Game, set, match: the definitive guide to clé sets and bundles

fornace brioni + giovanni barbieri le piastrelle segnate

one of the wonders of tile is its expressiveness — and its versatility, the myriad ways in which you can endlessly combine shapes and colors and textures to create one-of-a-kind patterns. but therein lies the rub. how to choose among those many options? that’s where clé’s sets, bundles, and blends come in.

fornace brioni + clé casale rustico misto bundle

streamlined design

sets, bundles, and blends are clé-designed combinations of tile in colors, textures and shapes that work *seamlessly* together. less guesswork, less agita, more “...oh, yes.”

use clé’s sets as a shortcut to find your next backsplash or bathroom wall, or use them as a jumping off point for the design of your entire space. the choice is yours, but either way, it’s like having a little design advice with every order.

consider our sets and bundles akin to a capsule wardrobe to help you pull together looks with ease, or a prix fixe menu with chef-selected flavor pairings you would never have thought of — but which will change your life.

fornace brioni + cristina celestino capriccio bundle

the secret behind our blends: artistry and expertise

first, we bring an artist’s eye to our sets and bundles. clé founder and artist/designer Deborah Osburn combines her education, her love of art, and keen appreciation of the subtleties of color and texture. whether it's detailed color studies (as in the duos and trios of cinema collection: mythology) or unexpected combinations (natural, weathered white, cindered olive, vintage rose, and gold together in our essaouira lustre blend) or the literally infinite number of ways in which clé malachite can be installed… it’s a brilliantly simple way to create a bespoke, very personal look.

it helps that we understand our tile better than anyone. we know the nuances of variegation, variation, and thickness, of the different ways in which light will play off a surface — all factors that become even more important to consider when pairing and combining tile. it’s a labor of love for us — but one we can’t stay away from. it’s just in our DNA.

the perfect mix

fornace brioni + clé casale rustico normale bundle. Design: stories collective / photo: stacy zarin goldberg

clé, in partnership with fornace brioni, has reinvented the classic white tile installation with casale rustico — a hand-hewn italian terracotta clay body awash with a glossy white glaze. (if you’re looking for something more matte but with the square/rectangle combination of casale rustico, you might consider our mid-century mosaic in our classic cement.)

for an elevated, refined, tone-on-tone design (but dimensional, 3D and sculpted), consider acanti from the fornace brioni + cristina celestino terracotta collection or le piestrelle signate from the more modernist fornace brioni + giovanni barbieri collection.

belgian reproduction in either flemish black or flemish red are elevated rustic handcrafted tiles, offering a quiet excitement that’s the hallmark of belgian design.

for more tone-on-tone bundles, consider cinema collection: pavimenti in single color tones in classic shapes (octagon + bouchon, circle + losange, star + cross).

or if the rippling, handcrafted look of zellige beckons, explore zio & sons + clé zellige bundles in single color octagon-bouchon combinations, or in more tone-on-tone pairings. weathered white with sea salt, or even vintage rose with weathered white, offer a gentle update to an age-old pattern.

if handcrafted terracotta is your look, embrace le sol — with its classic mediterranean vibes in traditional and updated shapes.

Slate modernist mosaic. Design: murphy deesign / photo: zeke ruelas

and, if you yearn for a hard-wearing surface like slate… try our slate modernist mosaic bundle.

strata linea

for those looking to create your own bit of history, strata linea is the way. this elegant collection contains 10 varieties of stone, reclaimed from architectural projects in the eastern mediterranean and artfully repurposed into tile planks that can be arranged at will for a truly one of a kind, truly bespoke look.

inspired by the palazzo floor of 20th-century artist cy twombly (and the design that served as inspiration for the clé studio floor), roman palazzo mosaic threads the needle between playful and classic, bold and neutral. unforgettable.

redefine “neutral” with an unexpected touch of gold zellige. essaouira lustre blend is most reminiscent of centuries-old european homes, as it’s comprised of natural unglazed bejmat mixed with four different glazes.

fornace brioni + cristina celestino terracotta is where modern italian design meets italian heritage craftsmanship. the pairing of italian terracotta specialists Fornace Brioni and acclaimed Milan designer Cristina Celestino means neutrals have never looked so bold, with mesmerizing movement captured in both the patterns and the tiles themselves.

there’s bibiena, inspired by the pathways and hedges of old italian formal gardens; capriccio, inspired by baroque era set design and trompe l’oeil; or tivoli, an omaggio to the formal gardens of italy, created after observing the geometric forms of trees, topiaries and sculpted hedgerow.

deborah osburn malachite, nine piece medley

designed to be mixed to create unique patterns, malachite medley is the brainchild of Deborah Osburn, who created nine different malachite-inspired tiles. the result: a sultry, seductive look — and infinite variation, both metaphorically and mathematically.

color studies as surface design: mythology collection is a tour de force of color to usher us into the new era of cement. the collection features thoughtfully crafted duos and trios that take the guesswork out of it all.

start by choosing a color story — a mood, a vibe, an emotion — that speaks to you: oz, salon, wonderland, dartmoor, flanders, foxglove, wildwood. then… decide whether you’re wanting a duo (slightly higher contrast) or trio (surprisingly more nuanced). next, choose your particular combination. at last, decide how to install it: checkerboard, stripes, staggered, completely random patterns. the choice is yours.

it’s the classic checkerboard motif, taken to a whole different level.

cinema collection: pavimenti casablanca star + cross in flowerpot

boldly contrasting hues in classic shapes make for a romantic-yet-crisply-modern twist on tradition in pavimenti — classic tile shapes in larger sizes updated in our signature cement... including pairings from our mythology collection.

fornace brioni + cristina celestino glazed ceramic tivoli bundle (pdf)

strong, unexpected and muted colors in unexpected combinations is the hallmark of fornace brioni + cristina celestino ceramic tivoli, where glossy glazed and matte glazed ceramic confections marry art and function.

you saw the tone-on-tone and neutral options above, but to really appreciate the expressive range of zio & sons + clé zellige, consider the natural/glazed combinations in the collection whose contrasts only highlight the material.