Decorating Guides
New This Week: 4 Rooms With Black-and-White Tile Style
Use patterned black-and-white tile on floors and walls to bridge the gap between traditional and modern looks
Black and white used together provide contrast and elegance to both traditional and modern spaces. But if you’re looking to bridge a gap between traditional and modern elements in your house, try combining these high-contrast colors in patterned tile for just the right amount of classic appeal with current-day edginess. These four spaces show how to do it.
2. Clean and Classic
Designer: Thea Segal of Thea Home
Location: Agoura, California
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: “Funnily enough, the homeowner’s greatest pleasure is doing laundry for his children,” says designer Thea Segal. “We wanted to create a space that made this chore fun, inviting, intentional and, most of all, functional.”
Tile: Porcelain with decorative veneer. “It’s fun, decorative and very easy to clean,” Segal says.
Why the design works: The sink had originally been on the opposite wall, and the appliances sat side by side. Stacking the appliances and moving the sink opened things up. “The lines and details make the space feel much larger that it actually is,” Segal says. “And with floating shelves rather than a cabinet, the space feels less crammed.” A pull-down ironing board and drying rack also help keep things airy.
Designer secret: To create the illusion of continuity, Segal painted the wall to match the contrasting subway tile wall.
Also on the team: Divine Grace Construction; Tessa Neustadt (photography)
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Tile: Heritage Black 252, Firenze Ceramic Tile (North Hollywood); sink: American Standard; ironing board cover: West Elm
Designer: Thea Segal of Thea Home
Location: Agoura, California
Size: 50 square feet (4.6 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: “Funnily enough, the homeowner’s greatest pleasure is doing laundry for his children,” says designer Thea Segal. “We wanted to create a space that made this chore fun, inviting, intentional and, most of all, functional.”
Tile: Porcelain with decorative veneer. “It’s fun, decorative and very easy to clean,” Segal says.
Why the design works: The sink had originally been on the opposite wall, and the appliances sat side by side. Stacking the appliances and moving the sink opened things up. “The lines and details make the space feel much larger that it actually is,” Segal says. “And with floating shelves rather than a cabinet, the space feels less crammed.” A pull-down ironing board and drying rack also help keep things airy.
Designer secret: To create the illusion of continuity, Segal painted the wall to match the contrasting subway tile wall.
Also on the team: Divine Grace Construction; Tessa Neustadt (photography)
See more of this home
Tile: Heritage Black 252, Firenze Ceramic Tile (North Hollywood); sink: American Standard; ironing board cover: West Elm
3. Simple yet Sophisticated
Designer: Homeowner Sarah Ellis of Ellis Architects
Location: Sacramento, California
Size: About 80 square feet (7 square meters); about 8 by 10 feet
Homeowners’ goal: Blend an eclectic, contemporary addition with the existing character and charm of the 1927 house.
Tile: Ceramic. “It really is a simple space that has just enough interest between the patterned floor tile and lighting coming through the window,” says designer Sarah Ellis, who also owns the home with her husband.
Why the design works: “There are nine or 10 different ‘white’ items in the room that were carefully selected to not clash,” Ellis says. “The floor tile is a focus.”
Who uses it: Ellis, her husband and their two young daughters, whom Ellis tries unsuccessfully to keep out of her bathroom. “After having only one bathroom and one sink for so many years, some habits are hard to break,” she says.
Designer secret: “You can add more detail when you use white,” Ellis says. “For instance, the full wall tile and door trim add nice shadow lines and texture.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “We used a simple Ikea wall-hung sink cabinet with a custom countertop and non-Ikea sink,” Ellis says. “The drawers are designed to only work with the standard shallow Ikea sink and plumbing. We had our custom cabinet-maker modify the inside of the drawers so the drawers could close.”
Splurges and savings: Ellis saved on the wall tile, cabinets and faucets, which she bought at Costco, and splurged on the floor tile, medicine cabinets, wall-hung toilet, towel warmer, LED sconces and full-glass frameless shower doors.
Also on the team: Kat Alves (photography)
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Floor tile: Cigar Shop, Cle; shower floor tile: Lantern, in black matte, Fujiwa; wall tile: 6-by-6-inch square white, Dal-Tile; vanity: Ikea; medicine cabinets: Robern; LED fixtures: Modern Forms; countertop: London Grey, Caesarstone; shower seat: teak, Mr. Steam; wall paint: Divinity White, Kelly Moore; shower fixtures: Grohe; faucet: Hansgrohe
Designer: Homeowner Sarah Ellis of Ellis Architects
Location: Sacramento, California
Size: About 80 square feet (7 square meters); about 8 by 10 feet
Homeowners’ goal: Blend an eclectic, contemporary addition with the existing character and charm of the 1927 house.
Tile: Ceramic. “It really is a simple space that has just enough interest between the patterned floor tile and lighting coming through the window,” says designer Sarah Ellis, who also owns the home with her husband.
Why the design works: “There are nine or 10 different ‘white’ items in the room that were carefully selected to not clash,” Ellis says. “The floor tile is a focus.”
Who uses it: Ellis, her husband and their two young daughters, whom Ellis tries unsuccessfully to keep out of her bathroom. “After having only one bathroom and one sink for so many years, some habits are hard to break,” she says.
