first time. Their solution—tiles with slightly
curved edges and a glossy finish—meant
that the subway stations were sanitary,
polished, and bright. Sleuths and design
obsessives who want to catch a glimpse
of the first subway tile can secure a visit
to New York City's first subway station: the
City Hall stop, now abandoned. The New
York Transit Museum offers tours—but New
Yorkers have been known to covertly stay
on the 6 train to catch a glimpse, too.
What exactly is subway tile? It's a bit tough
to define—especially if you connote subway
tile with a specific rectangular shape. While
the classic subway tile measures three by
six inches, the definition is expanding. Now-
adays, tiles that are twice as long as they
are wide are generally referred to as sub-
way tile. And, it turns out, they aren't always
rectangular anymore: Subway tiles can even
be square!
Subway tiles have become a classic, like
jeans and a T-shirt. Think of subway tile as
a timeless, practical wardrobe staple that
goes with just about everything. Just like
jeans and T-shirts, subway tile varies wildly
in price. The unfussy, hardware-store va-
rieties can ring in under $1 per tile (or $8
per square foot); while handmade, artisan
interpretations can run upwards of $60 per
square foot.
With subway tiles you can create a design
statement with even the most economical
tile, and dress it up or down. According to
the Washington Post, those very first ver-
sions in the New York City subway were
actually made of white glass. Nowadays,
"subway tile" is available in a variety of ma-
terials, like glass, stone, and marble, just to
name a few.
Handmade tiles are all the rage but they
often come with a high price tag. This is
why manufacturers have begun creating
intentionally imperfect tiles utilizing many
different molds, ultimately achieving an
installation indistinguishable from actual
handmade tiles.
This is the (aptly named) Tencer Handmade
collection from Tierra Sol. Modern elon-
gated sizes 2x10 and 2x20 lend themselves
well to new installations, but the undulat-
ing surface offers sophistication and time-
lessness.
