Reclaimed Copper Tile Tray
I have a DIY reclaimed copper tile tray to share with you today that has the coolest backstory.
First, did you know copper tiles were a thing? Actual metal tiles. I did not until I found them hidden under some drywall in our kitchen!
We could see a sliver of them and their glorious copper sheen when we replaced some trim.
For many reasons, we did not demo the wall to see how many copper tiles were hiding back there or what condition they were in. Yes, this was disappointing in the short term, but now I know there’s something to look forward to – besides the extra work – if we ever decide to take that wall back to the studs.
Crazier things have happened.
However, I was able to rescue five of the copper tiles that had fallen off the wall and were sitting on the floor between the wainscoting and, what we presume, is old drywall or plaster. Maybe both!
In the below photo, you can see all the layers of this wall.
The gap you see on the right side of the wall is what allowed the copper tiles to fall to the floor. I was just barely able to reach them by sticking a screwdriver in the wall gap (as one does) to carefully nudge the tiles closer to me.
Here is the front and back of the copper tiles. They are approximately 4 inches square.
Unlike a ceramic tile, these are pretty thin because they are made from sheet copper.
The tiles were installed with some sort of adhesive and you can see remnants of that on the back of the tile. You can read more about the history of the copper tiles here.
One of the tiles I saved for a file we keep on the house. It has wallpaper scraps, historical documents, etc. Someday, if we ever sell this house, I’ll be able to pass this historical record on to the next owners.
I decided to use the other four tiles to make a reclaimed copper tile tray. Our options for the tray design were a square or rectangle, and I decided to go with the rectangle.
As you can see, we used wood that we repurposed to make the tray. That’s why the center chunk is painted and has a couple of holes in it. Don’t worry, those things will be covered up.
The sides of the tray are slotted and the entire thing will be assembled using glue, no nails.
The nature of how the wood slots together coupled with the glue will make it strong and durable.
The tiles will fit just perfectly down the center of the tray.
I used two different stains on the wood – honey and ebony. I needed enough of a contrast between the wood and the tiles so that the copper color would pop.
We cut the tiniest groove in the base of the tray so that we could slide the tiles in place and they would be secured in the groove. This will allow us to easily remove the tiles should we ever want or need to.
I have the reclaimed coppery tile tray styled on one of our desks because it was a great size for a pen and pencil holder and a vase of the happiest yellow tulips.
I would have included the stapler and Post-It Notes in the picture, but they were ruining the vibe.
However, Handy Husband suggested that this could be my new coffee tray. What can I say? The man has good ideas!
On weekend mornings he often brings me coffee in bed. He’ll carry up a cutting board that holds the cup of coffee, the carton of cream, sweetener, and a spoon.
He knows I prefer to mix my own coffee, so that’s why the tray is needed.
It’s all very, very sweet and makes me feel exceptionally loved and cared for.
So, if you never see this reclaimed copper tile tray in our office again, I think you’ll understand why.
Either way, I’m beyond happy that these copper tiles can now see the light of day after over 50 years at least of being hidden in the wall.
What do you think of how we repurposed the copper wall tiles? Do you have any other ideas on how they could be used? I’m always up for suggestions and a good brainstorming session. You can always comment on this blog post, email me here, or reach out via Instagram or Facebook.
Thanks for hanging out with me today! If you have another minute, I have another blog post!
One Comment
Annisa
Testing!