Diarama tile wall by Mutina with painterly effect

Diarama by Mutina — V4: variation declared as a manifesto

Mutina

Hella Jongerius

Blush Dark
Blush Dark Available now
£ 339

What did you have in mind?

Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Most tile datasheets apologise for variation; Diarama's celebrates it: shade class V4 — the strongest there is — with glazes declared «naturally non-homogeneous» and the material «deliberately shade-varied». British taste has always understood this - the patina of old delft, the charm of nothing matching too well. Hella Jongerius engineered that sensibility: «I used the tiles as canvas… I didn't want the surface to simply appear coloured, but mixed, as if it were an oil painting.»

The chemistry is real: the same glaze fired over different coloured clay bodies reacts differently every time — layers rising «naturally and randomly, as happens in paintings». The signature is a high-thickness silkscreened glaze stripe crossing the unglazed surface: gloss running over raw body. Current range: Chalk and Iron plus the Ash, Maize and Blush Dark families, in glazed full-body porcelain, 9.4×18.7 cm, with six official laying schemes across horizontal and vertical. Registered design (2019), stain class 5, 24% pre-consumer recycled declared for LEED 4.1.

Where the manifesto hangs

Wall covering only — but indoor and outdoor (frost-proof): washroom and boardroom walls, reception fronts, courtyard façades. Datasheet and certificates download from this page.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Diarama
Manufacturer: Mutina
Design: Hella Jongerius, 2018 — registered design no. 006336608-0001/0037 (2019)
Material: glazed full-body porcelain stoneware, 9 mm (0.35 in), UNI EN 14411 App. G (BIa) GL
Format: 9.4×18.7 cm (3.7×7.4 in) — high-thickness silkscreened glaze stripe on unglazed surface
Range: Chalk and Iron + Ash, Maize, Blush colour families (Dark) on matt bases — glazes declared naturally non-homogeneous, V4 strong variation
Laying schemes: Random, Alternating and Running bond — horizontal and vertical
Use: wall covering — indoor and outdoor
Declared values: absorption compliant (<0.5%) — frost-proof — thermal shock and chemical attack resistant — stain class 5
Sustainability: 24% pre-consumer recycled (LEED 4.1 declaration); EPD, HPD on request
Installation: deliberately shade-varied — draw from several boxes and mix; porcelain adhesive, 2 mm (0.08 in) joint with wedges, fine-grain or epoxy grout — Packing: colours 45 pcs/box (0.79 sqm), Chalk/Iron 42 pcs (0.74 sqm)

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Documents and Catalogues

Mutina Catalogue Diarama Catalogue Diarama VOC Certifications Diarama LEED® Credit Contribution Sheet Diarama Technical Guide, Laying & Maintenance

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FAQ

Why would anyone specify the strongest variation class on purpose?
For the same reason one buys watercolour instead of vinyl print: life. V4 is declared - glazes naturally non-homogeneous, material deliberately shade-varied - because the colour is a fired reaction between glaze and coloured clay body, not a printed file. Jongerius wanted surfaces mixed as if it were an oil painting, and the kiln obliges: every tile is an original brushstroke. On a boardroom or reception wall the result reads as art, not tiling - and it never repeats, because it cannot.
How is the variation kept elegant rather than chaotic on site?
With the datasheet's own discipline: draw tiles from several boxes and blend attentively, so the tonal range distributes across the wall like brushwork rather than pooling in patches. The six official laying schemes - random, alternating, running bond, each horizontal or vertical - give the composition structure while the colour stays free. Order several samples first to see the declared amplitude, and brief the tiler that V4 blending is part of the specification, not an improvisation.
What is the silkscreened stripe exactly?
The collection's technical signature, declared in the datasheet: a glazed stripe applied by high-thickness silkscreen printing onto the otherwise unglazed surface - a ridge of gloss crossing raw, matt clay body. Two natures of ceramic on one tile. Laid up, the stripes become a graphic rhythm running through the wall - horizontal bands, vertical rain, or scattered marks, depending on which of the six schemes you choose. It catches side-light beautifully, which is worth planning for.
Can it genuinely go outside in a British climate?
Declared yes, on walls: use is wall covering indoor and outdoor, with frost resistance and thermal shock tested, on a full-body porcelain base with sub-0.5% absorption - courtyard walls, entrance façades and garden walls are within scope, rain and frost included. What it never does is floors: no slip values are declared because that is not its job. One material language from the lobby wall to the courtyard elevation.
Is the 24% recycled figure meaningful, and who verifies it?
Meaningful and declared under a named standard: 24% pre-consumer recycled content per the LEED 4.1 declaration to UNI EN ISO 14021 - among the highest in Mutina's catalogue - with EPD and HPD available through La Mercanti; the design itself is registered (no. 006336608, 2019). Care is standard porcelain: neutral detergent diluted in water, no acids, waxes or sealants; the sheet prescribes fine-grain cement or epoxy grout at 2 mm. Sample costs are fully credited at order confirmation.

Specifying imperfection with confidence: Diarama in five steps

Five steps for UK architects and clients: Jongerius's painted porcelain from boardroom to courtyard - variation as the specification, not the risk.

Choose the canvas wall
Wall covering only, indoor and outdoor: reception front, boardroom feature wall, washroom, courtyard elevation. One canvas per zone.
Pick the palette
Chalk and Iron for painterly monochrome; Ash, Maize or Blush Dark for earth tones. Sample several tiles - V4 amplitude is the artwork.
Set the stripe rhythm
Six official schemes across horizontal and vertical: decide whether the silkscreened stripes band, rain or scatter - and plan a raking light.
Write the blending rule
Draw from several boxes and mix attentively - put it in the spec so V4 lands as brushwork, not patches. Fine-grain grout, 2 mm joint.
Order by the box
45 pieces per box in the colours (0.79 sqm), 42 in Chalk/Iron: La Mercanti converts elevations to boxes with wastage and coordinates delivery.

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