Company Profile
Rawtiles produces a dynamic line of high quality, hand glazed “modernist” ceramic
tiles that are certain to add a little attitude to any surface they touch. We specialize in
creating unique tile solutions for Architects, Designers, Builders and Developers.
Rawtiles was established in 2003 by Roger Weisman. He received his MA in Sculpture
from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston before moving to Los Angeles.
There he was exposed to and inspired by tilework used in traditional mission style
architecture as well as “Modernist” works by giants like Frank LLoyd Wright and
Richard Neutra. Rawtiles fuses mid- century modern designs with traditional
materials and glazing techniques to create a tactile, organic.contemporary product.
Glazing Process
The glazing process we use is Identical to the one used to make “Malibu”
tiles in the 1930’s. It is believed to have originated in Persia and found its way to
California via Spain. The process was adopted by California Potters in the 1920’s.
It is often referred to as “cuerda seca“ or “black line”. An outline of the design is
silk screened onto the bisque tile. Once dry the liquid glaze is applied to the tile by
hand. The black line acts as a resist to insure that the colors don’t mix. The end
result is a tile that is not flat but has a low relief to it. The glazed areas are slightly
raised from the black line.
We are extremely lucky to have Felix Schmeing heading up our
Production. Felix began his work in ceramics in Berlin before moving to
Los Angeles. Felix has more than 25 years of experience in Ceramics and
glaze science. All of our Glazes are made in house and are unique to us.
We offer glazes in Gloss, Satin, and Matte finishes. Use contrasting colors
for a bold look or choose a tonal palette and let the use of gloss and
matte glazes define your design for a more subtle look.
Bisque Choice
We presently offer two standard choices in clay bodies.
A Red or “quarry” bisque that is generally used with a
black line and a White bisque that is generally used with
a white line. The red bisque is more dense and is suitable
for both interior and exterior , wall and floor applications.
The white bisque should be used on interior applications
only and is fine for wall applications and shower floors
but not recommended for high foot traffic areas. We
do use Porcelain tiles for specialty applications in pools
fountains and spas.
Sizes
Most of our designs are available in 4” x 4” , 6” x 6” or 8” x 8” tiles.
Other sizes are available upon request .
Trim , border and surface bullnose pieces are also available.
Custom Designs
We welcome unique custom tile applications. We are happy to incorporate your logos or designs.
Our design team can also work with you to create large scale murals or fountains to suit your site specific needs.
