Why Tile?

Interior Design

Jul 16

Written By

Tile is a very popular finish material that has been around for as long as we can remember. According to experts, the earliest examples of tile were found to be Egyptian, dating all the way back to 4,000 BC. At the time clay, a natural material produced within the Earth was quite easy to find and process. As a result, the first ceramic tiles were created. From there they were hand-painted and often used as a form of decorative art compiled piece by piece to create a beautiful mosaic or mural. Below you can see how the origin of using tile as decoration translates into today's applications.

Here we used geometric tiles to turn this fireplace into its own work of art, making a simple yet grand statement.

This walk-in shower combines a simple yet sophisticated large tile with a strip of a smaller geometric tile pattern adding a decorative touch while still harmonizing with the neutral tones.

Over the last few years, we have seen an ongoing trend in intricate two-tone tiles which together create a form of art and in this case on a rather unusual surface, the bathroom floor.

We continue to see tile as one of the most common coverings for both interiors and exteriors. This is because of its great versatility and extensive benefits. It is a material that can be applied to floors, walls, furniture, and many other surfaces. When applied and installed correctly tile can last a lifetime. It is very durable, resisting most impacts and scratches. One of its greatest traits is its cleanability and low maintenance. When properly taken care of it does not require harsh chemicals to clean and once sealed does not need to be refinished. Unlike carpeting which harbors things like mold, dirt, and bacteria, tile is the ideal hypoallergenic choice avoiding the collection of common irritants or the requirement of chemical cleaning.

If we haven't already convinced you to choose tile for your space then let's talk about its green benefits! Manufacturers of tile are constantly recycling material and water to make new product, sending a minimal amount of leftover material to landfills or wastewater facilities. In addition, tile's long life span means it does not need to be replaced very often resulting in less waste overall. What's even greater is that even after installation tile continues to be environmentally friendly and user friendly. Both ceramic and porcelain tile are created from natural resources and do not emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds), ultimately preventing pollution and unhealthy air quality.

With that being said we love using tile in our client's spaces whether it be to add a fun accent or to provide better functionality and ease of living. We always recommend applying it in high-traffic areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and entertainment zones where cleanability is highly necessary.

In this master bathroom, we took full advantage of cleanability and applied a tile-on tile look. A mix and match of different sized linear tiles in an all-neutral scheme create the interesting layered effect you see here. You almost don't realize that this entire bathing space is tile because of the design's subtle variety and placement.

The backsplash in this kitchen also uses a combination of different tiles applied in a linear fashion. The clean-cut line created through the division of classic white subway tiles and neutral tone hexagon tiles turns the stove and hood into a focal point within the kitchen.

So why tile? Aside from the endless maintenance and well-being benefits it has proved to provide, tile has this simplistic yet grand ability to add character into a space. This is easy to accomplish thanks to continuing advancements in manufacturing and design that make tile available in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, and textures.

We at A. Clore Interiors had the privilege of seeing all the newest and exciting tiles by attending this year's Coverings Tile & Stone Show. Below are some of the top trends we loved!