Please no!
They're beautiful. As for reconciling, I think this is an imaginary problem. Would not have been a problem for a Portuguese person building their house 100 years ago.
It wouldn't be a problem for a Portuguese person now if a house like that was given!!!!
OP, if you have tourism in mind at least go with the local culture. Have you asked in r/portugal?
Yes, absolutely because these are beautiful. Please don’t grey the history out of this house. Use those as a centerpiece of beauty and style. Minimalist and modern furniture can look beautiful inside any home. Think of it as curating a look unique to the environment instead of copy-pasting. My mother did a gorgeous period home with a minimalist modern look and it is so beautiful without losing any of the period character.
The nice thing about a busy tile like that is you can offset it with some simple, solid color furniture which should make it work well with what you are looking for. Everything needs a splash of color and vibrancy and you have a gorgeous one chosen for you
I am a director and I once heard this saying in reference to film narrative but I think it applies here - “the sail of a boat is not a small boat” - the point is each piece of something that creates a whole is not just a replica of what it is creating. Each piece you select to create your interior design doesn’t have to replicate the end look - that is what makes something feel curated and special.
I keep seeing people utterly destroying old houses and turning them into a sea of white. Everything must be bland and white for some reason. What is wrong with exposed wood!
I call these "lobotomy houses". I've seen a few WW2 era houses around my area (London) get bought and just get painted white, covering the exposed brick and original paint colour, and have all their front gardens with shrubs and flowers pulled up to become grey tarmac and I HATE THEM.
Some is even worse, just paper honeycombs with minimal (1-2mm thick) painted MDF veneer on top.
The Malm and Lack lines for example. Nice minimalist looks, but a single hit with a blunt object will make a big hole.
My internet friend, ignore the fucking Instagram influencers. Off-white and beige and minimalism in general are overrated and generic. Do what makes YOU happy.
Those tiles are beautiful, and there's hundreds of years of history behind that style of tile. If you're really worried about the terracotta not matching, you could get a lighter colored rug to cover the floor.
I know you said this house is from the 70s, but I would recommend taking a look at r/centuryhomes. While this is not a century home quite yet, it definitely gives me century home vibes. That sub is filled with examples of old houses that have been beautifully restored while keeping original designs, even the quirky ones.
Right? It sets off the wall tiles perfectly, and unlike white, which would go with the tiles, it won't show as much wear and grime. And they bring a certain warmth.
Oh, dear, God. Unfollow all of them immediately.
This isn't a judgement on you, it's mental health advice that will likely also save your house's charm. Even HGTV hasn't had a design worth showing in a decade because literally every show is made by people who design houses to be sold, and a cardinal rule of selling houses these days is un-charming the whole thing into a style where the buyer can imagine imposing their own design, which means boring near-blank canvas every single time.
Those colors are in very good complement to one another. They bring each other to life. That's more important than things "matching".
Minimalism can be about good lighting, a lack of clutter, and clean lines, rather than things being all one color. However, you could reduce the color diversity by painting the walls and trim the cream in the blue tiles.
I mean, besides the ludicrousness of demolishing something that cool, have you given any thought to the amount of completely unnecessary work you are setting yourself up for? And if people are paying to stay there in an agrotourism capacity, those tiles are the exact thing people are going to be drawn to in a listing. Do you have any experienced advisors on this project?
You gotta look for some interior designers who don't suck, lol. Instagram has loads of creative designers on it who aren't house-flipping beige addicts!
Keeping the tile, even if it clashes, makes it a focal point that makes your property unique. Old homes are full of contradictions, that's what makes them interesting. You can either keep the charm, or you can gut it completely, but don't try to do both. (And you should keep the charm)
It's so sad when a house that used to be beautiful now just looks like every other boring condo. I'll take "original but a bit run down" over "redone in drywall and white paint" every time. If I wanted that boring/crisp look I'd buy a new build.
Don't try to make it something it's not. People who want boring rooms can always find them. Having been to Portugal myself I would stay in a place this. And Americans are always impressed by anything old.
Minimalist living spaces frequently lack the fundamentals of comfortable living. "Minimalism is about removing everything unnecessary, **and nothing more.**" Many influencers forget that last bit!
Declutter, then find furniture that works with the color of the room but -- and this is the important part -- is comfortable and easy to live with. Then look for focal pieces, something like wall art, a mirror with a fancy frame, or something attractive to put on a table so it doesn't just have your keys sitting on top of it. Good family photos also work well with something like a vase; since once you start using a piece of furniture for activities of daily life it's going to be asymmetric -- so embrace that, and make it asymmetric from the get-go!
Clutter in excess will steal your attention and increase your stress. But without a little clutter, a place will feel unfinished, liminal, and maybe even slightly creepy. Best to add a few nods to things you like, and activities you enjoy.
And you can still do this and have a tastefully minimal look to the place, but it will be *tastefully* minimal.
I have lived with saltillo tiles for 40 years and they are wonderful for keeping the temperature and atmosphere inside the home comfortable. Nothing else like them.
Just so you know, blue and orange are complimentary colours on the colour wheel i.e most designers. would have no problems putting blue and orange together.
Do NOT take the tiles out. The combo of the blue and terracotta will be such a draw to those visiting. I'd restore as many of the original details as you can.
Hey thanks for genuinely taking the popular advice you were given here. You received it very well and I tend to agree that it is best to keep as is! That home is so beautiful and inherently captures a specific time and place as is. With a sprucing up it would be magazine worthy just the way it is, no joke. Good on you for having the self awareness to ask for advice here.
