When you begin to think of all the things to bring new life to your kitchen, a new kitchen backsplash should be at the top of your list. It is an easy way to add a splash of color, decorative touch, and can even change things up completely. Simple or ornate, it has the ability to truly make a statement.

By just adding a backsplash, you are finishing the look of your kitchen. A basic white subway tile comes across as simple, but creates a completely classic look.

But even taking white in another direction, the texture of limestone and a herringbone pattern add old world elegance.

A colorful tile adds just the right amount of punch to simple cabinet and countertop selections.

Since grey is the new black and penny is the new basic tile, your kitchen becomes up to date instantly.

Creating a focal point is a great way to introduce patterns and borders. Typically over the stove or sink is an easy way to do something a little special.

Hand painted tiles create a piece of artwork.

Using a patterned tile all over is a way to introduce subtle color and texture without going overboard.

Sometimes the shimmer of having a glass tile backsplash is all you need. It is a reflective surface worthy of standing on its own and the variety of options is limitless.

Enhancing the architecture of your kitchen can be simple and classic with the addition of marble tiles.

As you can see, it doesn’t have to be difficult to add some color and character to your kitchen, just cover it in tile!

Mosaics can easily be a large or small addition to any project in your home.  They fit appropriately as an entire floor or as an accent used to create the look of a rug.

Often they are like the staple item in your closet, like your favorite pair of jeans and will go with anything. Basic doesn’t mean boring. Basketweave, herringbone, and hexagon can make quite a statement.

Or it can be a finely tailored suit. Fitting perfectly in any room, classic and precise.

Sometimes it is the perfect little black dress. Effortless yet elegant.

Mosaics can be used to make a statement. It’s just a matter of what you want to say.

Or be the perfect accessory. A finishing touch.

Regardless of how or where you use a mosaic, it will have an impact.

Mosaics are the perfect fit, anywhere. Formal, casual, masculine, feminine, bold, or simple. As an entry rug, kitchen backsplash, or accent wall. There is a broad range of materials to make the perfect mosaic, marble, glass, ceramic, and metals. You can find a place for them in your project.

Think about the space you are working with when considering your options

So you’re thinking about upgrading your bathroom? Let us help you with some ideas as you start your remodeling project.

• Make sure you “look around” the space. Are you thinking about adding a tub, or expanding a shower? Selecting your color scheme and appropriate accessories is always a good starting point.
• Bathroom tile goes a long way to influencing the look of the room. Make sure that you choose something that you love and that fits in with the other elements of the space.
• When in doubt, it’s always safe to go with earth tones in the bathroom. Many people enjoy having plants in the room, and selecting an earth tone palette will create an inviting environment.

Take a look at these photos for some ideas, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your remodeling job.

Tiles in earth tones make an aesthetically pleasing shower

Strong colors and patterns provide bold accents for your room

World class Spa’s are about the most wonderful  place to relax and rejuvenate imaginable. Unfortunately for many of us going to a Spa happens about once every 1-3 years. Although that time is refreshing, I wish I could experience it much more often. A Spa has great design and just the aesthetics and design are enough to let the stress relief begin.

The Spa at Cesar's Palace in Las Vegas-- A World Class Spa!!

A beautiful Turkish Steam Room-- Notice the lighting and tile everywhere

Common design components that you will find in a Spa are lots and lots of stone and tile, great lighting that is soft and subtle and light natural earth tones. Also, tile can be used everywhere. I encourage tiling the walls and even ceiling.

Notice the tile from floor to ceiling, good earth tones too.

Very clean and relaxing-- contemporary sty-lings with a more masculine feel

Marble and travertine, great selection of tile sizes too. 3x6 tiles can offer a very good feel

Hit the nail on the head-- total relaxation, a true place to refresh and rejuvenate-- notice all of the components at work here, the softness of the fabrics, lighting and colors.

I love this shower-- perfect example of simplicity

Consider Mosaics, and go big. By that I mean to use it everywhere, try not to break things up by alternating to larger tiles, keep it clean

Best Shower Head-- Notice the Rainfall head in the dome, with corresponding tiles. Great look and very natural feel. They diffused the whole look by using curves. I love this!!

Great remodel-- travertine to the ceiling and very peaceful-- this is a smaller space and it works perfect!! Can you imagine this in your home?

