Style Classic: Tin Tile Ceiling

The trend for industrial chic shows no sign of fading, with raw materials and time-weathered materials still in the limelight. And nothing epitomises this trend more than tin tile ceilings – durable, elegant and classic.

The first tin tiles are reputed to have appeared in Brooklyn, where they were used as makeshift restoration for a worn-out plaster ceiling. Cheap, quick and easy, the idea quickly spread across America as an affordable alternative to ornate European-style plasterwork. Homeowners would paint their tiles white, giving the appearance of a hand-carved ceiling.

Tin tiles naturally strayed from their residential beginnings, finding a place in the world of commercial property. Particularly prevalent in bars and restaurants as they were both fireproof and noise-muffling, many were subsequently covered over only to be re-discovered with the onset of regeneration. No hipster Shoreditch bar or trendy hairdresser is worth its salt without one!

You don’t have to live in a former warehouse to get the look! Either go authentic with Andy Thornton and invest in tin tiles created on a press that dates back to 1896, with prices starting at £21.10 per tile or cheat with a wallpaper equivalent, for £219 per 10m roll, with the Brooklyn tin tile wallpaper by Merci at Rockett St George.

The homes media brand for early adopters, Livingetc shines a spotlight on the now and the next in design, obsessively covering interior trends, color advice, stylish homeware and modern homes. Celebrating the intersection between fashion and interiors. it's the brand that makes and breaks trends and it draws on its network on leading international luminaries to bring you the very best insight and ideas.