Annie Selke Flora

The botanical pattern on the Annie Selke Flora tile perfectly embodies a lush casualness. This pattern pairs well with a cream, tan or white tile like the Annie Selke Artisanal White.

Laura Ashley Wicker

The whimsical geometric flower design on the Laura Ashley Wicker tiles captures the leisurely fun of summer. The pale, slightly weathered colors appear as if they’ve been pleasantly sun-kissed, which will give your space warmth and character.

Azul

The glossy raised turquoise and white patterns on the Astron and Aura Azul tiles reflect the light like shimmers on the water, giving these tiles a gorgeous coastal feel that will bathe your room in seaside splendor.

Star Black

Create a charming starscape with the Star Black tile from Fired Earth Ceramics. This slightly rustic design, reminiscent of hand-painted folk art, will evoke the pleasure of summer stargazing year-round.

Morris & Co. Pure Net

The Morris & Co. Pure Net tiles are delicate and ornate, with soft, faded hues that will add charm to your room. Explore all three colorways and more of The Morris & Co. Collection, inspired by iconic wallpaper designs.

Gold Window Hex

The Gold Window Hex Encaustic tile captures the cheerfulness of a bright sunny sky. The deep blue and gold hues in this tile will saturate your space with the radiance of summer.

Summerland by Jeffrey Alan Marks

The Summerland Collection by Jeffrey Alan Marks exemplifies the California beach lifestyle. The captivating hexagon tile feature faded linen patterns inspired by Mark’s coastal chic aesthetic.

Annie Selke Tulip Mosaic

The elegant mother-of-pearl flowers in the Annie Selke Tulip Mosaic bring gorgeous detail to a shower or bathroom. See more Annie Selke tile in use in our tour of her Palm Springs Desert Oasis.

Decora Ornament Blue

The fresh, soft blues of the Decora Ornament Blue encaustic-look tile invoke a clear-blue summer sky, especially when used as flooring in a blue room like this one designed by Kelli Fontana of West Bay Homes, explore more of her designs in our tour of her Sun Coast Estate.

Laura Ashley Leaf and Sunflower

Some patterns are better together. The Laura Ashley leaf mosaic creates beautiful detail in this shower niche and coordinates nicely with the colors in the Laura Ashley Sunflower tile. The beautiful blues and botanical designs evoke both a lush field and a clear summer sky.

Inspired to add touches of summer to your home? It’s easier than ever to make your design dreams a reality with our free design services. Or, explore even more whimsical patterns in real spaces on our Customer Room Gallery and Instagram!

The post Simply Splendid Summer-Inspired Patterns appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.

Featured: Tanagram Branco 3-D

Designs and trends are constantly evolving, allowing for the ultimate expression of creativity and imagination. One trend we’ve seen pushing the boundaries of ingenuity, artistry and self-expression is geometric tile. We’re going to highlight our favorite geometric tiles and how to use them to their full potential.

“Geometric shapes hold an energy pattern, and scientists did some experiments which say certain geometric shapes can affect matter around them. It’s simply because when a human looks at a shape, they instantly receive energy from their brain.” – Tom DeLonge, musical artist

The extravagant movement, iconic shapes and energetic patterns of geometric tile allow you to make a statement in any space. These tiles aren’t just an addition to a design – they ARE the design. Geometric shapes include squares, rectangles, triangles, polygons, hexagons, diamonds, pyramids and more. With so many different variations and shapes in geometric tile, the possibilities are endless!

Featured: Estrela Jeans Matte 

Featured: White Hex, Black Hex, and Hex Matte White with Black Flower

Categorizing Geometric Tiles

Geometric Patterned Tile 

Stunning designs can be printed on tile to add an artistic flash to any space. Glamorous patterns have universal use. You can either cover a wall to make a bold statement or display a small statement as a piece of art.

Featured: Outline White Gold AC 

Some printed patterns are made to complement modern spaces while others are created to wow viewers. The geometric tiles above define a wall with an elegant yet subtle diamond pattern. In contrast, the bold and bright pattern on the image below almost demands (and deserves) attention.

Featured: Artisan Tiare

Patterned tile can bring a very artistic and contemporary look into your home. The tile below creates a 3-D effect by using two different colored triangles and rhombuses to create a geometric structure.

