If you’re ready to make major changes to your house beyond merely repainting the walls or changing the rugs, why not experiment with some ornamental tiling? These can add an extra oomph of memorable personality to any ordinary-looking room, as well as really highlight the room’s decorative theme.
Being Versa-tile
Anything goes when it comes to tiling! Mix and match shapes, colors, patterns, and even large or small tiles. Tilesare manufactured from tiny, sparkling mosaics to gargantuan ones as big as 3 feet square.
Homeowners today prefer tiles to carpet or even parquet because of their sheer durability and low-maintenance features. Just like in the kitchen, tiles are great in dining rooms and living rooms where spills and stains can be merely wiped away.
Choices, choices, choices!
Thousands of options exist to make your tile job really, really sizzling and sexy!
Hand-made, artisan tiles
These offer rich glazes, smooth textures and intricate, unique pictorial designs. However, bear in mind that these artworks also cost a lot more than mass-produced tiles.
Some manufacturers even make exclusive tile murals, depicting the image the style or color of your choice. You coud recreate a mountain scenery on your living room wall, replicate your favorite still art on your tiled kitchen countertop or use your favorite photographs or art pieces as your design blueprint.
Tile murals can even be used to mimic wall paper, china, or fabric motifs. If this idea really floats your boat, then contact your local interior designers, kitchen design store or ceramic supply shops to locate a tile artist who lives near you.
Mix and match
Experiment with mixing field tiles with accent tiles to create striking contrast for much less expense. Field tiles are priced by their square area while accent tiles are actually priced based on their size, design and make.Accent tiles are small tiles specially made to trim, highlight and complement field tile designs.
Borderline Chic
If you would like to demarcate separate areas in the house, emphasize a horizontal flat surface, or even frame a mirror on the wall or a window, then border tiles could do the trick.
Pretty Pizazz with Mosaics
You can achieve old-world magic with mosaics, which add texture and detail to your plain floors and walls. Their intricate designs in reflective or light-catching materials add charming, old-fashioned pizzazz to any bland-looking room Mosaics are pieced together with tiny shards of colored glass, stone or metal to create a clear pattern or picture, and are deemed an ancient art form, commonly used throughout the ancient world for interior decoration. These days, mosaics are no longer the pain-staking affairs they used to be. Commercial designs come pre-assembled on mesh backgrounds, making for no-fuss installation, with glass and metal being the most popular materials.
On a budget?
For the budget decorator, install some quality expensive tiles alternately with cheaper ones and place them strategically at eye level or at areas where the design is attractive and noticeable
Stenciled tiles
These offer a great personalized touch to generic tiles. All you need is a stenciling kit, replete with stencils, adhesive, stenciling brushes and paint. Then, proceed to stencil on your desired patterns and bake in the oven to set! Instant customization!
Because tiles are no longer the square, 3 foot by 3 foot affairs they used to be, they are a whole new way to add a contemporary look to most homes. In fact, some designers claim that tiling can pull the look of an entire home together, and manufacturers are even creating accessories such as chair rails and moldings to match the tile job in a home.
It’s time that tile shed its dowdy image and reclaimed its place in the hall of flooring fame for its sheer durability, and the versatile touch it can add to any home!