Dream Tile, Sensational Style
From intricate mosaics to large-scale porcelain, splurgeworthy tiles create a luxurious air in the bath and beyond
Did you know that ceramic tile has been dated back as far as 8000 BCE? And though the availability and popularity of glass tile exploded in the 1990s, the first glass tiles were made more than 2,000 years ago.
I am fascinated with tile, and spent several years teaching classes in mosaic art at the UCSD Craft Center in La Jolla, California. It amazes me that something that has been around for so many centuries can have so many new and interesting looks. The possibilities are only limited by imagination.
This story features some of the most amazing, jaw-dropping tile applications I could find. Some are luxurious, covering hundreds of square feet, where others are avant-garde in their aesthetic or placement. And there are a few in here that may surprise you when you realize what the material actually is.
None of these ideas are low cost. Dream tile such as this can run anywhere from $30 per square foot up to several hundred dollars per square foot. Although this ideabook is not specifically about bathrooms, it's no wonder that most of the amazing tile is used in those spaces. They're among the smallest rooms in a home, so if you're going to splurge on a luxury finish, you can go all out. But these are so beautiful that they would be stunning in any room of your home.
It's okay to drool over these (they're tile, so the drool will wipe right off). And yes, along with the hundreds of square feet of tile, you get hundreds of square feet of grout to clean. But who cares? If you can afford these, you probably have a housekeeper — or maybe two.
I am fascinated with tile, and spent several years teaching classes in mosaic art at the UCSD Craft Center in La Jolla, California. It amazes me that something that has been around for so many centuries can have so many new and interesting looks. The possibilities are only limited by imagination.
This story features some of the most amazing, jaw-dropping tile applications I could find. Some are luxurious, covering hundreds of square feet, where others are avant-garde in their aesthetic or placement. And there are a few in here that may surprise you when you realize what the material actually is.
None of these ideas are low cost. Dream tile such as this can run anywhere from $30 per square foot up to several hundred dollars per square foot. Although this ideabook is not specifically about bathrooms, it's no wonder that most of the amazing tile is used in those spaces. They're among the smallest rooms in a home, so if you're going to splurge on a luxury finish, you can go all out. But these are so beautiful that they would be stunning in any room of your home.
It's okay to drool over these (they're tile, so the drool will wipe right off). And yes, along with the hundreds of square feet of tile, you get hundreds of square feet of grout to clean. But who cares? If you can afford these, you probably have a housekeeper — or maybe two.
The heavy hitters in the high-end mosaic tile arena are Italian, and this one is Bisazza. The large-scale patterns and luscious colors are bold, contemporary interpretations of mosaic art.
This tile portrait from Bisazza is durable art for any place you'd like to install it. Although it will cost you much more than most tile options, the price is comparable to art created by a reasonably well-known artist. The difference? You can put it in your shower, or any other place you want.
Traditional Tile
I mentioned the Italian heavy hitters, and Sicis is the other one. This pattern, paired with the curved-leg console, would be fabulous in any room — minus the sink and faucet.
I would put this in my entryway in a heartbeat. If you click on this vendor's website, be sure you have some extra time. I was sidetracked for at least an hour gazing in delight at their amazingly beautiful mosaics of all types.
I would put this in my entryway in a heartbeat. If you click on this vendor's website, be sure you have some extra time. I was sidetracked for at least an hour gazing in delight at their amazingly beautiful mosaics of all types.
This is one very avant-garde use of tile. The angles and planes of vibrant color give energy and movement to this hotel room. The designer describes the tile application as a three-dimensional sculpture.
I couldn't resist showing you another view so you can see how it just goes and goes. This is a unique application of tile, very expressive of an energetic personality. I would love to meet this designer — I bet he or she would have a fun personality and be interesting to know.
This is luscious: every surface covered in softly iridescent gold tile. If Midas had a bathroom, this would be it. The tile is by Oceanside Glasstile.
This room feels ancient to me. The colors and the mix of materials are very earthy and warm. Again, every surface is covered for total immersion in texture.
This beautiful wall evokes images of water, a completely suitable feel for the bathroom. This pattern is called Azure from Ann Sacks.
The large-scale floral makes a big impact and seems to glow with sunlight. Looking at this would probably be a lot more cheerful than looking at my own face in the morning. I'm not a morning person.
This floor-to-ceiling mural of lilies is scaled beautifully for this very large bathroom.