Featured: Rowallan Encaustic Square Pattern

Geometric Shaped Tile

While most tile like subway or square tile only has four sides, geometric shaped tile brings tile design to a whole new level. Shapes like hexagons, diamonds and rhombuses stand out compared to standard rectangular formats. Geometric shapes can be either 2-D or 3-D. The front cover of our 2018 design book contains a very fresh, modern 3-D pattern. Yara Metal Silver Hex ceramic wall tile is unique because not only is the shape a hexagon, but the tile contains several different 3-D triangles for extra texture and augmentation.

Featured: Yara Metal Silver Hex

Geometric Mosaics

Mosaics are small pieces of tile that are intricately placed together on a mesh sheet to create stunning patterns—that’s what makes these mosaics so unique. Not all mosaic designs are the same. Check out the lavish, Nova Hex Graphite mosaics in the image below. The mosaic pattern is created by repeating stretched hexagons to add glamour and dimension.

Featured: Skyline Marquina Mosaic

The pattern on this next image shows a mosaic from the Legno Limestone collection. This design presents a stylish look with its wood-like texture and variety of shapes.

Featured: Legno Geometric

Ways to Use Geometric Tile

The Center of Attention 

When people want to make a bold statement, they might use a big collection of art, flashy furniture or even a bright-colored tile or wallpaper. While those are all great options, geometrically patterned tile is your key to making a show-stopping space. Cover your floor or wall with tile to make a bold, eye-catching presentation.

Featured: Star Olive/Grey Encaustic

Subtle Accent Displays

Don’t let the boldness of geometric tile intimidate you. Many people turn away from geometric patterned tile and layouts because they think it might be overwhelming. But patterns can be displayed as an accent piece if you aren’t committed to the full effect. Kirsty Froelich, The Tile Shop design manager, loves adding small statement displays to rooms because it adds a dash of emotion and color.

“You don’t need to be scared of using geometric tile and patterns. They are a great opportunity to add something exciting that won’t overpower the features in a space. – Kirsty Froelich

Featured: Alato Beachwalk Chevron Glass Mosaic

Display a geometric accent piece in your shower or on the side of a bathtub or island countertop. “Accents give you a chance to add unexpected artistry,” Froelich said. As seen above, these geometric displays are ideal for people who only want a subtle but stunning statement.

A Lively Greeting

Incorporating geometrically patterned tile is wonderful in an entryway. Fun and spirited patterns give guests an immediate welcoming impression. West Bay Homes perfectly completes a modern farmhouse design with the vintage, symmetric Star series.

Image from West Bay Homes. Featured: Star

Modern Elegance

Solid-white tile is a great choice for creating a clean, modern presence. The White Hex tiles below create a chic, fresh feeling without an overbearing display.

Featured: White Hex

Create Your Own Masterpiece

A current trend is to create your own geometric designs and shapes with tile. This trend attracts the bold and brave designers. Every concept you explore is a statement and your very own work of art. The Connect series in the image below was made to mesmerize. The small triangular pieces allow you to create extravagant designs for a modern twist. This method of using geometric tile guarantees originality and personalized taste and vision.

Featured: Connect Tri 

“Styling with geometric shaped tiles gives you more flexibility and freedom to make whatever you want.” – Luke Crownover, Tile Shop product manager

Whether a bold, patchwork arrangement of patterned tiles, an elegant kitchen backsplash or a simple display of white hexagons, geometric tile will always be the ultimate tool to express yourself. Inspired by what you see? Schedule a design consultation to achieve your next vision with geometric tile.

Source of Tom DeLonge quote: Spin Magazine

The post Self-Expression Through Geometric Tile appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.

Featured: Textile Graphic White

What Is Modern Farmhouse Style?

Modern farmhouse style is all about warmth, simplicity and function. It’s never fussy, and it always feels lived in. A modern farmhouse interior is one where guests feel at home curling up into a comfortable chair. It’s a beautiful and fresh way to combine tradition with trend. Eclectic-minded individuals will easily embrace the modern farmhouse look because antiques, vintage pieces and new items in a variety of design styles all have their place and can work together seamlessly. In the example below, a modern chair, pillow and rug easily coexist with antiques, traditional wood  and classic elements of Americana. The overall look is welcoming, warm and the embodiment of the modern farmhouse trend.

