Many vintage California homes feature beautiful Malibu Pottery tiles. The May issue of Martha Stewart magazine has an article about the exquisite Adamson House in Malibu. What really caught my eye was this magnificent "carpet" made of 670 tiles, right down to the fringe. It was designed by Malibu Potteries for the house in 1929. A detail of this hall floor is featured on page 92, as well as pictures of other rooms all lavishly decorated with California tiles.
The tile factory in Malibu operated for only seven years (1926-1932) so as you can imagine, these vibrant and intricate tiles (made with superior clay) are treasured collectibles. Enough to get the Antiques Roadshow folks excited. They're featured extensively in Adamson House, which is considered "The Shrine" of California tiles. When the house was built, a single family owned all the land in sight: 13,000 acres of ranch land high above the ocean. No mansions, no roads, no tourists.
Now owed by the state of California, the house is a museum that showcases the tile and the region's history. I'd love to see it the next time we're in southern California. If you don't get Martha's magazine, the museum also has a virtual tour on their website:
http://www.adamsonhouse.org/Tour/tour.html
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