What are travertine stone tiles? Where do they come from? Where do the designs come from? How are the designs on the tiles? If any of these questions have crossed your mind, or you’re curious now that you’ve read them, this article is for you! 

What are travertine stone tiles?

Travertine is defined as, “a form of limestone deposited by springs, especially hot springs.” It is a natural stone that InspiraNatura collects in Turkey. Due to the fact it’s natural, the travertine tiles are each unique in their own ways. They all have different veins, dents, and crevices. 

Where do they come from?

The owner of Inspira Natura collects the travertine stone tiles from the Aegean coast, south of Izmir in western Turkey. The stones that InspiraNatura uses are over 200,00 years old. When you welcome one of our pieces into your home, you are welcoming in history.

Where do the designs come from?

The sea creature illustrations were found from Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799) who was a German medical doctor and naturalist. Although he had limited education, he became a teacher in Hamburg, learned German, Latin and studied anatomy. He later settled in Berlin where he became a physician. Always interested in natural history, he amassed a private collection of natural objects. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century, and wrote many papers on natural history, comparative anatomy, and physiology.The other design are all classical designs that you can find in classical otomanian, venecian, Tuscan interiors that are shown throughout history and in ancient documentations.

How are the designs on the tiles?

Frank, the owner of InspiraNatura developed a decoupage method that he uses specifically to apply the designs to the travertine tiles. He then seals the designs onto the stones to ensure that they are not going to fade. 

Now that you know the history of where the stones come from, you are going to want to see all of the amazing designs that we come up with that incorporate the beautiful travertine stone tiles. You can shop our pieces here: www.inspira-natura.com