Tuesday, March 18, 2014

5 Ways to Use Tile & Natural Stone for Home Improvement

By picking out the right tile, pattern and design, and using your creativity you can find some new ideas for decorating your home. We will discuss in this article five creative do it yourself tile decorating projects.

Adding tile areas to a bathroom is one of the ways to make it appear more stylish and updated by adding visual interest. You can select from an almost endless array of sizes, colors, and styles and tile is beautiful to look at and easy to maintain.

Just the same way you can set the overall mood with paint color you can do it by using style and color of the tile. With boldly colored tile you can create some dramatic effects. Lighter tile colors, on the other side, can make the room seem more airy and larger. You might also combine both darker and lighter colors by mixing lighter tiles with accent color tiles or using an overall light neutral shade of tile with a colored tile border.

Bathroom Vanity Tile

Most of the people think of only installing tiles on the bathtub and shower area in a bathroom. But there are other creative ways to use tile in a bathroom, as well. One idea is to install tile behind the sink and vanity area. It will not only look great but it is also very easy to clean and it will protect your walls from splashes.

You can also use some special purpose tiles in the sink and vanity area, such as those designed to hold toothbrushes, cups, and soap. These can be found at most tile stores with a fairly good selection of products. You can even tile a whole wall behind in the vanity and sink area of your bathroom. While tiles are usually seen as a flooring option, they are looking great on walls too.

Subway Tiles in the Kitchen

In your kitchen there are also endless possibilities of design using tiles. The horizontal subway tile style is timeless and classic. These are 3" x 6" ceramic tiles with gloss finish that come in a multitude of colors. They are easy to clean and can brighten the whole kitchen. You can choose a monochromatic design or you can add depth by mixing in herringbone tiles as a backsplash behind the sink or behind the oven. You can also create a totally different look by running the tiles vertically.

Natural & Stone Mosaic Tiles

Stone mosaic tiles are trendy, especially for the kitchen areas. Their pattern draw attention and enhance the entire design. You can install them on the kitchen walls or in specific areas such as over the sink or over the stove. If you want to create more dimension and depth you can use glass mosaic tiles. Another popular option is the basket weave stone mosaic pattern tile.

Rectangular Floor Tiles

Another strong trend in floor tile design is the use of natural stone or porcelain rectangular tiles. Porcelain tiles range from 6" x 24" to 6" x 36" to 12" x 24" to 18" x 36". The style of the rectangular tiles varies from stark cement look to wood look made from porcelain. Stone rectangular tile styles that are trendy include Statuario, White Oak, and Calacatta Gold. You may use a monochromatic design or just adding color to a few key areas.

Tile Artwork

Another way to creatively decorate your home with tiles is to create a custom artwork from tiles. An original design may include a mix of ceramic, glass, and stone tiles. You can use handmade stone tile with art deco touches, as well. Some tile dealers, such as Leeway Ceramic Tile, offer professional help in such projects, so keep a look out for tile experts of the like.

DIY Tile Installation

No matter what tile design you choose you can install the tiles yourself. The installation steps are: measuring the area where you want to install tiles, laying out the pieces, securing the cement board, laying out the tiles, spreading the adhesive, and setting the sheet of tiles in place.

In case that you have to cut some tiles to fit the corners, the easiest way to do it is by using a wet saw. The wet saw uses water in order to keep the blade from getting too hot when you work to make the cuts. You may rent a wet saw your for tile project from any local rental center. While working on your tile project remember to follow the proper safety rules.

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