eastern elements

eastern elements | rice paper | mounted

" x  " x  "

rice paper

select your options

a clé heritage tile

clé heritage are artisan tiles that carry the mark of a skilled artisan with each tile embodying variation in tone and surface. these tiles are to be treasured for their hand hewn quality and require a skilled installer.

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sample

$3.00/piece

full tile order

start your project

$ 32.75/sqft

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in stock | ships from warehouse within 10 business days

calculate your project

sqft needed

industry standard suggests adding at least 15% overage due to tile cuts, potential breakage, or future repairs

0

total sqft

$ 32.75 /sqft

0

total boxes

$ 360.36 /box


$0.00

subtotal

0 total pieces

minimum order of 22 sqft

only 1133 sqft available

product specifications

technical specifications

non freeze thaw resistant icon

non freeze thaw resistant

radiant heating compatible icon

radiant heating compatible

uv resistant icon

uv resistant

heat resistant icon

heat resistant

stove backsplash icon

stove backsplash

sink backsplash icon

sink backsplash

interior floor icon

interior floor

light commercial icon

light commercial

heavy residential icon

heavy residential

interior wall icon

interior wall

exterior wall icon

exterior wall

fireplace surround icon

fireplace surround

shower floor + wall icon

shower floor + wall

steam shower floor + wall icon

steam shower floor + wall

pool waterline icon

pool waterline

fountain waterline icon

fountain waterline

* see material guidelines guide for specific requirements

description
rating
surface type
glazed

finish type
gloss

level 4: heavy

level 3: medium

level 3: heavy

level 2: prevalent

level 2: prevalent

level 2: prevalent

dimensions
" x  " x  "
water absorption
0.108

dcof
DCOF testing has not been done at this time

Pieces per sqft
36 pcs/sqft

Weight per sqft
5.04 lbs

Pieces per box
396 pcs/box

read before you buy this tile

do i need to seal eastern elements tiles?
 
for exterior sealing, clé recommends stonetech heavy duty exterior sealer from laticrete. 

if your tiles have visible crazing, or if are using a contrasting grout, clé recommends sealing with stonetech heavy duty sealer from laticrete as a pre-grout treatment. 

dry applications of eastern earthenware do not require sealing as the final step of installation. 

for all other sealing and protecting, clé recommends stonetech bulletproof sealer from laticrete.

for more information about sealing please see our eastern elements material guidelines.
 
do you offer trim for your eastern elements tile?
 
at clé we follow the international model of no trim and highly recommend our clients to do the same. below are the trim alternatives we recommend for this collection.
 
- if your project needs to turn a corner either inwardly or outwardly, mitering the tiles to meet seamlessly in a corner gives it the cleanest, crafted finish.
- another way to complete your tiling is to run a bead of caulk or grout along the exposed tile edge.
- like with any of our tiles, you can also build out the sheetrock so that the surface of the finished sheetrock is flush with the surface of the tile.

for more detailed recommendations about trim, please see our trim guide.

how do i take care of my eastern elements tiles?
 
over time, a natural patina will occur on floors as they are maintained and naturally wear. this inherent traffic pattern is a highlight of using eastern elements and should be both anticipated and favored. 
 
mild, pH neutral soaps should be sufficient for most cleaning—test before general use. for all other maintenance, clé recommends laticrete cleaning products.

see eastern elements material guidelines for more information.
 
what type of finish should i expect with these tiles?

our eastern elements tiles vary in surface and texture and have a glazed satin finish ranging from matte to gloss.

how much variation should i expect?

note that due to the firing methods and raw materials used to create glazed clay tiles, your order of eastern elements may contain some tiles with cracks, iron spots, crazing, edge-chipping and pits through the glaze of the clay body.

tiles may be exposed to moisture and/or condensation during production or shipping which may affect the color of the tiles once received.  setting tiles out to dry prior to installation will return return the color to normal. 

due to the natural materials and production process of eastern elements tiles, there will be degrees of variation in color, shade and size in your order, therefore it is important to blend the tiles from all boxes once they arrive and place them in their installation area to ensure you have the layout you want before installing.

what's crazing, and should this be expected with eastern elements tiles? 

eastern elements tiles are made by hand and will show visible crazing. crazing refers to the hairline cracks which may occur in the glaze surface of tile after firing and is common in handcrafted tile. 

