Mosaics have been around thousands of years but you wouldn’t know it from the excitement in the tile market today. Tile is the hot new thing in decorating and a look everyone wants.
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A tile is a piece of stone — limestone, marble, travertine, onyx or granite — or a piece of clay fired at high temperature, then painted or glazed. The Sumerians created mosaic designs when they set small pieces of colored objects in plaster to decorate architectural surfaces.
Today you typically see tiles in kitchens as a backsplash and on bathroom walls and floors. But innovative manufacturing and printing processes have led to new lines that mimic wood, fabric, sisal and bamboo suitable for an entryway or the living room. Intricate mosaic paintings are also taking the place of frames on walls.
Whether your taste runs to French Country or Mediterranean, old Greco-Roman or new Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright, you easily can find colors and patterns to rev up your home.
“Now we’re seeing them play with dimension,” says Hamid Fadakar, owner of Ideal Tile. Ten years ago, the typical tile size was 8 by 10 inches but today he sells 8-by-20s, 2-by-4s, 1-by-4 and 3/8-by-4 sticks.
“Lineal pattern styles sell off the hook,” says Timothy White, sales and design consultant at Architectural Ceramics. Tile sticks arranged vertically, horizontally and mixed together create bright, light-filled patterns in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and every hue in between. The rich gradations are a wonder to behold, and it will be difficult to choose.
The classic subway tile, white and 3 by 6 inches, was used with a black tile border in the first bathrooms Sears sold in the early 1900s. Subway tiles still are popular but in new sizes such as 2 by 6, 2 by 8 or 4 by 8 inches.
“Many people are ripping out their old black-and-white bathroom and replacing it with a new black-and-white bathroom. They still want subway tiles but in an odd size, and they’ll add a glass border,” says White. “The glass gives the updated flavor, the subway shape is traditional.”
Glass tiles are the rage. From clear to frosted and rustic with chipped edges, to crushed, muted or iridescent, the possibilities are infinite. Shiny, irregular faces reflect light and the tile surface looks like a glimmering sea.
“Be sure you install glass tiles correctly,” says Gianna Vallefuoco of Vallefuoco Contractors. Glass is translucent and requires a specific mortar.
“If you’re not a professional tile expert, you shouldn’t be installing tiles,” says Fadakar. “You’ll ruin the look and negate your investment.”
Decoratives, also called listellos, are miniature relief sculptures like a floral arrangement or twirling ribbon embossed on a tile. They’re sold as separate elements and artfully placed into the design as an insert or laid as a border.
The ultimate visual design, a tesserae mosaic, is laid by hand, tile by tile and can depict a view of Tuscany or a Pompeii seafloor, patterns of waves or diamonds, fanciful animals or a topiary tree.
If you want a new look at home but can’t quite decide on paint or wallpaper, flat or textured, basket weave or circles, think tiles and get ready to shriek with glee when you see the possibilities.
“I stretch my clients,” says Rex Rogosch, showroom manager at Architectural Ceramics.
