kitchen Archives - A.Clore Interiors

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!

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We have written about indoor plants before and we all know that it is great to incorporate the outside indoors. While you’re scrolling on your Pinterest, you probably see lots of beautiful interiors filled with plants. Do you wish that was your room? Do you doubt that you could keep them alive? Well then this is for you; here are some low-maintenance plants perfect for beginners. Remember that with the chilly season right around the corner, it is important for your health to incorporate some lively green plants in your home! It increases your mood and improves oxygen levels.

Spruce up a space with a fresh bouquet

Snake Plant

This plant is specifically known for purifying indoor air by removing toxins such as formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. In order to preserve water, the plant opens its pores and releases oxygen exclusively at night. This helps it to maximize efficiency in cleaning the air, as found in study conducted by NASA. It has a clean, modern look and can be small enough for tighter spaces, perfect to keep in a bedroom. This plant prefers medium-bright direct lighting and only needs watering every 3-4 weeks. But remember to increase the watering’s if sunlight is increased.

Air Plants

Tillandsia are adorably easy to take care of and can be displayed in the most creative ways. Whether they’re sitting clustered as a centerpiece or hung up on a wall, these plants will survive with almost no care. Our favorite way to use them would be in the shower. You read that right! Air plants make the perfect houseplant for a bathroom that receives plenty of natural light. The running water from your bathroom sink and shower helps increase humidity levels, which mimic air plants’ native environments, jungles. Just another reason to enjoy a long, warm shower. If you don’t keep them in the bathroom, just soak weekly in a bowl of room temperature water for 15-30 minutes. Shake excess water off afterward to avoid rotting.

Golden Pothos

This beautiful viney plant will shows off lush, white and green leaves, instantly enhancing your desktop. In fact, it is fondly nicknamed the ‘cubicle plant’. Wonderfully versatile, the pothos can be grown both in soil and water. This means you can creatively place and grow how you’d like! It prefers medium-low indirect light and only needs watering every 1-2 weeks, or when the soil is dry. Studies show it is also efficient in removing pollutants from indoor air, so you can breathe easy while you work.

Aloe Vera

We all know this is our mom’s favorite plant. It has numerous medicinal uses: reducing itchiness, soothing sunburn and improves digestive health. This plant is perfect to keep on a sunny kitchen window sill. They are drought-tolerant and actually prefer to be underwatered, so only water when dry. Not sure when to water? Wrinkles on the aloe’s fleshy leaves are a telltale sign.

Bird’s Nest Fern

And our last suggestion is, guess what? Pet-friendly! This unique plant has rippled leaves and grows out from the center. It would be the perfect addition to hang in your living room for all to admire. Plus, you won’t have to worry about it being dangerous for your fuzzy friends. This fern thrives in medium to bright indirect light, but can tolerate low indirect light. Water weekly, or whenever the soil is dry. But increase watering with increased sunlight.

Faux Plants

Of course, live indoor plants aren’t for everyone still. When we are designing a space and the client wants to incorporate faux plants, we turn to Stacked and Co. They’re an Orlando-based small business that always helps us deliver for our clients!