For homeowners with champagne taste and a beer budget (and isn’t that most of us?), it is time to take another look at tile.
While a full kitchen remodel might set you back a few years of savings, a smart mini-rehab might involve only painting cabinets, replacing appliances and installing a stunning tile backsplash or flooring.
"Tile is an easier splurge," says designer Kelly Emerson of Maryland’s Aidan Design. "Tile is hundreds of dollars; very rarely is it thousands of dollars."
And, thankfully, tile trends tend to hang around for a while, so you can feel good about getting your money’s worth. Today, tile reflects larger design trends — such as graphic patterns — as well as advanced technology, which is letting individual tiles get bigger and thinner without compromising their strength.
We spoke with Emerson, Samantha Klickna of Case Design/Remodeling and DeeDee Gundberg, director of product development for Ann Sacks, to determine which trends are worth following.
The wood look
"Wood planks are trending because they are durable, maintenance-free alternatives to wood," Klickna says. "They add depth and dimension to any space. They also give you the opportunity to have a wood effect in a wet area: bathrooms."
With a wood look, "you can choose a matte or a polish to change the vibe of the tile," Emerson says. "It might have a rustic appearance, but if you select a polished finish and apply it to a wall, it becomes a very polished look."
Designers are laying these linearly, as well as in herringbone and chevron patterns.
Larger hex tiles
Gundberg has been watching tile companies come out with larger sizes of the classic hexagon shape each year.
At first, 16 x 16 inches was the new, bigger size. Then it was 18 x 18 or 24 x 24, she says. Recently, she has seen tile as big as 45 x 45.
"It just keeps getting bigger and bigger," she says.
Much of this is driven by technological advances, which allow for thinner, larger tile. Traditional hex tile is beautiful but replicable. Popham Design’s Hex Artichoke (US$29 per square foot, annsacks.com), however, is at once funky, modern, retro, graphic and classy.
Saigon Hexagon by Artistic Tile is Emerson’s pick for a fun, large hexagonal tile. It’s inspired by the French Provincial style and comes in three patterns and three muted colours.
Cement
There is a general trend toward organic materials in the design industry, Gundberg says. Included in that is oxidized metals, chunky ceramics, textiles, natural woods — and, in a big way, cement tile.
"This is purely about the esthetic and the materiality of concrete," she says.
If you choose a patterned tile with as much spontaneity as Cement Tile Shop’s Patchwork Random let it be the life of a room’s party, Klickna says.
Clé Tile, based in Sausalito, Calif., is known for its artisanal encaustic cement tiles as well as its collaborations with designers.
"Look at the space as a whole and make sure that you’re not going overboard on colour and pattern," Klickna advises. "It’s okay to be bold with one or two of your selections, but it has to be in moderation."
Subway with a twist
Subway tiles are as classic as you get. But homeowners and designers are getting adventurous, choosing long, exaggerated sizes or coloured tiles.
They’re arranging tiles vertically or in a chevron or herringbone pattern. They’re even choosing contrasting grout, something that used to be a no-no but that Gundberg is seeing more often.
"Grout is becoming more and more an integral part of design," she says.
Subway tile comes at all price points, too — from simple, white porcelain styles for US$2 or US$3 a square foot to high-end glass or hand-glazed styles. Arrange a simple, budget-friendly option in a herringbone pattern with contrasting grout to give it a higher-end look.
"Undulating and surface-textured ceramics will never go out of style," Emerson says.
Shades of blue
"Blue as a colour is back, instead of white, cream, grey and metallic, which is really what we’ve seen for the last five years," Gundberg says. "To see blue is really nice."
Everything from deep navy to blue-greens such as peacock is trending, largely because with ceramics, "you can get such intense, beautiful colour," Gundberg explains.
— The Washington Post
