When it comes to interior design, it’s easy to focus most of your attention on furnishings, rugs, artwork, bedding – all things that are changeable. But it’s perhaps even more important to pay attention to your finishes. The details on your walls, floors, and even ceilings can – quite literally – lay the foundation for your decor style. While you might be tempted to stick with neutrals so you can change up your interior design choices down the line, there’s something incredibly bold and satisfying about making a commitment to something a little less transient. Tiles have long served as a neutral backdrop in homes, but lately they’re beginning to take center stage. Here are some ways you can embrace this risky yet rewarding trend:
Shape Up
Mid-century modern style isn’t going anywhere. If you’ve embraced the clean lines of this style, you should embrace a tile with a geometric shape. Honeycomb shape is especially on trend for 2019: just interlock hexagonal pieces of tile together as a kitchen backsplash or against the shower wall. It fits in well with essentially any take on clean, modern style, but is innocuous enough that it can stand up to a style change down the line. It’s a great entry point into the world beyond subway tile. We also love the herringbone pattern that has begun to be used more and more on kitchen and dining room floors. You can get the effect by arranging long rectangular tiles that are either monochromatic or that create their own pattern through gradation in colors. Herringbone tiles look especially chic in homes with an art-deco twist.
See The Pattern
Nature-inspired decor is one of the biggest upcoming design trends in 2019, and with that we’re also seeing an interest in artisanship. Installing patterned tiles on, for instance, the bathroom floor creates a great visual punch. You can use patterned tiles that go together to create a larger pattern, or mix and match individually patterned tiles with similar color schemes. Patterned tiles aren’t for the faint of heart, and they can be overwhelming if they’re too colorful. We like using a gray and white palette to add some element of neutrality. If you’re a bold and adventurous designer, patterned tiles may well pave the way in your future.
A fish scale pattern is incredibly lovely, and gives an opportunity for a bold array of colors in the aqua and teal family.
Sea The Change
Tiles are often square or rectangular simply for the sake of ease. But while using a more rounded shape can be a little trickier to install, it tells a strong visual story. A fish scale pattern is incredibly lovely, and gives an opportunity for a bold array of colors in the aqua and teal family. We love a fish scale pattern on the wall adjacent to a bathtub: it helps us live our best mermaid life.
Live Large
If you’re all about that luxe life, less is more quite literally. Instead of installing lots of small tiles, you can use a bigger and bolder variation. Many upscale designers are using large rectangular pieces of marble that stretch from floor to ceiling and are several feet wide. This is not an easy install: it requires a deft hand and a big budget. But there’s something undeniable stunning about that uninterrupted stretch of smooth marble almost cascading down your shower walls.
If you watch as many flipping shows as we do, you’ve probably seen designers talk about the importance of keeping tiles as neutral as possible to appeal to future buyers. We say this: enjoy your space. Let it tell a story and reflect your personality. Bolder and braver tiles are the perfect way to elevate your space from satisfactory to superlative.
