Water mixed with clay and dried by the sun.
Evolution - Stainless steel mosaic tile
Was the first tile a happy accident?
Tiles have been used in construction since the time of the original Roman baths and ancient Greece before that. Today we use tiles indoors and out for floors, walls, showers, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, walkways, pools and spas. Though practical, tiles are also like fine jewelry in their ability to define and elevate your design scheme and the ambience you want to create.
So much beauty, too many choices
Shopping for tiles comes under the category of “an embarrassment of riches”. The blizzard of beautiful colors, patterns and textures to be experienced while hunting for your perfect tile is delightful, provided you arm yourself in advance with a loosely tailored pre-edited outline of what to look for before you go. It takes forethought and some planning to avoid overwhelm in the wonderworld of tile.
How to prep for your shopping adventure
It’s a good idea to start a collection of tear sheets from magazines that have the style, color, texture, etc. that create the look and mood you want to reproduce for yourself. Study these carefully to get a good sense of what you like or even more importantly, what you don’t like. From an overall design standpoint, you want to arrive at solutions that will not only satisfy your preferences, but coordinate with the rest of your home. It’s disorienting to feel as though you have stepped into either a foreign country or the twilight zone upon entering a different room.
Let’s face it. Few people can overlook budget constraints in these times.
Approximate how many square feet of tile you will need before you set out. It will help you keep it real in terms of dollars and sense.
Suitability
Scale is always a major consideration when weighing your options. The answer to the question of what size tile to use starts with the size of the area to be tiled. Logically speaking, larger tiles make sense in larger areas and accordingly, smaller tiles are for smaller spaces. But this is where it gets tricky.
Big spaces don’t suffer the inferiority complex small spaces do. There’s no concern about appearing “bigger”. Sizable tiled areas can benefit by using large tiles with highly contrasting grout colors to create an obvious pattern. In substantial scale, the pattern becomes a design element that will add another layer of interest to your esthetic vision.
As for those smaller areas, while you want to pick a tile that’s size appropriate, one thing to bear in mind is that the smaller the tile, the more of a graphic pattern it will produce. A tiny tile arranged in a dense, boldly colored pattern with highly contrasting grout gives me a headache just writing about it. Imagine living with it.
Every change in color and material will stop your eye to register the change.
The key words to use as “aid to small space guidelines” are neutrality and seamlessness. A limited color palette is a big help too. Small is beautiful, if the tile color blends with the wall color and the ceiling matches the walls. The differences of materials and surfaces will be diminished and you won’t be aware of where the walls end or the ceiling begins. As such, the space will appear expanded.
Classic is good
Your tile selection could well be a lifetime commitment. It’s not an easy or inexpensive task to rip out the tiles if you make a mistake. Neutral colors in solids or lightly patterned designs will not look dated over time, as trendier looks will. New on the scene are textured tiles mimicking fabrics such as linen, and weaves like damask and basket. Texture in subtle colors is a great way to go. You won’t go wrong with “imitation” stone tiles either. They look real but are usually made of porcelain. Just don’t go for a too rough “pre-dawn-of-time-cave” look with your selection. You will quickly tire of the novelty and it will be a hard sell to the next owner, as the case may be.
Next Time: Tile Selection – Part II – Service Check
Related Posts
Tile Selection – Part II – Service Check
Kitchen Renovation Series – Part I – What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Kitchen Renovation Series – Part II – Concept Prep
Kitchen Renovation Series – Part IV– Material Witness
Bathroom Renovation Series – Part I – Coming Clean: Reno Or Refluff?
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