Rescuing Beauty One Gorgeous Tile at a Time

After spending 18 years in California where I worked as a wardrobe stylist, I came to Barcelona in 2001 with husband and daughter in tow. At the time, real estate was booming. Lots of people were remodeling older apartments and banking on renting them out at premium prices. As I walked through the streets of Barcelona, time and again I came across containers filled with construction debris mixed with the remnants of turn-of-the century molded ceilings and beautifully designed modernist, hydraulic tiles. How could I resist?

After a few years collecting these treasures, I finally decided to start making tables with my salvaged tiles. Saving them from their sinister fate was one thing, giving them a second life and a new purpose was another, but that was my goal. Besides, they were seriously starting to pile up in our apartment and something had to be done!

A Growing Passion

Back then, I had no idea what these beauties were made of, and I knew even less about the history they held. Absolutely no information was available on the internet, and I seemed to be the only person in Barcelona even remotely concerned by the fate of these remnants of another era. My ignorance extended even further to another very important area—restoration. I had no idea how to clean and restore them. I made lots of mistakes in the beginning, using the wrong tools and the wrong products. I asked many people lots of questions and got so many wrong answers.

But, I kept at it. Eventually I met two fabulous men who shared with me a passion for these discarded relics. Arturo wrote books about them and Jordi researched their history and their designers. Our trio quickly became known as the “locos de baldosas.” This union allowed the three of us to exchange information, swap tiles and share the addresses of where more discarded treasures could be found. 

Dismayed at the disregard for these beautiful pieces and the cultural heritage they held, I was determined to do something with them. So I started Mesa Bonita. I began by making square tables with just four tiles, and sold them pretty quickly. Well aware that no one would come looking for me and my tables, I started to offer them at the few markets that took place in the city at the time—places like Pulgas Mix and Drap Art—and I sold some tables! Back then, there was no social media and markets were pretty much the only way to get any visibility. 

Word Gets Around

Since what I was doing was new, it seemed like overnight a number of people I didn’t even know started writing about me. Sometimes I would be contacted by people from across the globe, and learn that they had discovered me through an article about my little business that I had no idea had ever been written. In response to client requests and an overabundance of raw materials, I began creating coffee tables and consoles, and smaller, decorative items such as frames, trivets and coasters for those who didn’t have the space for more substantial pieces.

Finding the right suppliers was challenging, but I eventually met some amazing craftsmen who take great pride in giving their best. The nature of the work I ask them to perform is rough. My aluminum people who do the frames for the trivets have threatened a few times to stop working with me because aluminum dust is so toxic—it’s a nasty job. While it’s true that I bring them a regular income, to this day, I think some of them only work with me out of respect for the work I do. Prepping the tiles is backbreaking work too. A cleaned tile weighs two kilograms and a tile with the cement still on the back can weigh up to five kilograms.

An Accidental Expert

Some time ago I was fortunate enough to have a whole set of tiles displayed at La Pedrera in an exhibit about decorative art during Modernism. I met the curators of the exhibit by pure chance when they came to visit Mesa Bonita. I was floored to learn that they had been searching for two specific tile designs for 18 months. They had contacted all the museums and collectors in Spain, and had found nothing that met their expectations.

They were flabbergasted when I told them that I had not one of the designs they were looking for, but both of them. They sat in shock on my sofa; I was in heaven! And, yes, the tiles exhibited at La Pedrera had been rescued from dumpsters. While having tiles exhibited at La Pedrera didn’t make me rich or famous, it did help me see that my many years of hard physical work juxtaposed with long hours of research had made me an “authority” on the topic. 

From Across the Globe

I love that my clients come from all over the world, often they learn about Mesa Bonita through an article and are curious about my story. We instantly share a love of Barcelona, its architecture and its heritage. People are curious about the history behind the tiles, or sometimes they just want to talk to me about their floors! Answering emails and social media messages is a full time job on it’s own. A few years ago I hired someone who could help me with the most arduous aspects of the work, allowing me to focus on developing designs for the pieces I make, managing the social media accounts, attending to clients, promoting the business and researching the history of the tiles, their various factories and designers.

Earlier this year, a client contacted me explaining that after 10 months of working from home breaking her back on her sofa, she needed a “U” shaped table. We developed a design, keeping in mind her interior space and needs. I have since made a couple more that can double as a breakfast table. Functionality is what I always aim at, therefore all items are made to order, resulting in unique, made-for-you pieces crafted from a small slice of Barcelona’s cultural heritage.

Bringing History into the Home

Clients often contact me because they want to bring joy in their homes, look at bright flowers on their coffee table, subtle tones on a console in their entryway or a one-of-a-kind design on their nightstand when they wake up in the morning. Some want smaller mementos, such as a trivet, a coaster to set their mug on or pretty tile frames to lift their spirits. 

In the past few years people have been buying loose tiles that they can insert in a cement or hardwood floor, set around a fireplace, use as a backsplash in a kitchen or for accent in a bathroom. These tiles add so much character that the possibilities seem endless! As a a client of mine once told me: “They have a soul!”

The past year has been challenging for Mesa Bonita; I have lost the wonderful flow of tourists and that is not likely to change anytime soon. I have been lucky, though, to have former clients keep me in mind for friends’ birthdays, farewell gifts or just for a little something to please themselves. The lack of personal contact with my clients has been taxing as well. I’ve been ambivalent about promoting myself on social media as I understand that decorative items are not really a priority in people’s minds right now. Yet I have 10,000 tiles that I am determined to find a loving home for!