A sensational mural is better than having a garden outside your bathroom window. These flowers will always be in bloom.
I thought this bathroom had a fresh look with its carpet of blue penny rounds and dark pebble mosaic on the wall. The blue tile swooshing over that curved surface looks like a big wave.
A whole wall of soft blue-green wavy tile is relaxing. The pattern from Artistic Tile is aptly named Sinuous. The theme is echoed in clever, undulating inserts in the white floor tile.
This glitzy set of metallic ribbons is called Festoon by Bisazza. I love the free-spirited movement of the lines and the reflective shine they add. The mirrored wall doubles the impact — a very good thing, considering that the manufacturer's suggested retail price is more than $6,000 per module.
A contemporary bathroom gets a super punch of style with this bold geometric pattern.
This mirror-finish tile is absolutely beautiful in a minimalist bathroom. So often, we tile around the bath or shower and then just paint the walls. Wouldn't it be great to go all the way around the room with your favorite tile? It wouldn't necessarily need to be a high-end selection, but go horizontal and a little large in scale, and set it in an offset pattern to get this look.
By the way, the builder says the client purchased this tile and the project was completed some time ago, so I don't have a resource for this exact product. If any tile vendors out there recognize it, please speak up. Readers would love to know, and so would I.
By the way, the builder says the client purchased this tile and the project was completed some time ago, so I don't have a resource for this exact product. If any tile vendors out there recognize it, please speak up. Readers would love to know, and so would I.
I'm reminded of the murals I saw in ancient Roman ruins I visited in Italy and in Bath, England. A classic mural like this combined with columns lends a feel of timelessness.
Many tile vendors will turn any image you want into a mural, and you put up consecutively numbered sheets. Are you artistic? You can buy glass tile called smalti, which is the exact kind used in Italy for murals, and create your own design, reducing some of the expense. Take a craft class in mosaic. It's fun and a great creative outlet.
Many tile vendors will turn any image you want into a mural, and you put up consecutively numbered sheets. Are you artistic? You can buy glass tile called smalti, which is the exact kind used in Italy for murals, and create your own design, reducing some of the expense. Take a craft class in mosaic. It's fun and a great creative outlet.
Placing a tile mural inside a niche and spotlighting it showcases it for the work of art that it is. Designer Glass Mosaics creates these lovely works using fused glass techniques. If you go to their website, you'll see examples of art glass tiles used in many rooms.
A free-flowing, undulating mosaic takes the bling all the way around the room. You need a really great tile setter to be able to cut similar curves in the field tile. This creative design was done by Mercury Mosaic Design. They studied in Italy and were influenced by Italian masterpieces for this installation.
Innovative installations take tile from ordinary to sensational. This mirror sits within an asymmetrical opening in the tile, and even the wall sconces are set at different heights. Individual mirrored tiles are interspersed in a random pattern throughout the shower.
This is a great idea, but best done by a pro. Using mirrors in wet applications is tricky. Cutting them damages their back coating, allowing moisture to get in and ruin the reflective surface. You would need to use mirrored tiles made in the sizes you need, as well as specific adhesives.
This is a great idea, but best done by a pro. Using mirrors in wet applications is tricky. Cutting them damages their back coating, allowing moisture to get in and ruin the reflective surface. You would need to use mirrored tiles made in the sizes you need, as well as specific adhesives.
I Marmi - Beauty of marble - Durability of Porcelain
Looks like a sumptuous marble wall, doesn't it? Surprise, surprise: It's porcelain. Porcelain has come such a long way in recent years. It can duplicate the look of stone or metal, but without any of the care concerns of either of those materials. You can have the look of marble on your countertops too, using these large-format tiles with very few grout lines and no concerns about makeup spills.
A barrel-vaulted ceiling is the perfect place to go all out with mosaic tile in this galley kitchen. Contrasting bands across the ceiling create interest down the long, narrow space.
These walls look like they are covered in exotic stone, but this is a floor-to- ceiling, wall-to-wall application of glass tile. Mosaic glass tiles now are available in sizes as large as 6 x 11 3/4 inches, and a few have even larger pieces.
Chains Blue Glass Mosaic Glass Mosaic Decoration from Bisazza
I love that this large-scale pattern looks perfect in an office or any other room. The deep blue chain motif gives it a masculine look — stunning.
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More:
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