Clay,

handcrafted

Fired in Los Angeles since 1966. Glazed with intention. A living surface that holds light differently every hour of the day.

MADE IN

Gardena, California

RUN SIZE

Two Pieces or Twenty Truckloads

"We opened in Venice in 1966 throwing clay bricks for the milk route. Six decades later, the kiln is still lit."

ARTO ORIGIN STORY

WHY CLAY

The kiln has been lit since 1966

ARTO opened on a milk route in Venice, California, making thin ceramic brick veneers for the neighborhood's walls and courtyards. The kiln never went cold. While the concrete line grew into our deepest catalog, clay remained the first language — the one everything else is measured against.

Ceramic clay takes glaze in a way no other substrate does. The surface captures and releases light. A satin glaze reads almost matte in morning shadow and luminous in afternoon sun. A matte reads chalky at noon and velvety at dusk. The color is in the glaze, which sits on the clay, which sits on the wall. Three layers of material, all alive together.

Far from perfect. That is the whole point. No two tiles come out of the kiln identical. The variation is not a flaw to engineer away — it is the record of fire, and it is exactly what distinguishes a handcrafted ceramic from a pressed porcelain.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Nine ways to work in clay

One material. Nine tracks through the catalog. From the workshop-floor geometry of Studio to the painted narratives of California Revival — each collection runs deep on glaze, form, and custom possibility.

Studio Tile

Field tile for walls that want a handmade voice.

As the true workhorse of our clay line, this collection grounds a space in honest craftsmanship. It is available in foundational 3x6, 2x8, and 6x6 formats, alongside an expansive selection of custom geometric shapes, tailored sizes, and intricate, traditional Arabesque patterns. Crafted from a robust red clay body, these tiles offer the rare versatility to move effortlessly from striking feature walls to high-traffic floors. Each piece is finished with a nuanced, glaze that embraces variation—capturing, holding, and reading the light differently at every angle and every hour of the day.

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Corduroy Tile

A ribbed surface is extruded into the clay body before firing, so the texture is structural — not applied.

Run it vertically for height, or horizontally for breadth. This collection is built on a rich, robust red clay body, which serves as a warm, earthy foundation beneath the surface. Because the fluted channels are structurally extruded into the raw clay, the application of the glaze becomes incredibly dynamic: it naturally pools deep within the grooves, darkening to reveal the clay's underlying depth, while pulling tight and reading lighter on the ridges. The result is a striking, high-contrast interplay between the fiery character of the red clay and the shifting light of the room.

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Oleson Tile

Handcrafted character with a softer edge.

The Oleson collection bridges the gap between rugged durability and refined artistry. Molded with distinctive pillowed edges and rounded corners, these tiles feature a natural, undulating surface that feels alive. Built from a robust red body ceramic and finished with iconic ARTO glazes, the liquid color pools beautifully across the face of the tile and eases gently over its corners, celebrating the unpredictable beauty of a truly handmade product.

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Monrovia Tile

A handcrafted foundation for inside and out.

Bringing artisanal soul to high-traffic surfaces, the Monrovia collection features durable, 5/8" thick tile pavers engineered to move effortlessly between indoor comfort and outdoor elements. Each piece is crafted to balance structural resilience with a deeply human touch, offering a living surface that wears in, not out. Whether grounding an expansive outdoor patio or adding a rustic, tactile warmth to interior floors, these pavers deliver a timeless, honest character that elevates the architecture around it.

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Handpainted Collection

Artistry applied by hand, fired for a lifetime.

The Handpainted Collection turns ceramic tile into a canvas, showcasing a breathtaking range of styles from the nostalgic warmth of Traditional California Revival to striking, clean contemporary designs. This collection proudly features Palm Royale—an exclusive, vibrant collaboration with world-renowned mosaic designer Allison Eden. Utilizing traditional techniques like the cuerda seca (dry line) method, our artisans hand-apply intricate glaze details that elevate individual tiles into stunning custom murals. This is where centuries-old ceramic heritage meets bold, modern design.

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CLARA Tierra Madre

Honoring the material truth of our blonde bisque.