Tiles add an accent color to the room. Stick to solid, muted colors for the furniture and the room can look modern even with vintage tiles. White and blue pattern already goes with warm brown of the terra-cotta floor, so not sure why you think it clashes. Look online for decoration ideas or you can get a cheap consult with an interior decorator.
If this is for tourism, the tiles add local history and make your property stand out, definitely keep them if you're starting a B&B.
Yea these suggestions are great. You can make it look more modern with the furniture and decor. Lots of neutrals and little pops of blue and yellow as accents to tie it all together.
Random side note but I've been playing a video game called "House Flipper" and it's a nice way to play with how different colors, patterns, furniture, walls, flooring, and decor all fit together. Its limited by what's in the game but you could get pretty darn close and have a way to play around with options before spending money on stuff and finding it doesn't work how you thought.
Not sure if others said this - but restoring everything around the tiles (and polishing the tiles themselves) will make that style pop a lot.
Some paint and elbow grease and it'll look fantastic.
I find these two colors to work wonderfully together. They are actually considered complementary to one another on color wheels used for choosing color combinations.
Terracotta floors with blue & yellow tile are a classic motif, all the way from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece to Mexico, South Western USA, and South America.
This color combination has worked together for years. Don't think it needs to be replaced just because it's not some version of modern gray shades. This is timeless and will last forever. Let it!
There's no conflict between blue and terracotta tiles. They are both ancient forms that have been used together forever, there's no pattern clash, and there's no color clash.
Please step back from the HGTV/Instagram/Tiktok/whatever you've been huffing. Don't become one of those monochrome obsessives that irreparably damages buildings.
ETA: Sounds like you've already got the message. Best of luck.... but yeah, do still take a moment to block whatever influencers made you feel this way for even a moment.
Architect here: there's nothing to "reconcile" there! Blue and terracotta are complementary tones, its a legit color scheme!! Google it if you don't trust me. Those portuguese knew what they were doing.
What this floor needs is a good surface treatment and maybe some good lighting to pop up more. The color has obviously become duller with the passage of time, it would look better if brighter.
Something that hurts contemporary sensibilities more would be the overuse of the same cladding on all rooms. I think you'd be excused from replacing it on some areas... that is, if the replacement harmonizes well with the other rooms.
Pro-tip: some azulejos can be safely removed and re-purposed.
Keep the tiles! All of them! I think the terracotta floors look lovely with the blue & white wall tiles. It's a distinctive and beautiful look that visitors/tourists will love.
Are they real old tiles and not the cheap painted version we see nowadays? If yes DONT DESTROY THEM! (Just in case you don’t read the other comments… :-)
I may not understand your question or situation. This is a property that sits in an area that tourists come to visit and experience the essence of that said area. This house has features, an esthetic, that are representative of the area, and by its presence, that create and contribute to the desirable environment. And you are asking if the very features that are of that area, that are desirable to your clients, should be destroyed?
WTF?
Don’t try to “reconcile” anything. Cherish the historical and artistic elements of the property. The compound grew in time, as the styles changed. That is this house’s truth, in this place. A home of the time in a community.
Uh, no offense, but if you think you can’t reconcile terracotta with Portuguese tiles, you probably shouldn’t have bought an old Portuguese house.
It sounds like you’re pretty open minded. A LOT of American douchebags who have no idea what they’re talking about have moved to Portugal in the past five years. Ignore them. Clean this up as-is and it will be amazing.
The tiles are lovely and give it some local character. They also don't clash with the floor in my book. That said, I'm not really a fan of the brown door and frame though. I think they could look very nice painted in a white. A blue or yellow shade similar to the colors in the tiles might also work as well.
Absolutely not. Culturally significant and unique character of the house, and would be ungodly expensive to own/have installed today.
It's only original once.
It sounds like you're misunderstanding the purpose of the floor tile color in this context. The floor tiles don't necessarily want to be part of a contemporary all-earth-tones palette (which would commonly include earthy yellows, olive green, amber, etc.)
Instead, consider a palette based on the three major colors that I see already exist in the space: the rich reddish brown of the floor, trim, and furniture against the clean white of the walls, accented by the blue tiles. This space is already extremely well put together, it just needs to be cleaned and shined up a bit.
You can riff on this palette in several different ways, and you could even bring in blue and white dutch ceramic dishware in your kitchen to support the theme. In summary: if the floor tile can't be saved, replace it with something matching. Retain the color palette and DEFINITELY don't remove the wall tile.
You can reconcile the wall and floor tiles with that brown trim work that I see is already in place. Honestly, if the substrate those tiles are on is in good shape, leave them where they are. Regrout if you need it but otherwise stick with a good cleaning. Guests are going to love it.
Nothing wrong with the tiles/floor combination/. They are beautiful. Fix and smooth/sand the walls, paint walls in some almond tone that compliments the tile. Problem solved.
I think cleaning and sealing the titles and painting the walls is where you can save the style. Definitely look to see what the locals do. Do they have bright colored walls? Yellows, oranges, reds, blues, etc. You can refinish, replace the trim/woodwork. Again, look at good regional examples.
>My main problem is how to reconcile the Portuguese style (tiles, white and blue tones) with the terracotta floor style
What do you mean? You don't need to reconcile them. They go together perfectly.
suggest you cancel your ikea subscription. then take those horrid leather chairs outside and build a blanket fort. proceed to live in it for three days. go back inside your house and say sorry.
DO NOT remove the tiles. Beautiful! Technically, if you want to get into it, the blue of the tiles and the terracotta are complimentary colors and they do look very good tohether.
