Tiles are an elegant way to bring an instant sense of luxurious style to your home’s bathroom and kitchen. Not only are they practical and durable, but the huge range of tiles available means it’s easier than ever to use tiles to create a stunning design feature. Gone are the days when plain tiles with a discreet border pattern were in vogue. Today’s contemporary homeowners aren’t afraid to embrace tiles of all shapes, textures, materials and colours to add personality and warmth to their spaces.
If you’ve been considering installing tiles in your new home, here is our guide to help you find the right tile for your dream home.
The benefits of tiles
Tiles are the most common material used to cover and decorate surfaces in bathrooms and kitchens for many reasons.
They’re long-lasting, with ceramic and porcelain tiles being particularly well known for their resilience and resistance to cracking. This makes them excellent surface options for high-traffic areas like the bathroom or kitchen surfaces which are likely to come into contact with oils, spills and hot pans. Tiles are also well-loved for being a low-maintenance material and much easier to upkeep and clean than wood or carpet.
But aside from their practicality, the range of tiles available allows you to create various styles and aesthetics throughout your home, depending on your personal taste. Whether you’re after sleek and contemporary or rustic and homey, there will be a tile combination to achieve almost any look in your bathroom and kitchen.
Creating features with tiles in your home
Colour
The best place to start when selecting your tiles is colour. Colour has a huge impact on your space, regardless of size, so be sure to choose tiles in a colour that works with the rest of your bathroom or kitchen. Let colour be your bathroom’s main feature by adorning the walls with a selection of tiles in similar shades of the same colour, such as these Fez Subway collections from Di Lorenzo tiles.
Create a bold, unique design feature by using coloured grout to highlight the shape and lay pattern of your tiles. Just ensure the grouting used complements and matches other hardware or accessories in the room.
Texture
Picking the right tile texture is just as important as the colour or shape. Adding a tactile dimension to your tiles can take your home decor to the next level. Texture creates uneven colour patches and small shadows across tiles, celebrating the imperfections that create life and movement in your bathroom or kitchen. Consider contrasting textured stone tiles with white glossy tiles for the sleek modernist look, or embrace the very on-trend terrazzo tile for some added depth and visual interest.
Patterns
Another way to create a feature with tiles is by using patterns. As always, it’s important to keep the rest of your home decor in mind. For a sleek, modern aesthetic, opt for a simple geometric pattern in muted colours, like these limestone-inspired tiles. Or, if your home is more boho chic, consider a Moroccan-style patterned tile to add some colour and visual interest.
For a standout interior, use bold patterned tiles for your kitchen flooring. Not only is this a great way to delineate your kitchen from the rest of the room in an open-plan living space, but it will add instant personality to a room that can otherwise be quite muted. Keep the rest of your kitchen features simple to let the patterned floor tiles take centre stage.
Lay Style
Turn even the simplest of tiles into a contemporary and elegant design feature by laying them in an interesting pattern. Depending on the type of tiles you’ve chosen for your home, there are endless laying options that will allow you either to create a standout tile feature or help your tiles melt into the background.
The most traditional laying styles are the straight lay and running bond style, both of which achieve a classic look with square or rectangular tiles. For some added visual interest, adopt a more creative laying style such as chevron, herringbone or basketweave.
To create a feature from your bathroom floor, lay a mixture of different-sized square and rectangular tiles in a light colour using a pinwheel pattern. This will help create an interesting yet subtle and relaxed look, perfect for relaxing in a hot bathtub.
Feature Wall
Adding an accent wall to your bathroom or kitchen allows you to play around with bold textures, colours or patterns without creating an overwhelming aesthetic—and without breaking the bank!
Common spots for an accent wall are usually the back wall of the shower or bath, while kitchen splashbacks are a great option for a feature wall, with fish scale tiles a sure way to bring instant contemporary charm.
Mosaic tiles are a great option for feature walls, with their intricate designs and colours sure to create a talking point. Keep other walls and surfaces simple to let your feature wall sing.
Wondering if tiles are the missing piece of your dream home puzzle? Contact us at Icon Homes for help choosing the perfect tiles for your new kitchen or bathroom.
