Fall in love with your home and live life your way may 2020
Spending a lot of time at home may have given you time to really look at your space. Does it work for you, are the colours right and does it truly reflect who you are? Some changes can be easily remedied with new soft furnishings, or a coat of paint, but some need a bit more time and effort.
Spot the flaw
Cracked tiles can ruin your floor, or wall for that matter, but it doesn’t have to entail a full renovation. Removing the individual tiles and replacing them is a cost-effective way to correct the flaw.
If your tiles are older and you don’t have any spare or extra tiles handy, or you can’t match them to something currently in stores, then make use of a contrasting tile and create a whole new look for your space.
When you remove the damaged tiles, also take out some carefully identified undamaged tiles, to create a purposeful pattern.
Décor or patterned tiles are also an excellent choice for this type of installation, particularly for walls. Embrace the biophilic trend with soft botanical patterns for a trend-forward fix to cracked or chipped tiles.
Our friends at TAL have a step-by-step video on how to safely remove and replace cracked tiles, to give you an idea of what to expect.
Different faces
If there is simply nothing to do but install new floors, the layout of the tiles can make all the difference between ordinary, and extraordinary. Tiles are manufactured with a number of ‘faces’, which means that they have slight differences in the pattern on each tile. These faces are more obvious with stone and wood-look tiles. For the best results, be sure to install these patterns randomly across the space, and not grouped together, to create a more realistic look.
Style your tiles
For an urban, sophisticated look, go bold with a classic black and white checkerboard layout. For a twist on the black and white theme, use tiles with an encaustic-inspired pattern but be sure to mix and match the faces for best effect. This timeless look is well suited to simple furnishings and clean lines.
For a more rustic look, create an elegant parquet effect with wood-look patterns. This makes excellent use of the different faces of the tile, to bring depth to the space. Pair up with strong blocks of colours and geometric patterns.
Embrace the rich colours of stone-look tiles where the different faces are essential to create a cohesive representation of sun-kissed rocks, bringing warmth to your space. A neutral palette of beige, ivory and caramel with a focus on plush textures create an elegant warm appeal.
Your floors won’t change often, so choosing a tile that that you love is the perfect base upon which to build your room design, layering in colour and texture with your furniture, fabrics and art. A quality tile, installed right and with careful thought about the layout, will give you years of enjoyment.
Fall in love with your home again by creating a warm inviting space, where you can live life, your way.