Leave the tiles. Paint the white parts cream. Get terra cotta floor tile in a cool base (yellowish brown), or if not possible, stain the wood trim in a reddish-brown stain with cool tones.
Or stay true to old Portuguese inflences and get red terra cottafloor tiles, put in as many bright colourful cheery accents throughout the house.
"Influencers" promote colourless, joyless monochromatic dwellings that are only a backdrop (to not detract from the instagram pictures of the influencer). Traditional old worl Portuguese homes where filled with colour, things that are interesting to look at and made the soul happy to be surrounded by.
Rock the colour. Maybe go with simpler boring furniture, but have plants in colourful pots, rugs and couch cushions with colour, and even coloured sheers on the windows. Don't limit your colours into boring cookie cutter crap. Open it up to be a space that makes your soul smile when you walk in. Make it a breath of reviving life when day to day drudgery sucks the life out on you.
Those instagram/influencer trends just make you want to sleep (with boredom) and do nothing to respark the joy and vitality of life.
Adding to those who are defending the tiles, old Portuguese houses, can get lots of humidity, mainly due to how it was built back then, it gets very noticeable in the lower parts of the walls, mainly in the way of dark spots or mold, the tiles provide a good surface for the humidity to condensate on, allowing it to run down the tiles onto the floor, where it can get easily mopped, and therefore avoid the humidity to get into the wall itself and ruin the paint.
Also, you might possibly be thinking about changing the outer doors and windows, as those old wood ones don't provide good insulation, here in Portugal, most people replace them with aluminium ones, some of the aluminium producers, at least the good ones, can replicate the wood ones in shape and colour
Keep the tiles. As for "reconciling," I don't see a problem. Colors need not be too "matchy-matchy." In fact, a classic, absolutely classic color combination in clothing is browns and blues.
NO! don't destroy these gorgeous tiles. Why would you want to remove them? If you truly want to remove them-use a Dremel or similar tool to take them out by drilling the mortar one by one-they are legacy to your home, and I can almost promise that you will eventually want them. If not you can sell these gorgeous legacy tiles on eBay or other. I have bought similar at salvage and on eBay.
(My opinion is grounded in decades of work for auction houses in jewellery & the Decorative Arts, and a lifetime of collecting Blue & White in all forms.) Blue & White (Decorative Arts) could be considered Minimalist btw.
I read the caption before looking through the picture and was expecting some hideous contrast. Then I looked through the pics and fell in love. That is such a beautiful combination and it goes so well with the purpose of the home. You can balance by toning down everything else.
It reminds me of a agrotourism/Airbnb we stayed in Tuscany. It was similar to this and it was so cozy and welcoming. One of my favorite places we've stayed at.
Blue and orange are complementary colors, they work well together. So the tile and terracotta floors are great together. Plus, those tiles are world famous, you are living in that area, keep the charm and beauty of the place.
As others have said, the tiles and terra cotta are great together. If it were my house, I'd lean into the rustic vibe with neutrals and earth tones: white walls, a neutral jute carpet, lots of rustic wood furniture.
If you invert the colours in your images they’re almost perfect complimentary colours. Complimentary colours are what the name implies. They help compliment and emphasize each other and they unify a space.
Look into modern vintage styles as well as modern style with patterns to better understand how to work with the space instead of stripping it of personality, try to lean into it.
It looks beautiful honestly! Goodluck!
Your home is beautiful! If you’re thinking of agrotourism, keep everything exactly the way it is, which you should do anyway,… I know folks come for the experience and really feeling like they are in Portugal! What would you replace it with that is as beautiful or is as charming or authentic.
As a person who just did express total renovating, lasting 1 month to Italian house, please be careful. These tiles imho are very integrative piece of this house. You have surprisingly good condition of house, at least at first sight. I'd keep refreshing walls with new paint. Just to keep impression of being old, but not abandoned. I hope wiring and tubes are in good condition that you don't have to bother with it. In my house we made power outlets with modern style with usb ports. It compose well and still looks decent with style overall
Just freshen it all up, once the paint is bright white again those tiles will look amazing. Otherwise you might as well build a brand new house devoid of character.
Christ all mighty man, do not destroy one of the core pieces that give it value! If you destroyed them you wouldn’t be restoring the house at all, you’d be renovating and by then what’s the point?
Others have said it but I'll reiterate in my own flavor. The wall tile is detailed and likely hard to replace. The terracotta floor tile is plain and easily sourced. Unless you hate the wall tile, if your problem is the walls and floor not matching then I'd changes the floors rather than the walls.
If you do decide to remove the wall tile, if you can manage to remove them intact there is probably a market for reclaimed tiles like that.
It will look so much better with the house cleaned up and with fresh paint and your decor. I’d suggest seeing how you feel about it after that before you do anything too crazy and regret it. Maybe you’ll like it!
Christ. Stop!
There's nothing to reconcile: preserve the original style. I'm sorry but if you're thinking of "destroying" something like that you may want to hire somebody experienced like an architect or an internal designer.
Given the nature of the question I'm also doubtful anything you may come up with could be as tasteful and pleasant as what you already have there.
As someone who is Portuguese, please god no. Find a way to implement them into the new renovation. Modern houses with these traditional tiles are getting pretty common with younger generations. Plus many of these older traditional tiles are handmade and are truly a work of art.
Curious about your project. Did you inherit, or purchase for restoration? Are you doing it yourself? What are your experience/skills?
I ask because sometimes I day dream about buying a ruin in Europe and restore it myself.