Named after "Mother Earth," the Tierra Madre texture is a design-forward nod to the sweeping natural beauty of California and the planet. We achieve this deeply tactile texture by glazing the back side of the tile, a process that purposefully exposes and highlights the raw, foundational beauty of our blonde bisque substrate. Rather than masking imperfections, this technique celebrates them—yielding an exceptional level of surface and color variation alongside beautifully irregular, hand-formed edges that ensure every single piece carries its own unique history.

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Metolius Ridge Collection Tierra Madre

A Pacific Northwest narrative told through California clay.

The Metolius Ridge Collection is a thoughtfully curated collaboration with designer Justyn Livingston. Named after the pristine, sublime waters of the Metolius River in Bend, Oregon, this line brings the breathtaking spirit of the Pacific Northwest into the home. The collection features a signature palette of 15 rich, nature-inspired colors applied directly to our unique Tierra Madre clay body. By glazing the reverse side of the tile, the raw texture and organic variations of the ceramic substrate shine through, grounding Livingston's color story in an earthy, one-of-a-kind foundation.

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Artazzo Clay

A luminous reimagining of the classic brick.

Sourced and crafted locally in Southern California, Artazzo begins as a traditional clay paver, precision-cut to reveal the breathtaking natural aggregate hidden within. This innovative process transforms raw ceramic into a terrazzo-inspired surface that perfectly bridges the gap between earthy character and modern luxury. Available in a curated palette of eleven solid colors and six expressive blends, these tiles perform beautifully across high-impact walls and floors alike. With modular sizes—including 1x8, 2x4, 2x8, and 4x8—Artazzo turns a durable, moisture-resistant material into an unforgettable architectural statement.

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Catalina Brick & Cobble

One word stretching from the Pacific to the Sonoran.

Catalina is a California island. Catalina is a mountain range towering above Tucson. Now, it names an ARTO brick. Available as both a traditional paver and a smaller cobble format precision-cut down to size, this collection offers a striking wire-cut face, crisp square edges, and a clean, flat surface.

The collection expands into twelve distinct clay colors defined by natural, atmospheric depth: flashed browns and iron-spot greys, a Saltillo warmth that looks sun-dried, a burgundy that reads black until you look twice, and reds that move from coral to deep clay to vivid sunset. Each color is fired completely through the body—not painted on—ensuring rugged durability for both indoor and outdoor applications. The brick wears the way the brick was made, a single material designed to bridge two horizons.

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CUSTOM IS THE STANDARD

Two pieces or ten thousand

We started as a custom shop and we still run that way. Send a chip. Bring a swatch. Show us what you're building. We develop custom glazes, custom shapes, and custom color matches — and run a sample before any production commitment.

custom Color

custom Shape

Historical Match

Color Match

two pieces

two pallets

THE MATERIAL

Built to outlast the install

The craft is in the maker's hands. The performance is in the clay body and the glaze firing. ARTO publishes full technical documentation — EPDs, HPDs, and CSI 3-Part Specifications — so architects and designers can specify with confidence.

the mix

Ceramic Clay Body

The craft is in the maker's hands. The performance is in the clay body and the glaze firing. ARTO publishes full technical documentation — EPDs, HPDs, and CSI 3-Part Specifications — so architects and designers can specify with confidence.

the COLOr

Glaze System

Lead-free glaze formulations fused to the clay body in a single firing. Color is not a coating — it is integral to the surface. Available in Gloss, Satin, and Matte in the full ARTO glaze palette.

The Documentation

Specs & Documentation

EPDs and HPDs available for sealed and unsealed assemblies. CSI 3-Part Specifications ready for project specs. Full installation guides for wall, floor, and wet applications.

the application

Interior and exterior

Interior and exterior walls. Kitchen and bath. Feature walls and fireplace surrounds. Wainscot and full-room installations. Ask us about floor-rated glazes for specific collections.

THE INDUSTRY

Industry Standards

Member of TCNA, NTCA, and CTDA. Products tested to ANSI A137.1 and A137.2 standards where applicable. Custom products available with project-specific testing on request.

the Decision

Sampling

Always order a sample before you commit. The glaze is alive — what you see in a photograph is not what your hand will know in the room. Samples ship from our Gardena facility.

Material truth

Rustic Elegance

Rough and refined at the same time. A handcrafted edge where no two pieces are exactly alike. A porous surface that ages with the room. Color that runs through the body, in a palette that belongs in a gallery.

It is not a marketing phrase. It is a material truth. Far from perfect, and that is the whole point.