Surface Design Awards – Complete

• INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE YEAR - NEW
  This is a new category that recognises wall, floor, ceiling and surface design products, including decorative, creative and inventive surfaces for the interior of buildings including both commercial and residential properties.

Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles was approached by a contractor to collaborate on the prestigious refurbishment of Gordon Ramsay’s prestigious Savoy Grill restaurant in London.

Contractors Thompsons commissioned Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles to provide a specialist solution. They needed to bring Gordon Ramsay and Designer’s Afroditi’s vision for the Savoy Grill’s walls to life.

The globally renowned restaurant went through a transformation process at the start of 2023. The final goal was to reopen with a 1930s Hollywood-glam interior style. The refurbishment has resulted in a low-lit environment kitted out with velvet booths and silk-lined walls. Complemented by jazz music, the interior of the Savoy Grill creates the perfect luxurious fine dining experience.

Thompsons and Afroditi envisioned feathered wall tiles lining the interior wall to give a high-end finish to the restaurant. These tiles needed to fit the requirements to be stunning and hard wearing, something that is not currently available off-the-shelf. Thompsons approached several custom tile creators asking for conceptual ideas for feather tiles.

Evaluating and understanding the entirety of the project, from the cliental to the décor, Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles’ team commissioned an artist’s sketch of a feather tile. The final design was detailed to the point of delicacy with an air of refined simplicity.

Once completed, Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles created a mould based on the sketches and delivered several tile prototypes to project managers on the Savoy Grill refurbishment. Having been signed off thereafter thanks to “the tiles’ quality and detail”, Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles created a further 1,600 custom feather tiles for the restaurant.

The project, completed in April 2023, cost approximately £30,000 to provide all 1,600 – around £18 per tile. As well as delivering a high-quality product, Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles offered unrivalled customer service and closely managed the project from beginning to end to ensure they were able to deliver the feather wall times at a competitive price.

It was imperative for the wall tiles to be bespoke for this project, based on the requirements of the designers. That meant that Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles had to fully customise its solutions with unique properties. Each of the 1,600 tiles used on the walls of London’s infamous Savoy Grill all underwent an extensive manufacturing process to make sure the material was as optimised as possible.

After being slip cast into moulds, the tiles were kiln fired at 1,350c. The high temperatures of kiln firing boost the water resistance and the lifespan while maximising the colour quality. This method was chosen to make sure the tiles could withstand the general wear and tear of their location.

Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles use liquid clay to slip cast each individual tile which helps enhance the bespoke nature of the tiles. Any liquid clay is drained, recycled and reused in future casts to help minimise waste and reduce costs.

After the firing, the tiles were finished with a satin glaze. Satin glazing a collection of tiles has two main advantages which are particularly beneficial for use in high restaurants. Firstly, they are resistant to staining and fading, compared to tiles which have no glazing. Secondly, the glaze makes the tile easier to clean.

Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles used its expert knowledge to provide imperative insight into the materials used in the Savoy Grill.

Sustainability is at the heart of all Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles projects. That’s why, through careful consideration, the team at DCCT provided bespoke recommendations into the material selection of the tiles. The satin glazed finish and kiln firing process make the life span of a tile last considerably longer than off-the-shelf alternatives. This, in turn, helps to reduce the need for new tiles sooner, reducing the use of associated resources.

The final glazes applied by Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles mean that its tiles can be glazed at extremely high temperatures with no negative effects on the quality of the finish. If one piece of Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles’ ceramic wear needs to be glazed at 800c and another at 1000c, they can be glazed together rather than using two glazing windows.

Maximum of 250 words - Regarding the surface selection/application

As with almost all high-profile refurbishment projects, the design solution had to be fully bespoke. That and the extremely delicate nature of the design, caused the design prototype process to be a little longer than usual with the need for a brand-new mould based on approved artwork. Having the in-house capabilities to provide bespoke mould solutions meant this was quickly solved.

After the design process, Digital Ceramics Custom Tiles didn’t face any issues during the creation or application processes with this project. That is a testament to the high-quality project management, designs and products of all parties in the Savoy Grill refurbishment.