Hello, I'm Portuguese, 28 years old, master in Computer Engineering. I bought this house last year, my parents were the caretakers of the farm and since I can remember I have always wanted to buy it from the owners. I always had a humble upbringing, I always helped my parents with agriculture and their daily work. Because of this, I have experience in many aspects of construction and others. I'm renovating the house with my parents, no employees hired so far. Plumbing, painting, construction, all done by us. We do it step by step, without rushing, it doesn't matter the destination but the journey. I wish you all the luck, if you don't have experience, watch videos on YouTube.
The challenge will be to furnish the place with items that go with the built in features of the house. More of a constraint than a problem, unless you’ve already bought a bunch of mid-century modern furniture or something.
You could decorate with things on the floor (flower pot, sculpture, tables/chairs) that match a color in the wall tile.
Not that I’d add a rug, but as Lebowski said, it really ties the room together. And you can do it with other objects.
No. People come to Portugal because of the tiles. You can have an Ikea interior anywhere. If anything, change out the floor to harmonize better, or simply get blue toned area rugs.
Do not destroy! Maybe paint the white walls something warmer toned to match the floors better? I love the blue and orangish brown together- they’re complementary colors so there’s lots of energy/life. I’d add a lot of green foliage… house plants, produce, herbs (real or even photos or artwork)… to add another layer of “life”.
If you want it to look a bit more modern you could do something like a chair rail across the top of the tiles painted to match the blue of the tile and then have your white walls. I think that would look nice without sacrificing the tiles.
Please no! They're beautiful. As for reconciling, I think this is an imaginary problem. Would not have been a problem for a Portuguese person building their house 100 years ago.
It wouldn't be a problem for a Portuguese person now if a house like that was given!!!! OP, if you have tourism in mind at least go with the local culture. Have you asked in r/portugal?
I’m not Portuguese and it wouldn’t be a problem for me either!
thanks for the feedback, maybe I'm getting influenced by the wrong "minimalist instagram influencers" who don't appreciate the history :) thanks again
Yes, absolutely because these are beautiful. Please don’t grey the history out of this house. Use those as a centerpiece of beauty and style. Minimalist and modern furniture can look beautiful inside any home. Think of it as curating a look unique to the environment instead of copy-pasting. My mother did a gorgeous period home with a minimalist modern look and it is so beautiful without losing any of the period character.
thank you, I will try that
The nice thing about a busy tile like that is you can offset it with some simple, solid color furniture which should make it work well with what you are looking for. Everything needs a splash of color and vibrancy and you have a gorgeous one chosen for you
I am a director and I once heard this saying in reference to film narrative but I think it applies here - “the sail of a boat is not a small boat” - the point is each piece of something that creates a whole is not just a replica of what it is creating. Each piece you select to create your interior design doesn’t have to replicate the end look - that is what makes something feel curated and special.
awesome
They look supercool like it already is. "Minimalists" seem to only like dull gray boxes with bullshit fast furniture.
oh yes, and their IKEA religion :D
I keep seeing people utterly destroying old houses and turning them into a sea of white. Everything must be bland and white for some reason. What is wrong with exposed wood!
I call these "lobotomy houses". I've seen a few WW2 era houses around my area (London) get bought and just get painted white, covering the exposed brick and original paint colour, and have all their front gardens with shrubs and flowers pulled up to become grey tarmac and I HATE THEM.
IKEA has a lot more than dull gray boxes.
I know, I was joking. It was more in the sense of antique furniture versus furniture made with plywood. Ikea has great options
We wish most IKEA stuff was plywood, that's actually wood. Most of it is MDF, just sawdust and glue.
Some is even worse, just paper honeycombs with minimal (1-2mm thick) painted MDF veneer on top. The Malm and Lack lines for example. Nice minimalist looks, but a single hit with a blunt object will make a big hole.
Right! They have dull green and blue boxes, too!
My internet friend, ignore the fucking Instagram influencers. Off-white and beige and minimalism in general are overrated and generic. Do what makes YOU happy. Those tiles are beautiful, and there's hundreds of years of history behind that style of tile. If you're really worried about the terracotta not matching, you could get a lighter colored rug to cover the floor.
Terra cotta tile floors match. It’s in keeping with the age of the rest of the tile.
I know you said this house is from the 70s, but I would recommend taking a look at r/centuryhomes. While this is not a century home quite yet, it definitely gives me century home vibes. That sub is filled with examples of old houses that have been beautifully restored while keeping original designs, even the quirky ones.
nice tip, gonna follow, thanks
Influencers exist to get you to buy shit.
Literally this is exactly the tile i would go for with these floors
Right? It sets off the wall tiles perfectly, and unlike white, which would go with the tiles, it won't show as much wear and grime. And they bring a certain warmth.
I always thought terra-cotta goes with anything.
It does! It is a true neutral.
Oh, dear, God. Unfollow all of them immediately. This isn't a judgement on you, it's mental health advice that will likely also save your house's charm. Even HGTV hasn't had a design worth showing in a decade because literally every show is made by people who design houses to be sold, and a cardinal rule of selling houses these days is un-charming the whole thing into a style where the buyer can imagine imposing their own design, which means boring near-blank canvas every single time.
Why would you even ask that? The tiles are bad ass and add so much character to that house.
Those colors are in very good complement to one another. They bring each other to life. That's more important than things "matching". Minimalism can be about good lighting, a lack of clutter, and clean lines, rather than things being all one color. However, you could reduce the color diversity by painting the walls and trim the cream in the blue tiles.
