Submitted by Don Doman
When we planned our kitchen remodeling twenty years ago we considered going with tile floors, but a friend said, “Why? Every time you drop a glass or dish it will break.” We went with vinyl and every time we dropped a plate or glass and it broke I kicked myself of listening to my friend. The next time we remodeled, our son installed tile floors. We still love our tile floors. We use oriental carpets to add additional color, contrast, and warmth.
Man has been using tile in decorating floors, wall, and counters for thousands of year. If you’ve ever visited cities along the Mediterranean you’ve probably stood in awe at ancient Greek or Roman mosaics on walls and floors. The beauty is as impressive today as it was centuries ago.
Adding tile invigorates interior and exterior spaces, creating beautiful accents that impress visiting friends and help you learn to love your home again. We have all seen every kind of wall art brought to life in bathrooms. Today, we bring ideas for improving your home design and decorating with tile in other areas of your house. Homeowners nowadays are no longer content with ordinary looking tiles. In fact, the use of tiles has blurred the transition between modern and traditional with a new interpretation of trend and style with versatile design possibilities. By joining together the tiles of different styles, patterns and sizes, one can create a number of interior decorating designs.
Decorating with tile gives you an almost unlimited range of patterns, colors and materials. The most difficult task may be to decide what kind of beautiful tile best suits your lifestyle and decor. Tile is one of the oldest and most traditional of building materials, but it can also look totally modern, depending on the type of tile you select, the surfaces you use it for, and the way it’s installed. You can even add Southwestern, Asian or African accents with a carefully selected tile.
Long gone are the days when the only choice for tile in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room was white tile with white walls. Using multiple tiles in a room allows you to be creative with the design. By using multiple tiles you can come up with your own personal design. The sky is the limit in what you create; just be sure that what you have designed or the tiles you have put together are exactly what you want before having them professionally installed. There are multitudes of sources offering inspiration. There are hundreds of stylish possibilities when it comes to wall tiles. From modern brick-shaped Metro Tiles and captivating Moroccan designs, through to lavish natural stones like travertine and slate. A winning wall favorite is the staggered, multi -leveled slate split face tile; perfect for breathing new life into an old wall space.
Tile has also become so versatile that you can literally use tile that is made to look like brick in showers, kitchens and even in wine cellars. Using brick tile/stone tile as a backdrop saves money without sacrificing the high end look you might be trying to achieve.
Modern tile and counters blend in with your past and your future.
Local tile expert Darren Helbling of Tile First, explains “When people come to us, we listen to their needs and wants . . . and budgets of course. We offer them logical, feasible options. Tile lasts for ages and we wish the same for our clients. First-time customers continually become our long term customers time and time again. We may not be related, but we want them to feel like we’re family. Just as our tiles and counters, we also become part of their home.”
Think tile is just for indoors? Think again! Using tiles to cover an ugly outdoor deck easily and instantly changes the look from drab to fabulous. Another quick and easy project for older homes with raw edge mirrors is using tiles to frame the outside of the mirror. In an instant you can change the look from outdated to up to date.
Compared to many other hard surfaces, most tile is reasonably priced, long- lasting, durable and easy to clean without periodic polishing or sealing. Tile is also flexible because it comes in so many shapes and sizes, from tiny one-inch squares to giant 12-inch by 24-inch rectangles. Tile surfaces can add beauty, style and durability to your home. They are so versatile – and come in so many choices – that you can create almost any look and mood. We took this to heart when we hired an artist to add color and interest to our deck . . . and it wasn’t even close to being ugly.
Fashion Designer Istvan Francer says, “I appreciate history, but you have to bring your own experience into your rooms.” I agree. “Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love,” adds Nate Berkus, Interior Designer. We hired an artist to create a window-sized mosaic on an exterior wall that gave not only a northwest-Puget Sound flavor, but incorporated pieces of my wife, Peggy’s favorite pitcher that had shattered years before. It reminded her of her childhood. She kept the blue and white pieces in a drawer. Her memories and those broken pieces are part of our home.