Designer secret: “You can add more detail when you use white,” Ellis says. “For instance, the full wall tile and door trim add nice shadow lines and texture.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “We used a simple Ikea wall-hung sink cabinet with a custom countertop and non-Ikea sink,” Ellis says. “The drawers are designed to only work with the standard shallow Ikea sink and plumbing. We had our custom cabinet-maker modify the inside of the drawers so the drawers could close.”
Splurges and savings: Ellis saved on the wall tile, cabinets and faucets, which she bought at Costco, and splurged on the floor tile, medicine cabinets, wall-hung toilet, towel warmer, LED sconces and full-glass frameless shower doors.
Also on the team: Kat Alves (photography)
See more of this home
Floor tile: Cigar Shop, Cle; shower floor tile: Lantern, in black matte, Fujiwa; wall tile: 6-by-6-inch square white, Dal-Tile; vanity: Ikea; medicine cabinets: Robern; LED fixtures: Modern Forms; countertop: London Grey, Caesarstone; shower seat: teak, Mr. Steam; wall paint: Divinity White, Kelly Moore; shower fixtures: Grohe; faucet: Hansgrohe
4. Bold and Balanced
Designer: Karyne Beauregard of Entre 4 murs
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Homeowners’ request: Keep the charm of the house while updating the decor with an industrial touch.
Tile: Porcelain in varying patterns. “We wanted to highlight the large wall in the kitchen,” says designer Karyne Beauregard. “At the beginning, the client was a little insecure, but he decided to trust us and he has no regrets.”
Special features: Suspended lights, butcher’s block countertops, island seating, ceramic floor tile that looks like wood.
Why the design works: The graphic wall tile and suspended pendants bring balance to the rustic-style cabinets.
Who uses it: A teacher and a nurse with three kids
Designer secret: “Be daring with your backsplash to give your kitchen personality,” Beauregard says. “It can be crazy wallpaper with a glass front, cement texture tile — the ideas are endless.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “The customers had an aquarium they wanted to integrate into the wall between the living room and kitchen,” Beauregard says. “The weight of the aquarium was too much and the joists were not able to handle the load, so we unfortunately decided to drop that part of the project.”
Also on the team: Construction VOS
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Tile: Azulej, Mutina, Ramacieri Soligo; suspended lights: All Modern; wall storage: Pocket de Normann Copenhagen; cabinets and countertop: Ikea; floor tile: Ramacieri Soligo
Read about more ways with tile | Find tile professionals near you
Designer: Karyne Beauregard of Entre 4 murs
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Homeowners’ request: Keep the charm of the house while updating the decor with an industrial touch.
Tile: Porcelain in varying patterns. “We wanted to highlight the large wall in the kitchen,” says designer Karyne Beauregard. “At the beginning, the client was a little insecure, but he decided to trust us and he has no regrets.”
Special features: Suspended lights, butcher’s block countertops, island seating, ceramic floor tile that looks like wood.
Why the design works: The graphic wall tile and suspended pendants bring balance to the rustic-style cabinets.
Who uses it: A teacher and a nurse with three kids
Designer secret: “Be daring with your backsplash to give your kitchen personality,” Beauregard says. “It can be crazy wallpaper with a glass front, cement texture tile — the ideas are endless.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “The customers had an aquarium they wanted to integrate into the wall between the living room and kitchen,” Beauregard says. “The weight of the aquarium was too much and the joists were not able to handle the load, so we unfortunately decided to drop that part of the project.”
Also on the team: Construction VOS
See more of this home
Tile: Azulej, Mutina, Ramacieri Soligo; suspended lights: All Modern; wall storage: Pocket de Normann Copenhagen; cabinets and countertop: Ikea; floor tile: Ramacieri Soligo
Read about more ways with tile | Find tile professionals near you
Designer: Greg Dennee of Locati Architects
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Size: 150 square feet (13.9 square meters); about 14 by 10½ feet
Homeowners’ request: For this new house, Wendy and Dave Tippet wanted a larger main kitchen suitable for entertaining, as well as a secondary kitchen, seen here, that could be used during large parties. As for the overall look, Wendy, who acted as the interior designer, wanted it to feel positively uplifting. “I wanted people to come in and say, ‘This is such a happy house. That was my whole goal.”
Tile: Black marble and white Thassos marble in a flower pattern. Each “button” of the flower features a different color marble — blue, black, cream, green. “It makes me happy,” Wendy says.
Special features: Steam oven, refrigerator drawers, floating stainless steel shelves, large jars for baking ingredients. “I call this my baker’s kitchen,” Wendy says.
“Uh-oh” moment: The Tippets had planned for a large glass-fronted refrigerator for this space. But when it arrived, Wendy felt it would feel too heavy and cover up too much of the tile she loved. So they sent it back and decided to add refrigerator drawers, more tile and more countertop space instead. “It ended up costing more, but it was the right decision in the end,” Wendy says.
Also on the team: Gary Linthicum of Linthicum Custom Builders
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Tile: Marble inlay, Craftsman Court Ceramics; cabinet paint: Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore; countertop: honed black granite; floor: reclaimed antique white oak; ovens: Wolf