Today, February 23rd, is National Tile Day, which is somewhat frivolous. However, there's a lot to celebrate when talking about tile. My three big favorites are (1) that it will look good for years. Choose pastels or classic bold colors like navy blue, earthy shades of green, or dark neutrals. You want to choose a non-trendy color that won't age, like the 1960s avocado green. (2) Tile is versatile, with endless options; regardless of budget, you can enhance your space without feeling like you've settled for less. And (3) my favorite is that there's nothing like tile for creating a fantastic feature. Use it for fireplace surrounds, kitchen backsplashes, walls, murals, pools, and table tops. Or anywhere you can envision it.
Fleur-de-lis pattern accents the curved wall behind a wood stove.
One of the most exciting ways of using tile is as an inlay into concrete, wood, or as a decorative element into field (single color) tile. To the left is the latter, and below, my neighbors, Chris and Tom, inlaid some of my tiles into their concrete fireplace surround. Tom did the concrete cast. They were so clever when designing the mantle that I did a blog post on their project in January 2021. Using cardboard, they visualized the size and scope of the surround, drawing in where they wanted the tile inlays to be. Also pictured is a collaboration I did with woodworker O'Neal Jones. He created this mahogany sideboard incorporating nine clay tiger lily panels with cutouts backed by shoji paper.
There are two ways of working with grout, one is to emphasize the lines and the other is to make them disappear. My neighbors could have gone with a dark grout that would make the chocolate border wider and more pronounced. I think they wisely went with a color that disappears.
A better view of the tile and quince pattern before it was installed.
As well as being beautiful and versatile, tile also keeps you healthy! It doesn't absorb dust or collect bacteria like carpeting, sheetrock, or wood. Its non-porous surface is impervious to mold and mildew. Better air quality equals a healthier home. What also keeps you healthy is that it's easy to clean with soap and water (no chemicals), and clay is naturally fire-resistant.
This mahogany and clay sideboard was a collaboration I did with woodworker O'Neal Jones. It includes nine clay panels of cut-out tiger lilies backed by shoji paper. Two-inch strips of decorative tile are also inlayed on either end of the sideboard. Getting the panels from table to kiln was tricky.
A desk and chair featuring some of my accent tiles. I love the cubby holes and the display shelf at the back of the desk and the tiles really add to the mission styling of the desk set.