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The Maya Cement tile offers an incredibly versatile tile design. Maya tiles are 8-inch square tiles handmade by artisans specializing in making encaustic cement tiles. They come in four gorgeous colors, green, white, blue, and black

Each tile's design is deceptively simple because the real beauty and complexity of the Maya tile come out when you arrange them together on your kitchen counter, bathroom wall, fireplace, or whatever else you can think to put them. You can use the Maya tiles' patterns to create elegant chevrons, playful diamonds, calming waves, or entrancing labyrinths. 

Below, we look at some examples, discuss what makes them work so well, and share how you can achieve a similar look in your home.

Chevrons

 
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Chevrons are the most straightforward way to lay Maya tiles, but that doesn't mean this design is less effective. With most non-patterned, rectangular tiles, right angles dominate the space in most rooms. A chevron pattern breaks that repetition by adding sharper and more energizing geometric patterns. 

It works particularly well in this example because it contrasts the color and geometry. The white tiles stand out against the black tiles and make the black tiles' color feel richer and deeper. At the same time, the chevrons of the Maya tiles provide a similar counterpoint to the right angles of the other tiles. The interplay of these two designs harmonizes to make a more dynamic and energetic space than either one of them would alone. 

When you think about how to arrange Maya tiles in your own home, consider if you have any spaces that feel overwhelmed by hard corners and right angles. If you do, chevrons might be just the way to break that up.

Diamonds 

Diamonds are another way to compliment rectangular spaces with some contrasting geometry. 
 
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The fireplace and counter here are both excellent examples. The fireplace's opening and the counter's face are both long, narrow rectangles. In contrast, the diamonds have more square dimensions, offering a fuller look to both spaces. 
 
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The counter is also an example of the rich colors available for our Maya tiles. For your home, consider a diamond pattern if you have areas that are much smaller in one dimension than another, and you want to give them a fuller feel.

Labyrinths

One of the most intricate ways of arranging the Maya tile is in a maze-like pattern. There are several ways to do this. 
 
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Whereas the diamond has you alternating between facing tiles towards and away from each other, alternating between horizontal and vertical directions creates the wave pattern you see in this first example above. 
 
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Changing those orientations even more leads to the incredible mazes you see in the two pictures above. The black tile makes it harder for the eye to follow the twists and turns, making it easier to feel lost in the pattern. This design type relies less on playing off of neighboring geometries, so it's an excellent pick if you want to make a space mesmerizing in its own right. 

Consider a labyrinth arrangement if you have a spot in your house where you want to add a splash of excitement.