (harvet gold?) octagon 4 x 4 floor tiles and the dots in the same color for a bathroom repair — 70’s flooring?

    Any sugguestions?/

    Thanks!
    BB

  2. Natschultz says

    Porcelain vs Ceramic – Porcelain is MUCH more durable than ceramic (stoneware). Porcelain is a finer (less porous) clay fired at a much higher temperature, therefore is less likely to break, it resists scuffs and nicks better and it is resistant to water. In a bathroom glazed (glossy) tiles are slippery on a floor, that is why retro (spiral, hex) floor tiles are unglazed porcelain. If they were ceramic they would soak up water like a sponge. In a kitchen the porcelain is better for wear resistance.

    Ceramic floor tiles are sold, but they are glazed in a matte or satin finish, often textured. The problem is that the edges are not glazed and the water gets soaked into the tile through the grout. This is a real problem where the tile meets the tub if it not caulked well and water drips. Definitely seal your grout!

    Terracotta tiles (authentic ones, anyway) are low-fired stoneware – they soak up water. They were only used in warm weather areas originally with dry climates – they should never be used in humid or temperate (cold winter) areas as they are guaranteed to be destroyed in no time.