I’m a total Francophile. French culture cherishes style and sophistication. I love how the mundane aspects of everyday French life seem elevated to artforms. Take their bread, for instance! Anywhere else, bread is just bread, basic and ordinary. In France, it’s the celebration of all our senses.
Perhaps nowhere is their elevation of the ordinary more apparent than underfoot. When temperatures soared in the days before air conditioning, European designers could have settled with regard to basic tiles that kept things cool. Instead, they made the particular functional beautiful, with classic marbles and intricate mosaics.
Here’s the thing about tile: Once installed, it’s a permanent fixture in homes. Unlike paint or fabrics, which can easily be replaced for a new look, you’ll live with your tile choices for a long time. That’s the lot of pressure!
As a designer, I’ve had ample opportunities to help clients choose floor tile for their own homes. After years of experience, I know what I love. From the particular very beginning, I had a sense for what I wanted in my home.
Still, it wasn’t easy. It took me nine months and many, many iterations associated with gathering materials, laying them all over the tables within my house, staring at them, plus thinking regarding the things i couldn’t live without. While some decisions came naturally, others were a process.
Here are a few important questions in order to ask yourself when you’re choosing ceramic tile for your home.
How to Choose Floor tile
1 . How do you want the space to feel?
As the pattern designer, I love a good theme. There’s nothing better compared to indulging in the moment or even an inspiration. In our guest bathroom, for example , We went along with an English-inspired theme.
To create a space that feels like a cozy, yet sophisticated, English cottage, I chose ceramic tiles and accented them with warm veining from marble in greens and blues.
2 . Will the tile complement the particular surrounding rooms?
When you are using patterns in close proximity, it is often a matter of playing with scale to be sure a person don’t have too much of the good thing. Where I was using a busier wallpaper, I went with bigger scale, a lot more monochromatic palettes, and clean lines on the floor.
If you want in order to balance a loud pattern with a quiet tile, a person might choose a neutral. Remember that neutrals can extend beyond shades associated with white, cream, or gray. While I actually am using quite the bit of white, I’m also drawn to a particular blue marble—a sophisticated way to add color to a bathroom. For me, this blue is so neutral that I had a hard time not using it everywhere!
3. What material is best?
We use marble more than we used to. Backsplashes are often full marble slabs. In this house, we selected to use marble on the floors within the entryway, the breezeway/mudroom, and the hidden kitchen, in large part because of marble’s natural durability.
With porcelain, you have a lot associated with options for textures, patterns, plus colors. Manufacturers can use the mold to create a pattern, which usually lets you play around with pattern and color, borders and trim.
In one of the bathrooms, I was able to make use of able in order to add a pearl liner plus a clover trim—almost as if the shower was given a pair of curtains.
4. Do you trust your source?
Today, consumers have access to good-looking marble and tile through an increasing number of retail companies. These companies aren’t created equal, however , plus there’s the lot associated with wisdom inside using a reputable source.
Ann Sacks and Walker Zanger are two tried-and-true floor tile suppliers that will offer more variety and a greater ability to customize along with unique pieces. They are great to work with, and they’ve supplied ceramic tile for the majority of our home.
You may save a little money if you go in order to a big box store, but you won’t have the consistency you gain from businesses that specialize in tile. I’ve even had an experience where I could feel sharp edges associated with the box store floor tile as a person walked across the floor! Especially if you’re creating a mosaic, you’ll want the edges to be soft plus comfortable.
It’s important to remember that when you get creative with ceramic tile, mistakes along with installation can happen. When the particular time comes, select a craftsperson who understands the importance of laying each piece out precisely to be certain they’re centered and the edges line up.
5. Does it possess a timeless appeal?
I’m the youngest child inside my family, and my parents chose to San Francisco just as a I was graduating from high school. With regard to a time, we lived in a 1920s apartment. The bathroom experienced mint-green subway tile accented with a pink border. I loved the two-tone look that added the fun pop of colour. When all of us later remodeled their apartment, we decided to leave all the particular tile within the bathing room because it was so cool. I’ve always taken inspiration through this classic design concept.
In my own house, we adopted a fresh twist on the ’20s Art Deco vibe with a vintage-inspired mosaic by Maison Mosaics for our baby’s restroom. I chose a recycled glass with a matte finish to create a classic trellis with shades of pink plus periwinkle. Already when people walk through the home, they comment on this particular fun pop of color and design that’s used in such the refreshing way!
This is part eight in our Along for the Revival series with Caitlin Wilson. Get caught up along with the rest of the series here .