variation and imperfection ratings: 

eastern elements tiles are rated 'level 3 medium' to a 'level 5 extreme' for color variation, 'level 2 slight' to a 'level 4 heavy' for texture variation, 'level 2 medium' to a 'level 4 extreme' for size variation, and 'level 1 will occur' for both pits/chips, cracks/crazing and iron spots. 

see illustrations in the technical specifications section above, and read more about the ratings in our tile variation and imperfections guide.

how will my eastern elements samples compare to my actual order?
 
as noted in the variation and add on orders sections of our faq, due to the handmade craftsmanship of our tiles and the variety of materials used, there will be degrees of variation in color, shade, size and texture across production lots or batches. This means that your sample may not be a perfect match with your actual order, and that your add-on order may not be a perfect match to either. 
 
are there best practices for sampling eastern elements tiles?
 
due to the variation in color of our handmade tiles, and the variation in texture, combined with the imperfections listed above, we strongly encourage sampling more than one piece to get a better sense of what the tile has to offer. 

why do you suggest i order at least 15% more than my measurements?
 
industry standard suggests adding at least 15% overage due to tile cuts, potential shipping breakage, or future repairs.

however, degrees of variation in color, shade and size, as well as crazing, cracks and iron spots will occur in Eastern Elements tiles due to the natural materials and firing menthods used in their creation.  If these features do not fit your project's needs, we recommend ordering 20-30% overage.
 
for more information related to ordering and shipping, please be sure to visit our shipping and returns and delivery information resource pages.

grout

clé recommends a 1/16" grout joint with this collection.

clé recommends using mortar and unsanded cementitious grout that comply with the ANSI A118 or ISO 13007 classifications suitable for your project. Please consult with your installation professional to make these determinations. 

grout color selection is always up to our client and/or their design professional. however, clé is often asked for our opinion on best grout selections for our tiles. and due to the large array of grout colors that are now available, clé would like to offer this general guideline on a foolproof grout color selection for any of your clé tiles:

first, have your professional tile contractor complete your tile installation, except for the grout portion.

next, when ready to grout, ask your contractor to bring ALL grout color charts from his preferred grout manufacturers, for your review.

lastly, choose a time of day when you are most pleased with the lighting in your space (either natural lighting, installed lighting or a blend of both). during that lighting and time of day, select the grout color that best matches your tile selection.

we recommend applying sealant or using a grout release prior to grouting if the tile has visible crazing. 

important: if eastern elements tiles are being grouted with a contrasting grout color vs. a matching one, you must make sure to apply stonetech heavy duty sealer from laticrete as a pre-grout treatment to minimize the possibility of the contrasting grout curing in the inherent hairline cracks, pits, and/or chips.
 
 for more information about grouting please see our eastern elements material guidelines.

collection dimensions

square - 4" x 4" x ⅜"
square - 2" x 2" x ⅜"
 rectangle - 2" x 6" x ⅜"
 
disclaimer: please note all dimensions are nominal. additionally, dimensions between tiles can vary +/- ⅛".

extraordinary hand-hewn tiles

clé tile eastern elements terracotta 2x2 tiles installed in a bathroom floor and shower walls

design: emily farnham architecture / photo: yoshihiro makino

a characterful milky white glaze

this handcrafted terracotta tile features a glaze of milky white hues with blue and pink undertones and a satin finish with subtle texture variation, accented by occasional iron spots and surface imperfections. perfect for those looking to add a touch of character to an installation.

close up of clé tile eastern elements terracotta 2x2 tiles laid side by side

clé tile eastern elements terracotta 2x2 tiles installed in a bathroom floor and shower walls

why we love eastern elements

clé’s eastern elements collection features three unique glazes on the white spectrum: mochi, rice paper and robin’s egg. mochi falls on the creamier end of the spectrum with only very subtle variations in surface and texture, rice paper reflects more pinkish blue tones with surface dimpling, occasional large and small iron spots, and cracks and crazing while robin’s egg features plenty of variation with iron spots, surface texture and tones that hue more blue.

design: emily farnham architecture / photo: yoshihiro makino

clé has a long held devotion to terracotta

a humble clay, traditional terracotta requires few alterations and in its best form goes almost straight from the earth into the fire. clé’s eastern elements is a celebration of this process. unlike its cousin, eastern earthenware, eastern elements is fired in a gas kiln which gives it greater uniformity in tone, size, and texture. but it still has some character-ful imperfections that make it the ideal tile when you’re looking for a compelling personality that’s not too unruly.

product shot of the clé tile terracotta eastern elements 2x2 tiles

inspiration