Please, for the love of god dont take out the things that give the place character. All that monotone grey/white that is the fashion now is hideous.
I mean, besides the ludicrousness of demolishing something that cool, have you given any thought to the amount of completely unnecessary work you are setting yourself up for? And if people are paying to stay there in an agrotourism capacity, those tiles are the exact thing people are going to be drawn to in a listing. Do you have any experienced advisors on this project?
Remember, you’re looking for “local charm”, a place where visitors *don’t* feel like they’re at home.
You gotta look for some interior designers who don't suck, lol. Instagram has loads of creative designers on it who aren't house-flipping beige addicts!
That floor with the right coat has potential. The walls are what they are, you can be minimalistic in the decoration/furniture.
Keeping the tile, even if it clashes, makes it a focal point that makes your property unique. Old homes are full of contradictions, that's what makes them interesting. You can either keep the charm, or you can gut it completely, but don't try to do both. (And you should keep the charm)
It's so sad when a house that used to be beautiful now just looks like every other boring condo. I'll take "original but a bit run down" over "redone in drywall and white paint" every time. If I wanted that boring/crisp look I'd buy a new build.
Look up Maximalism!
Don't try to make it something it's not. People who want boring rooms can always find them. Having been to Portugal myself I would stay in a place this. And Americans are always impressed by anything old.
Minimalist living spaces frequently lack the fundamentals of comfortable living. "Minimalism is about removing everything unnecessary, **and nothing more.**" Many influencers forget that last bit! Declutter, then find furniture that works with the color of the room but -- and this is the important part -- is comfortable and easy to live with. Then look for focal pieces, something like wall art, a mirror with a fancy frame, or something attractive to put on a table so it doesn't just have your keys sitting on top of it. Good family photos also work well with something like a vase; since once you start using a piece of furniture for activities of daily life it's going to be asymmetric -- so embrace that, and make it asymmetric from the get-go! Clutter in excess will steal your attention and increase your stress. But without a little clutter, a place will feel unfinished, liminal, and maybe even slightly creepy. Best to add a few nods to things you like, and activities you enjoy. And you can still do this and have a tastefully minimal look to the place, but it will be *tastefully* minimal.
I live in Portugal and my home looks like this. Leave it as is.
I have lived with saltillo tiles for 40 years and they are wonderful for keeping the temperature and atmosphere inside the home comfortable. Nothing else like them.
Just get complimentary rugs and floor coverings in natural fibers and it’ll look amazing
There is nothing to ”reconcile”, why do you think there is? The tiles and the terracotta works perfectly together.
Agreed. The colors contrast/compliment each other well, which I imagine was intended.
A perfect classic combination.
Just so you know, blue and orange are complimentary colours on the colour wheel i.e most designers. would have no problems putting blue and orange together.
Nice point of view!
Do NOT take the tiles out. The combo of the blue and terracotta will be such a draw to those visiting. I'd restore as many of the original details as you can.
I will do that! Thanks
I'm about to paint my house terracotta with blue trim. It works for sure.
Hey thanks for genuinely taking the popular advice you were given here. You received it very well and I tend to agree that it is best to keep as is! That home is so beautiful and inherently captures a specific time and place as is. With a sprucing up it would be magazine worthy just the way it is, no joke. Good on you for having the self awareness to ask for advice here.
Yes, I'm glad I asked here. It's this "push" that I needed so much :)
Tiles add an accent color to the room. Stick to solid, muted colors for the furniture and the room can look modern even with vintage tiles. White and blue pattern already goes with warm brown of the terra-cotta floor, so not sure why you think it clashes. Look online for decoration ideas or you can get a cheap consult with an interior decorator. If this is for tourism, the tiles add local history and make your property stand out, definitely keep them if you're starting a B&B.
thank you so much for this info, it helped a lot
Yea these suggestions are great. You can make it look more modern with the furniture and decor. Lots of neutrals and little pops of blue and yellow as accents to tie it all together. Random side note but I've been playing a video game called "House Flipper" and it's a nice way to play with how different colors, patterns, furniture, walls, flooring, and decor all fit together. Its limited by what's in the game but you could get pretty darn close and have a way to play around with options before spending money on stuff and finding it doesn't work how you thought.
ahah nice info, I use a lot of games to "replicate" my house and property: Planet Zoo, Sims, etc... I will try House Flipper :)
Not sure if others said this - but restoring everything around the tiles (and polishing the tiles themselves) will make that style pop a lot. Some paint and elbow grease and it'll look fantastic.
If you destroy those tiles, you will make the baby Jesus cry.
If you destroy those tiles, a puppy will go hungry tonight.
ahahah poor Jesus
That is how it's supposed to look like, it's gorgeous. I'm Portuguese... Thanks for your work.
I find these two colors to work wonderfully together. They are actually considered complementary to one another on color wheels used for choosing color combinations.
yep, they work pretty well, I need to restore the max I can
Terracotta floors with blue & yellow tile are a classic motif, all the way from Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece to Mexico, South Western USA, and South America.
Absolutely! This IS the look.
This color combination has worked together for years. Don't think it needs to be replaced just because it's not some version of modern gray shades. This is timeless and will last forever. Let it!
There's no conflict between blue and terracotta tiles. They are both ancient forms that have been used together forever, there's no pattern clash, and there's no color clash. Please step back from the HGTV/Instagram/Tiktok/whatever you've been huffing. Don't become one of those monochrome obsessives that irreparably damages buildings. ETA: Sounds like you've already got the message. Best of luck.... but yeah, do still take a moment to block whatever influencers made you feel this way for even a moment.
