Tile From Around the Globe Adds Out-of-This-World Panache
Go ahead, let color and pattern run wild in your tile. Your walls, floors and countertops will say "thank you" in a whole new language
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. I just completed my first remodel, turning my crumbling 1941 kitchen into a beauty of grays, whites and natural wood. If I could, I'd sleep on the countertop. That's how much I love it.
You can also read my parenting blog on Baby Center http://blogs.babycenter.com/author/sschoech/
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel... More »
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Most of us have square, white tile somewhere in the house, usually the bathroom. It's easy to clean, but otherwise, it's kinda of boring. Neither here nor there, designwise.
But the world of tile is really a sparkling place, filled with imagination. Once you start to appreciate the patterns and colors and possibilities of traditional and modern tiles, the world goes from black and white to color, just like in The Wizard of Oz.
Traditional tile patterns from the Mediterranean are a great art form — intricate, colorful and symmetrical. Modern designs inspired by the originals take that exuberant use of patterns and color and run with it. The results are stunning.
And tile isn't just for bathrooms or floors. It's for walls and benches and fireplaces. It's for living rooms and patios and bedrooms. Have a look.
But the world of tile is really a sparkling place, filled with imagination. Once you start to appreciate the patterns and colors and possibilities of traditional and modern tiles, the world goes from black and white to color, just like in The Wizard of Oz.
Traditional tile patterns from the Mediterranean are a great art form — intricate, colorful and symmetrical. Modern designs inspired by the originals take that exuberant use of patterns and color and run with it. The results are stunning.
And tile isn't just for bathrooms or floors. It's for walls and benches and fireplaces. It's for living rooms and patios and bedrooms. Have a look.
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Old Spanish floor tiles on the wall of a modern kitchen. They add vibrant color and patterns without sacrificing the contemporary vibe.
Tiled stair kicks in alternating or random patterns are a lovely way to add pattern and color. They're so evocative of the Mediterranean that they make me want an olive and a glass of red.
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In hot climates like southern Spain, North Africa and Mexico, area rugs don't always make sense. A tile "rug" demarcates a space as well as anything in wool.
A tile "area rug" in a Spanish revival style.
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| Just a bit of tile around the fireplace gives this whole place a hacienda look. |
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by Kenny Grono
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| Exuberantly patterned tile can be modern, too. These Cuban Heritage cement tiles are gorgeous in this otherwise unadorned kitchen. |
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by Fiorella Design
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| Keep it traditional but add just a hint of playfulness by working in bright patterned tiles with a solid color. |
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A border with a simple Greek key pattern is elegant and understated but still eye catching.
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| Mexican Talavera-style tiles with a terra-cotta base. Rustic, bold and lovely. |
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by Turkish - Tiles
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| Traditional Turkish tile in a modern English bathroom. |
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These 150-year-old Spanish tiles salvaged from an old building look bright and modern in this white bathroom.
by Incorporated
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Just a single waterfall-like strip of Moroccan tile adds color and life to this neutral, modern bath.
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It's not all about color. The shape of these plain white tiles (mirrored in the mirror) is Morocco all over.
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Granada Tile's handmade cement tiles in Alhambra. They're old meet new with a very modern use of a very old design. I love it.
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| An outdoor patio of Mexican paver tiles inset with blues and patterns creates a lovely, elegant courtyard feeling and is so much prettier than plain cement. |
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Outdoor stairs with tiled kicks. I love unexpected pattern and color used on exteriors.
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This tiled patio in the Middle East is an extension of the house and an additional room rather than a separate outdoor area. It's also boho chic as all get-out.
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Granada Tile's Fez tiles create a North African oasis in Southern California. This is like a vacation in the backyard.
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With some architecture styles, like Spanish revival, tiled hardscaping is just so much better than plain cement or stone. It adds instant cheerfulness.
More:
How to shop for cement and quarry tiles
How to shop for tile
How to find the right stone tile
More:
How to shop for cement and quarry tiles
How to shop for tile
How to find the right stone tile
Ideabook published on Nov. 9, 2012.
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Another option for global tiles: traditional Athangudi tiles from South India.
http://athanguditiles.com/few_design_samples
http://www.dsource.in/gallery/gallery-0141/index.html
Coincidentally, we have a new Marrakesh inspired MoRockAnSoul Collection that we just introduced as removable and reusable "faux tile" wallcovering. Stair risers + Backsplash + full wall sizes.
http://www.casartcoverings.com/morockansoul.html
If you have free time, please have a look in www.vietnamtile.com for more designs with the best price.