If you think you’ve seen this style before, you probably have. This design aesthetic has gained a lot of traction after being featured prominently on “Fixer Upper” with Chip and Joanna Gaines. It’s also popular because it incorporates aspects of many different styles—modern, country, industrial and rustic, to name a few—which appeals to a wide audience.

Since modern farmhouse style is all about mixing and matching, tiles can easily become an integral design element that incorporate with the other elements in the room seamlessly. Hundreds of tiles embody the modern farmhouse aesthetic, however, we recommend choosing tiles from one (or more) of the following categories that epitomize the style.

Modern Farmhouse Tile: Metallics

Featured: Star, Imperial Pewter Gloss Subway, Brushed Copper Rounds, Etna Concreto Wood Look, Antique Copper Somerset

Modern Farmhouse Tile: Wood and Wood Look

Featured: Cleveland Roble Wood Look, Star, Imperial Pewter Gloss Subway, Imperial Pewter Gloss London

One of our favorite modern farmhouse looks, the bathroom above is a perfect example of warming up a room with wood and wood-look tile. The wood-look tile on the shower wall warms up the entire room and visually ties all of the tiles together as a transitional color between the light and dark shades. The natural wood vanity and mirror complement the shower wall without being a perfect match—another essential ingredient to modern farmhouse design. It’s not about perfectly matching pieces but about coordinating them. Other elements that give this bathroom a modern farmhouse feel are the wire basket, the mixed metallic fixtures, the encaustic-look floor and the apron sink.

Modern Farmhouse Tile: Encaustics and Patterns

Featured: Villandry Azure, Imperial Oatmeal Gloss, Imperial Oatmeal Gloss London, Amalfi Light Sand Mosaic, Waldron Stria

This isn’t the first time you’re seeing patterned tiles in this post. In fact, almost every featured modern farmhouse design incorporates encaustic or patterned tiles for one simple reason—they’re everything to love about modern farmhouse style. Patterned tiles add a handmade, vintage feeling and colors that warm up a space casually, creating that lived-in, functional feeling essential to a modern farmhouse space.

The encaustic cement tile in the bathroom above adds a classic pattern while incorporating warmth through color. The natural wood of the vanity and mirror coordinate with the floor tile and warm up the traditional subway tiles to complete the look.

Modern Farmhouse Tile: Handmade and Handmade Look

Featured: Star, Hampton Tumbled Niles. Photo courtesy of West Bay Homes.

With the look of a well-worn, vintage piece, it’s no surprise that handmade and handmade-look tiles are perfectly suited to modern farmhouse design. They lend an authentic and traditional feeling to a room that is an essential component to the style. Instead of clashing with clean white cabinets and walls, the Star floor tile in the image above serves to soften and enhance the neutral color palette while introducing a weathered feeling to the room. Other elements of modern farmhouse interior design used here are white painted wood, shiplap walls, a woven basket (a motif also reflected in the basketweave mosaic tile), vintage wooden chairs, mixed metallic fixtures and the functional layout and design of the space. Brick and brick-look tile, as well as most “imperfect”-looking tile, will also work well with this style.

Featured: Bricklane White

If you love this look, see more modern farmhouse style done right by one of our inspiring Pro partners who have perfected this design style, West Bay Homes.

Accessorizing the Modern Farmhouse

The rules of accessorizing in modern farmhouse style are much the same as the rules for tiling. Ask yourself if an item makes the room feel comfortable, inviting and authentic. Painted cabinets, farmhouse or apron sinks, shiplap, barn doors, wire shelves, woven baskets, Shaker-style furniture, industrial lighting, big farm tables and rustic pieces that look like they could have been salvaged from a farmhouse (or, better yet, actually were!) are a great start. As you continue to build upon the essentials to create your modern farmhouse, make sure everything you add is something that you’ll love spending time with every day.

Ready to get started? Schedule a design consultation with us today.

Featured: Decor Basma White Pav

The post How to Achieve Modern Farmhouse Design with Tile appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.