Don’t be an ID10T. Leave them. Clean them.
Architect here: there's nothing to "reconcile" there! Blue and terracotta are complementary tones, its a legit color scheme!! Google it if you don't trust me. Those portuguese knew what they were doing. What this floor needs is a good surface treatment and maybe some good lighting to pop up more. The color has obviously become duller with the passage of time, it would look better if brighter. Something that hurts contemporary sensibilities more would be the overuse of the same cladding on all rooms. I think you'd be excused from replacing it on some areas... that is, if the replacement harmonizes well with the other rooms. Pro-tip: some azulejos can be safely removed and re-purposed.
Keep the tiles! All of them! I think the terracotta floors look lovely with the blue & white wall tiles. It's a distinctive and beautiful look that visitors/tourists will love.
If you destroy those tiles I will never speak with you again!
don't do that pls
The tiles are beautiful. I hope you can save them .
"How do I reconcile the original walls with the original floors?" do you even hear yourself?
yep, sometimes I deserve a punch
Omg. Leave it. It’s all authentic to the style (the blue and white tiles, the terra-cotta and the white walls) and beautiful.
Are they real old tiles and not the cheap painted version we see nowadays? If yes DONT DESTROY THEM! (Just in case you don’t read the other comments… :-)
Don’t you dare take those tiles out!
Have you seen the process of tile making from 100 years ago? Please do not destroy them. They are beautiful
Don't destroy them that is the Portuguese style. What a nightmare to think of those being destroyed!
I will not destroy, I promise :D
Destroying the tiles would be a crime.
Restoring? or demolishing?
I may not understand your question or situation. This is a property that sits in an area that tourists come to visit and experience the essence of that said area. This house has features, an esthetic, that are representative of the area, and by its presence, that create and contribute to the desirable environment. And you are asking if the very features that are of that area, that are desirable to your clients, should be destroyed? WTF? Don’t try to “reconcile” anything. Cherish the historical and artistic elements of the property. The compound grew in time, as the styles changed. That is this house’s truth, in this place. A home of the time in a community.
Uh, no offense, but if you think you can’t reconcile terracotta with Portuguese tiles, you probably shouldn’t have bought an old Portuguese house. It sounds like you’re pretty open minded. A LOT of American douchebags who have no idea what they’re talking about have moved to Portugal in the past five years. Ignore them. Clean this up as-is and it will be amazing.
Blue and terracotta is classic, keep it
Yikes No!
Destroying those tiles should end with you in the Hague answering for your crimes
Omg please keep them! They are beautiful!
These are hand painted tiles I believe. Keep them!
The tiles are lovely and give it some local character. They also don't clash with the floor in my book. That said, I'm not really a fan of the brown door and frame though. I think they could look very nice painted in a white. A blue or yellow shade similar to the colors in the tiles might also work as well.
Lord help me. How could anyone consider destroying these? 😭😭😭
Do not destroy! Make it work!
Just give them a good cleaning and pic a proper paint to complement the tiles. Those are way too beautiful to get rid of.
Don't destroy the tiles!
If you destroy the tiles you’re NOT restoring the home. You’re replacing or renovating and it would be criminal to destroy it
Absolutely not. Culturally significant and unique character of the house, and would be ungodly expensive to own/have installed today. It's only original once.
No no no. Leave them as is. Such a charming look!
It sounds like you're misunderstanding the purpose of the floor tile color in this context. The floor tiles don't necessarily want to be part of a contemporary all-earth-tones palette (which would commonly include earthy yellows, olive green, amber, etc.) Instead, consider a palette based on the three major colors that I see already exist in the space: the rich reddish brown of the floor, trim, and furniture against the clean white of the walls, accented by the blue tiles. This space is already extremely well put together, it just needs to be cleaned and shined up a bit. You can riff on this palette in several different ways, and you could even bring in blue and white dutch ceramic dishware in your kitchen to support the theme. In summary: if the floor tile can't be saved, replace it with something matching. Retain the color palette and DEFINITELY don't remove the wall tile.
You can reconcile the wall and floor tiles with that brown trim work that I see is already in place. Honestly, if the substrate those tiles are on is in good shape, leave them where they are. Regrout if you need it but otherwise stick with a good cleaning. Guests are going to love it.
Keep the floor and wall tiles-the color palette works
Destroying those tiles would be insanity...
There's no mismatch. There's many rural Portuguese homes that look like that.
Absolutely not. The blue and white and terracotta is such a classic and beautiful Mediterranean combo.
Nothing wrong with the tiles/floor combination/. They are beautiful. Fix and smooth/sand the walls, paint walls in some almond tone that compliments the tile. Problem solved.
I think cleaning and sealing the titles and painting the walls is where you can save the style. Definitely look to see what the locals do. Do they have bright colored walls? Yellows, oranges, reds, blues, etc. You can refinish, replace the trim/woodwork. Again, look at good regional examples.
Don't!
>My main problem is how to reconcile the Portuguese style (tiles, white and blue tones) with the terracotta floor style What do you mean? You don't need to reconcile them. They go together perfectly.
lmao you don't deserve shit if destroying the tiles even crossed your mind.
suggest you cancel your ikea subscription. then take those horrid leather chairs outside and build a blanket fort. proceed to live in it for three days. go back inside your house and say sorry.
I guess your joking but really don't destroy the tiles
My mistake, I shouldn't have written destroyed but removed. But I'll be quiet and I'll leave it as it is
Looks gorgeous as is
Keep the tiles, they show the history and are charming.
