Ceramic wall art: ND Dolfi tile panel

Commissioning an Italian artist with a site-specific art project

Handcrafted Italian Tile ND21 by ND Dolfi Tuscany

The first time I saw ND Dolfi’s amazing Tuscan tiles, I was visiting the artist’s studio in Montelupo Fiorentino. It was over 15 years ago.
Silvano Dolfi had created large tile panels supported by free-standing iron structures. The multi-colored installations dotted his lawn, positioned so he could see them from the large windows of his beautiful Tuscan casale. Similar to giant paintings, they acted as a strange reversal of the common indoor-outdoor decoration.

I saw them again a few years later in his daughters’ workshop. They were grouped to form large, textured surfaces – each tile fighting for attention with its bold colors and unusual patterns.

By then, Natalia and Daria had followed in the steps of their famous father and started contributing to ND Dolfi’s collections.

ND Dolfi ceramic tile panel mounted on an iron structure in the artists' studio

I knew I wanted those tiles in my life, but I had to wait until I had the right space and an inspiring décor idea. A few years later, I completed the renovation of my family’s country house and realized that the living room – its 15-foot high ceilings and large windows overlooking the garden – was the perfect space for a large tile panel.

However, it took me a few years of living in the house to know exactly what I wanted and how to achieve it. At that point, I was ready to commission Natalia and Daria Dolfi my ceramic wall panel.

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Seriously handmade – ND Dolfi, Tuscany

It does not matter that you like its style, really. What you cannot help is admiring their stunning craftsmanship and wishing to touch it.

Yes, ND Dolfi’s pottery never goes unnoticed. It is a feast for the senses and a superb example of what traditional techniques, experience, passion and eyes wide open on the world can do.

The Dolfi family has been making pottery since 1941. Silvano Dolfi, father of Natalia and Daria, founded his own company in 1994. He did not take long to build a fine International reputation for himself as an artist and for his company.

His daughters have inherited his talents. Together, now that he is no longer with us, they design and hand craft large vases, bowls, tiles, lamps and gorgeous home décor accents. A collection that year after year gets richer and richer of vibrant glazes, bold color combinations and new textures.

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Goodbye, Mr Dolfi

We were headed to Tuscan pottery - ND Dolfi showroom in Montelupo (Firenze)Montelupo on our first scouting trip for our website when we saw on the right side of the road a beautiful old stone house and a signpost – ceramica ND Dolfi.
Manuela and I exchanged glances and one minute after we entered the gate of this astounding property.

Scattered across the lawn far from the driveway some ceramic sculptures welcomed the visitor.

A nice lady met us and agreed to open the show room. The beauty of the works we saw was a perfect match with the place: an old limonaia or orangery, a stone building were citrus trees used to be wintered. She told us that her husband Silvano was a pottery artist, now retired, and her daughters, Natalia and Daria, had taken over the family business.

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