Ultra Modern, but so soothing-- blue is a great color to unwind to

A very cool tile-- Circles are perfect for a bath, be careful though this is not for the faint of heart

If the budget allows, I recommend a "human car wash" -- these get pricey and require to expensive plumbing, but oh so worth it

Well, I hope you were able to find some ideas and inspiration. Let me know what you think and if you would like to share a picture of your bath we would love to see it.

Tile manufacturers are always looking for ways to make designers’ lives easier, and along with that, YOUR life easier as well. Aesthetically, the choices out there in ceramic and porcelain tile flooring are expansive and quite amazing.  All of the ‘big guys’ dedicate a lot of resources to product development, so what else could they possibly offer in tile design that might capture more attention?

How about a program that offers you in-factory cutting services?  One that allow for your tile of choice to be ordered in custom linear and rectangular sizes?  AND provide that tile within a three week turnaround time?  Well that is exactly what Daltile is about to launch.  Dal identified a huge, unmet need out there.  For the most part, anyone looking for linear shapes and rectangular sizes were either limited to a handful of collections that offered those options, OR they had to have their tile installer cut down the tiles right on-site–a slow and messy process at best.  Now, according to Lori Kirk-Rolley, Senior Marketing Director for Daltile, “Any Daltile or American Olean rectified porcelain tile or glazed floor tile can be ordered in popular linear and rectangular sizes, making design options endless.”  There are two added benefits to this program that deserve mentioning:

-      Since the custom cuts are done at the factory, the quality of the cuts is more consistent

-      Custom cutting at the factory reduces labor costs at the jobsite, and that can be a big benefit!

The core assortment of products for this program was selected from the most popular porcelain tile collections Daltile and American Olean offer.  But, according to my sources, any ceramic floor tile in the line can be custom cut to any size (within a minimum width of 2” and a maximum length of 24”).  Lead time might be a bit longer, but check with your local flooring store for pricing and production time.

One last thing for you to know:  these “cutting edge” programs will be announced shortly as Linear Options under the Daltile brand, and Linear Express for American Olean.  Just another design option for you to use as you create your one-of-a-kind floor.

This is a syndicated post, which originally appeared at FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions. View original post.

Submitted By:  Annette M. Callari, Allied ASID, CMG

Hats off to the Italians once again this year.  Their reputation for fashion-forward thinking is demonstrated annually, as they host Cersaie – one of the world’s largest exhibitions of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings in the world.  They drew a crowd of over 83,000 people this year, as they celebrated 27 years of holding this event in Bologna, Italy.

The theme of this year’s mega-show focused on responsible product composition (recycled ingredients being a focus), as well as improved manufacturing and shipping processes that serve the environment well.  Innovation is the signature of Cersaie, and I wanted to share with you just a few of the creative international products that came out of this show, along with some great new products coming out of the good old USA.  The Italians excel in tile design, but our own domestic manufacturers are pretty impressive too.

One of the big design trends I’ve been talking about for two years has come to life with the introduction of Mosaico Italiano’s Vetrina Collection.  Iridescence in finishes gives sparkle and life to any surface. Vetrina does just that, with mosaics available in 72 solid colors and 56 combinations and blends.  Mosaics are always expressive because you can customize the layout any way you like.  Insets in harmonizing colors can define space and create a focal point.  These beautiful 4 mm thick glass tiles lend themselves to geometric compositions, limited only by imagination.  www.mosaicopiu.it.

Browsing through the next manufacturer’s website was an adventure you will truly enjoy.  What intrigued me about this collection of glass tile was its versatility.  Trend has introduced an inspired collection of 2 x 2cm glass (tesserae) mosaics that can be applied to ceilings, walls, or floors!!!  Once you visit www.wallpaperintrend.com, these words will vividly come to life.  I love the themes that Trends is presenting:  Academic, Euphoric, Natural, and Classic.  Within each style theme there are 16 designs in three color ways (one of which is black and white).   They’ve done their research, and colors and patterns are historically accurate to reproduce a shimmering interior that lends tactile dimension to any design.  I encourage you to explore their website and have fun!