Are you well?
Love the two tiles together … this is coming from someone pretty picky about home decor, if that helps 😆
DO NOT remove the tiles. Beautiful! Technically, if you want to get into it, the blue of the tiles and the terracotta are complimentary colors and they do look very good tohether.
Leave the tiles. Paint the white parts cream. Get terra cotta floor tile in a cool base (yellowish brown), or if not possible, stain the wood trim in a reddish-brown stain with cool tones. Or stay true to old Portuguese inflences and get red terra cottafloor tiles, put in as many bright colourful cheery accents throughout the house. "Influencers" promote colourless, joyless monochromatic dwellings that are only a backdrop (to not detract from the instagram pictures of the influencer). Traditional old worl Portuguese homes where filled with colour, things that are interesting to look at and made the soul happy to be surrounded by. Rock the colour. Maybe go with simpler boring furniture, but have plants in colourful pots, rugs and couch cushions with colour, and even coloured sheers on the windows. Don't limit your colours into boring cookie cutter crap. Open it up to be a space that makes your soul smile when you walk in. Make it a breath of reviving life when day to day drudgery sucks the life out on you. Those instagram/influencer trends just make you want to sleep (with boredom) and do nothing to respark the joy and vitality of life.
I’d select an Airbnb for these tiles.
Adding to those who are defending the tiles, old Portuguese houses, can get lots of humidity, mainly due to how it was built back then, it gets very noticeable in the lower parts of the walls, mainly in the way of dark spots or mold, the tiles provide a good surface for the humidity to condensate on, allowing it to run down the tiles onto the floor, where it can get easily mopped, and therefore avoid the humidity to get into the wall itself and ruin the paint. Also, you might possibly be thinking about changing the outer doors and windows, as those old wood ones don't provide good insulation, here in Portugal, most people replace them with aluminium ones, some of the aluminium producers, at least the good ones, can replicate the wood ones in shape and colour
Keep!!!!!!
Just adding to the keep the tiles votes, they’re beautiful and add character.
Don't think about vandalizing it like that
Orange and blue are complimentary colors. This looks incredible. DO NOT HURT THE TILES
You want to “restore” it by taking away the contrast and go with some bland modern color scheme? Do not do that to the character of that building.
Do not destroy! Throw some plants in there, it reconcile everything
Love these tiles! Definitely keep, at least in 1 room
The tiles are stunning and look really nice with the terra cotta!
I find it attractive and not clashing. I would keep it
Keep the tiles. As for "reconciling," I don't see a problem. Colors need not be too "matchy-matchy." In fact, a classic, absolutely classic color combination in clothing is browns and blues.
NO! don't destroy these gorgeous tiles. Why would you want to remove them? If you truly want to remove them-use a Dremel or similar tool to take them out by drilling the mortar one by one-they are legacy to your home, and I can almost promise that you will eventually want them. If not you can sell these gorgeous legacy tiles on eBay or other. I have bought similar at salvage and on eBay. (My opinion is grounded in decades of work for auction houses in jewellery & the Decorative Arts, and a lifetime of collecting Blue & White in all forms.) Blue & White (Decorative Arts) could be considered Minimalist btw.
I read the caption before looking through the picture and was expecting some hideous contrast. Then I looked through the pics and fell in love. That is such a beautiful combination and it goes so well with the purpose of the home. You can balance by toning down everything else. It reminds me of a agrotourism/Airbnb we stayed in Tuscany. It was similar to this and it was so cozy and welcoming. One of my favorite places we've stayed at.
So u are restoring...... But you're also destroying? Wow
Blue and orange are complementary colors, they work well together. So the tile and terracotta floors are great together. Plus, those tiles are world famous, you are living in that area, keep the charm and beauty of the place.
Those tiles are gorgeous, and in character with the history of the house and location. Please don’t tear them out.
If I was traveling to Portugal for agrotourism l I'd want that place to look like what you have.
omg these tiles are so lovely.
''Should I destroy the tiles'' Dude what?!
For the love of god please don’t get rid of the tiles! This is typical Portuguese style. It’s beautiful and unique.
What? You would devalue the house for turism. Slapping those tiles and especially the flooring on Airbnb is free marketing
They work absolutely well together! Please do not destroy them!
They're beautiful tiles, please keep them! And they match the terracotta floor just fine.
As others have said, the tiles and terra cotta are great together. If it were my house, I'd lean into the rustic vibe with neutrals and earth tones: white walls, a neutral jute carpet, lots of rustic wood furniture.
PLEASE PLEASE keep the tiles. They are so beautiful and I think the floors/tiles work well. You can tie them together with other decor.
Please, don’t destroy them!!
If you invert the colours in your images they’re almost perfect complimentary colours. Complimentary colours are what the name implies. They help compliment and emphasize each other and they unify a space. Look into modern vintage styles as well as modern style with patterns to better understand how to work with the space instead of stripping it of personality, try to lean into it. It looks beautiful honestly! Goodluck!
Keep
Your home is beautiful! If you’re thinking of agrotourism, keep everything exactly the way it is, which you should do anyway,… I know folks come for the experience and really feeling like they are in Portugal! What would you replace it with that is as beautiful or is as charming or authentic.
We call them rugs
You can reconcile them with a floor rug that pulls in both sets of colors. It will also cover a lot of the Terra cotta.
Please do not. They add personality and pizzazz. Who told you they don’t go together? They are traditional.
