Designing with Tiles — Yvonne Koné

Tiles become part of everyday life in a different way than paint. They are touched, walked on and lived with for years, gradually becoming part of the architecture itself. In this feature, Yvonne Koné reflects on translating her Safe Place palette into terracotta, exploring how colour, material and craftsmanship come together to create surfaces designed for everyday living.

The starting point for the collection was not colour alone, but atmosphere.

Yvonne Koné wanted to create ceramic surfaces that feel calm, warm and welcoming—tiles that become part of a home rather than its focal point. Just as her Safe Place paint palette was developed to create spaces that feel personal and lived in, the ceramic collection extends the same thinking into architecture.

Rather than translating paint colours directly into clay, the process became an exploration of the material itself. Terracotta behaves differently from paint. Clay, glaze and firing all influence the final colour, allowing each tone to develop its own depth and character. Some colours moved naturally into ceramic, while others evolved along the way, responding to the material rather than simply being reproduced.

Throughout the collection, balance remained essential. Most of the colours are soft, warm and understated, allowing them to settle naturally into a space. A handful of deeper or brighter tones introduce contrast, but always within the same quiet family of colours. Rather than creating strong visual statements, the palette encourages subtle combinations that continue to feel relevant over time.

Material played an equally important role. Alongside glazed surfaces, Koné chose to include raw terracotta, allowing the clay to remain visible in its most honest form. The contrast between glazed and unglazed surfaces introduces texture rather than decoration, reminding us that colour and material are inseparable.

The collection was designed to move freely throughout a home. Used across an entire room, the colours create calm, continuous surfaces that allow architecture to take centre stage. Equally, individual colours can define smaller areas, introducing warmth or subtle rhythm without interrupting the overall atmosphere.

For Koné, the collection represents something deeply familiar. Rather than chasing novelty or trends, it reflects a belief that the best materials are those we continue to enjoy living with year after year. Soft colours, honest materials and thoughtful craftsmanship come together to create surfaces that feel timeless not because they avoid change, but because they quietly become part of everyday life.

The Yvonne Koné Tile Collection

Like the Safe Place paint palette, the ceramic collection is designed to work as a family of colours rather than individual statements. Soft neutrals, muted earthy tones and gentle accents can be combined freely, creating interiors that feel calm, balanced and deeply personal. Whether glazed or raw, every tile is intended to age gracefully, allowing the material to develop character through everyday use.