I first discovered Everstone Tile last year at the Surfaces Trade Show in Las Vegas.  Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, this manufacturer has a fun, contemporary charm to its line of products.  Geometric shapes define Everstone as unique.  “Bubbliscious” Circles, hexagons, and squares create stand-out glass tile designs in fearless colors.  Now they are rocking traditional ceramic tile design with the introduction of Metaluxe—REAL metal on porcelain tile.  Four lustrous patterns in subtle geometrics are offered:  Vortex, Sanded, Flashing, and Stream.  The pattern names give you intriguing clues as to what each pattern is all about.  Now for the colors offered in each pattern:  Alloy, Platinum, Bronze, Copper, and Nickel.  They are impressive to say the least, and the possible applications of these metallic tiles open new doors in the world of design.

As tile manufacturers constantly reach beyond the norm to discover innovative material marriages and finishes, we, the consumer, are the benefactors.  Our choices are multiplying exponentially, and the advantages play out, life-sized, in the unique design of our own homes.

This article originally ran on The World Floor Covering Association blog—FloorTalk.

It is one of the oldest forms of tile in the world,and yet it has recently become the most popular. Mosaic tile is incorporated in design everywhere we look-schools, shops, homes and hospitals. Its not only beautiful but Mosaic Tile serves an additional purpose, as it really works well on curved or angled surfaces. Mosaic Tile is made from natural stone, porcelain and glass. Glass mosaic tile is has become really popular and looks striking. It works with any type of decor and creates a high design feel.

Look how great these designs look

Look what a clean look this delivers! This really adds the custom look that you are trying to achieve.

I am so impressed with the colors that are available. Vibrant and gorgeous, it is a truly a timeless look. Also, remember that colors, shapes and sizes truly make an area worthy of remembering.

I love that this is so bold. Really custom look.

Earth tones are very soothing and go with anything. Try combining these types of colors to create that “spa retreat” feel. Can you say Oasis?

Marble tile and Glass Mosaic creates a detail that stands out

Remeber that this tile can be used anywhere. It makes such an impression when you see it. I cannot stress enough that the detail you get from Mosaic tile far outways the cost. It is even something a DYI weekend warrior can install.

Can you say cool? Not the most traditional look, but a statement for sure.

Remeber, Mosaic tile can be used anywhere. Most commonly you will use see it in kitchens and baths, but it is so versatile it can be used anywhere. Would you like this look in your home? Where would you add it?

Who would have thought that the most fun and colorful flooring available is for office and business use? Now, of course, you may want subtle elegance for your living room- but what about the kids playroom, or bonus room areas? Have you thought of using commercial flooring in those spaces? It is less expensive and looks awewsome!! It cleans great and junior is not going to be able to wear it out.

Talk about color choices??

The best thing about using commercial products is the color choices. One can truly create great looks on limited budgets and know they are getting a product that can last. I would love to see parents think about these options when thinking about the kids areas.

1) Are the kids going to like this?

2) Is this a good value?

3) Does it clean easy?

The answer is yes to all of these questions.

I love this floor, can you inagine this for a group of kids?

I think this would win "coolest playroom in the 'hood award"

I think color really stimulates the senses and for a fun area consider doing a collage on the floor. Look how fun this is.

“Going Green” can mean many different things. There are now lawyers, architects and consultants that have made green buildings their entire business. The “Three Rs” can help anyone get started to understanding the environmental impact of their flooring selections:

Recyclability – The floor made with post-consumer or post-industrial recycled material. Ideally the materials can even be recycled again into additional products, such as certain carpet fibers.

Rapidly Renewable – Floors are considered “green” if they can be quickly replenished. Bamboo is cut and then grows back from the same stump; sometimes at four feet per day. Wool carpets obviously come from sheep. There are durable, attractively priced carpets made of corn fibers.

Regional – Is the material made or distributed close to home, defined as a 500 mile radius of your location? In the Tennessee area, that might be oak floors, certain tile products or carpet products out of Georgia.

That’s the “Three Rs”; basics to being green. Textures Flooring is a good source for more specific green product ideas.

We just completed a great project in Nashville. We were so pleased to work with this client. Take a loom at some of the great looks they decided upon.

 What a beautiful and grand entry to a home.

The Master Bath was truly special. Our installer Warren did all of the work and he is a true craftsman!!

Nashville flooring choices are diverse and unique. We will post different projects here so you can get some ideas for your project.