With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing this year, Why Tile is celebrating this monumental event in conjunction with ceramic tile.
A ceramic tile is believed to be the first piece of art that traveled to the moon. Artists Forrest Myers, Andy Warhol, David Novros, Claes Oldenburg, John Chamberlain, and Robert Rauschenberg collaborated to create a series of tiny tiles using drawings from each of the artists. Myers claims one of these tiles was secretly attached to the next spacecraft headed for the moon (Apollo 12), where astronauts left it behind along with other personal effects.
While it’s been almost 50 years since man brought tile to the moon, tile designs continue to be inspired by and reflect the textures and patterns the moon. Shades of gray, soft textures, and galactic patterns shine just as brightly in homes as they do in the night sky, lighting up interior decor with trending “moon looks” curated by Why Tile.
Terrazzo-Look Tile
The moon is covered with impact craters, dead volcanoes, and lava flows, which produce the moon’s distinctive light and dark spots. The speckles in popular terrazzo-look ceramic tile—which resemble chips of granite, quartz, marble, glass, and other materials—create a visual texture that’s strikingly similar to that of the moon.
Distressed Tile
The moon’s surface is often described as “marred” by craters, volcanoes, and hardened lava. Distressed tile proves that irregularities can be beautiful. The weathered, moon-like texture of these tile can add a stunning visual interest to minimalist design.
Dimensional Tile
Dimensional tiles bring to mind the moon’s surface, especially how the shadows they create play off the angles of the tile to create varying shades of white and gray.
Concrete-Look Tile
While the moon looks white to us during the day and mostly yellow at night, high-resolution photos show that the moon is actually gray. The washed out gray shade of concrete-look ceramic tile is the perfect reference for the moon’s true color.
Slate-Look Tile
Slate-look tile also exhibits the perfect gray shade of the moon, plus its soft color variations. Another similarity between the slate color and the moon? Slate is often derived from volcanic ash and the moon is covered in plains of hardened lava.
Marble-Look Tile
Gauged porcelain tile slabs have a marble look that was installed with minimal grout lines. Oversized gray veining gives this tile an otherworldly look, transporting us from the bathroom to the very surface of the moon.
Gazing at the moon tonight may prove inspiring, but for more ideas, visit Why Tile's Moon Landing Pinterest board for additional out-of-this-world designs.
For more information, visit whytile.com.
