When it comes to picking out tile for your latest renovation project, it can get a bit overwhelming. There are so many styles, shapes, colors, textures and design combinations available these days you might ask, where should you begin? Here are a couple rules that helped me design a new bathrooms and tantalizing backsplashes over the years.
1. Buy 2-4 samples and bring them back to the space you are re-decorating. Look at the tile with the paint color and other design elements in the room. When you get back to your space you might realize the Carrera marble 12″x12″ tile is too big for your 4×4 bathroom floor.
2. The pattern is just as important as the tile. For example there are so many different ways to piece together subway tile. Most people think of a brick pattern when they think of subway tile, but how about a herringbone pattern, or a stacked vertically side by side pattern? The pattern can dictate the mood just as much as the color or the shape of tile. Some of the best designed bathrooms I’ve seen over the years don’t necessarily have expensive tile, just simple tile that has been professionally installed with eye-catching well thought out pattern combinations.
2. Keep it simple. Seriously. The less going on the better. I know when you walk into a tile store and see all the sparkly, glitter coated, glass tile you feel like a little kid in a candy store. But ask yourself this: Is this tile going to stand the test of time? Will lime green, glass tile really be in vogue five or ten years from today? Or will you get sick of looking at it? I can tell you from first hand experience, you will get sick of looking at it. Once upon a time (a very long time ago) I chose lime green, glass stick tile for my very own backsplash. Learn from my mistake. Don’t be a victim of trendy colorful tile.
3. Hire a professional. There is nothing wrong with a little DIY project, but if you have never installed tile before and you are renovating your entire master bathroom I promise this is not the project to learn on. The tile doesn’t lie. Mistakes are inevitable and can not be hidden and a crummy tile job can cheapen the room and the rest of the renovation. Property tile installation is worth every penny.
4. Don’t forget about the grout color. This is crucial. I’ve seen beautiful tile jobs turned into not so beautiful tile jobs simple because the wrong color grout was used. white tile with dark grey grout looks totally different than white tile with white grout. If you are doing a big space and going with a dramatic grout color make sure to test a square foot before committing to it. Changing out grout color is not an easy task intact it’s pretty much impossible. Also make sure that once the tile project is done you have it sealed so your light colored grout doesn’t stain.