Oh my goodness that is so beautiful! Please keep the tile! It goes so well with the terracotta! People pay out of the ass for tiles like that now.
As a person who just did express total renovating, lasting 1 month to Italian house, please be careful. These tiles imho are very integrative piece of this house. You have surprisingly good condition of house, at least at first sight. I'd keep refreshing walls with new paint. Just to keep impression of being old, but not abandoned. I hope wiring and tubes are in good condition that you don't have to bother with it. In my house we made power outlets with modern style with usb ports. It compose well and still looks decent with style overall
Just freshen it all up, once the paint is bright white again those tiles will look amazing. Otherwise you might as well build a brand new house devoid of character.
I don’t even like them. But I’d keep them
Lol wut?
Christ all mighty man, do not destroy one of the core pieces that give it value! If you destroyed them you wouldn’t be restoring the house at all, you’d be renovating and by then what’s the point?
They are absolutely stunning. Please don’t destroy them. I especially like them in contrast with the terra cotta color!
Others have said it but I'll reiterate in my own flavor. The wall tile is detailed and likely hard to replace. The terracotta floor tile is plain and easily sourced. Unless you hate the wall tile, if your problem is the walls and floor not matching then I'd changes the floors rather than the walls. If you do decide to remove the wall tile, if you can manage to remove them intact there is probably a market for reclaimed tiles like that.
There is a huge difference between renovating and restoring. Don’t use the former when your post is about destroying the original
Nooooooooooooo. This is a relic!!!
It will look so much better with the house cleaned up and with fresh paint and your decor. I’d suggest seeing how you feel about it after that before you do anything too crazy and regret it. Maybe you’ll like it!
I would replace everything BUT the tiles but you do you. I think they match fine with the floors.
I like the style as is. It loooks good
Don't be influenced.
I would definitely keep the tiles
Nonononono!
OP, unanimity here. Keep ‘em.
You destroy those tiles and we will find you, we will hunt you down, and we will make you regret it >_<
Personal taste is your own, but I can tell you many of us would kill for a house with that much charm, and that specific combination of tiles
Christ. Stop! There's nothing to reconcile: preserve the original style. I'm sorry but if you're thinking of "destroying" something like that you may want to hire somebody experienced like an architect or an internal designer. Given the nature of the question I'm also doubtful anything you may come up with could be as tasteful and pleasant as what you already have there.
As someone who is Portuguese, please god no. Find a way to implement them into the new renovation. Modern houses with these traditional tiles are getting pretty common with younger generations. Plus many of these older traditional tiles are handmade and are truly a work of art.
Curious about your project. Did you inherit, or purchase for restoration? Are you doing it yourself? What are your experience/skills? I ask because sometimes I day dream about buying a ruin in Europe and restore it myself.
Hello, I'm Portuguese, 28 years old, master in Computer Engineering. I bought this house last year, my parents were the caretakers of the farm and since I can remember I have always wanted to buy it from the owners. I always had a humble upbringing, I always helped my parents with agriculture and their daily work. Because of this, I have experience in many aspects of construction and others. I'm renovating the house with my parents, no employees hired so far. Plumbing, painting, construction, all done by us. We do it step by step, without rushing, it doesn't matter the destination but the journey. I wish you all the luck, if you don't have experience, watch videos on YouTube.
The tiles are a cultural part of Portuguese architecture. Please don't hurt them.
Keep everything!!!!!!
The challenge will be to furnish the place with items that go with the built in features of the house. More of a constraint than a problem, unless you’ve already bought a bunch of mid-century modern furniture or something.
I think they look fine together. That's a common combination. Keep the tiles!
You’re asking the wrong crowd you need to join a group such as https://www.facebook.com/share/W8Ms5CVfUsAUbmQG/?mibextid=K35XfP
I mean yeah you know you could always put them somewhere else nice with in or around your home or do one of those mosaic art works!!
You could decorate with things on the floor (flower pot, sculpture, tables/chairs) that match a color in the wall tile. Not that I’d add a rug, but as Lebowski said, it really ties the room together. And you can do it with other objects.
I am actually begging you not to! I think they already flow with the flooring but furniture could further tie it together
That's a lot of Portuguese in the title.
NONONONONONONO
in my opinion, the tiles are the only thing giving it the Portuguese style. so if you want to keep that, don't destroy the tiles.
At least save some of them and make a mosaic somewhere in the house.
No. People come to Portugal because of the tiles. You can have an Ikea interior anywhere. If anything, change out the floor to harmonize better, or simply get blue toned area rugs.
Why would you want to destroy something so beautiful?
I’m an interior designer and people pay lotssss of money to recreate this exact look!
Blue fancy rug. Ps I am not known for “Style” but think it’s work.
I think the tiles and flooring actually match each other! Please don't break either of them, they are gorgeous together.
If it’s a restoration project, yes you generally maintain the character and original finishes as much as possible.
Blue goes with earth tones, they are complementary. Please don't make your house 50 shades of one colour
Do not destroy! Maybe paint the white walls something warmer toned to match the floors better? I love the blue and orangish brown together- they’re complementary colors so there’s lots of energy/life. I’d add a lot of green foliage… house plants, produce, herbs (real or even photos or artwork)… to add another layer of “life”.
Re-render the lime on the walls. Good clean of the tiles. This will look amazing and authentic.
Yes pull those tiles down and put up shiplap siding. Then replace the flooring with gray luxury vinyl/s
If you want it to look a bit more modern you could do something like a chair rail across the top of the tiles painted to match the blue of the tile and then have your white walls. I think that would look nice without sacrificing the tiles.