Coronavirus: 3 Home Tile Projects You Can Tackle Now!

Coronavirus: 3 Home Tile Projects You Can Tackle Now!
by AquaBlu Mosaics

With many of us working from home, this is a perfect opportunity for that long delayed tile project that could keep you busy and increase your home’s value.

Working with glass mosaic tile is especially rewarding because of the endless creative possibilities given the wide assortment of colors, patterns and textures mosaic tile offers. Glass tile projects are particularly popular now due to the resplendent light reflecting properties of glass.

But with so many design possibilities and home improvement projects awaiting for your attention, where does one begin?

Here are three home tile projects that anyone can do that are certain to brighten homes and inject new vigor:

Kitchen Backsplash

A new or renovated tile backsplash is a great way to change the look and feel of your kitchen. The backsplash is one of the best places in the kitchen to invest color, pattern and even texture. Whether the style is subway tile or geometric, colorful or subdued, the variations -- and the possibilities -- are exciting.

Most of the pattern in a backsplash comes from the way the tiles fit together. For example, if you have a light colored kitchen, one popular and striking design is the use of darker hexagon shaped tile, especially gunpowder gray, dark blue glass tile or even black mosaic tile.

Another compelling backsplash idea is the metallic look. Give your kitchen a bit of extra bling with an eye-catching metallic sheen. Metallics are a mainstay of kitchens everywhere. A metallic backsplash brings a shimmer to the entire space, taking an otherwise basic kitchen space and turning it into something to talk about.

AquaBlu offers a nice selection of metallic mosaic tiles such as Black Iridescent, Super Nova and Precious.

If you’re looking for a simpler project that will still turn heads, don’t overlook subway tiles. Few tiles capture the classic sophistication of the subway pattern, and are still low-cost.

Subway tiles have a 1:2 dimension ratio. This means that for every inch high, it is 2 inches wide. A common subway tile size is 3 inches by 6 inches.

Subway tiles are great for do-it-yourselfers since they tend to be inexpensive, every tile is uniform, and there is no complicated mixing and matching of different colors and sizes.

White glass tile in the subway pattern is still a winner, especially in kitchens that have darker cabinets or appliances.

Shower

Shower spaces often designed in blue glass tile or aqua tile because these cool colors help us focus on unwinding and relaxation.

The herringbone tile pattern has taken off in recent years. A herringbone design – recognized by rectangular pieces arranged in an uneven zigzag configuration – is viewed by designers as a decorous ensemble inspired by regal influences yet remains unpretentious.

If you want a color scheme other than blues and aquas, consider charcoal grey glass tile in the herringbone pattern. This works really well with brass fixtures and surrounding neutral tones.

As with kitchen backsplashes, hexagon tiles are a nice fit for showers too. Matching glass tile bathroom hexagon tile looks great on the backwall of a shower and the shower floor.

If you have niche areas in your shower like those used for soap or loofahs, consider a pebble tile surface. Generally you would want to cover the inside wall of the niche with pebble tile picking a contrasting color combo with surrounding tile.

A pebble tile shower floor also makes for an excellent natural touch. Shaved pebble tile is commonly used for this, although raised pebbles are also used for those who like the feel of standing on this kind of surface. Just choose a color mix tone that matches surrounding walls (e.g., a gray natural pebble mix for grayish walls). 

Accent Wall

An accent wall is a wall whose design differs from the design of the other walls in the room. The accent wall's color can simply be a different shade of the color of the other walls, or have a completely different design in terms of the color and material.

A tiled accent wall can completely transform a room with bold color and added dimension. An accent wall can also serve as its own focal point or be used as a backdrop that highlights an individual element such as a fireplace or freestanding bathtub.

Accent walls look best against solid walls that have no openings, such as windows and doors. If you have large, open windows with a view of beautiful scenery, that wall isn't necessarily a good wall to accent. The accent color may distract more than accentuate it.

Go with a color that is darker than the other walls in the room. A darker hue will contrast with the lighter walls and pull eyes straight to it, which is what you want.

There are endless layout and pattern options for tile accent walls. One accent design that has been making a comeback in recent years is the patterned tile accent. Blue is great for a small wall behind a bed (a European flavor), a kitchen space or bath. White and solid colors work better for living room areas.

Designing with Grout

An often overlooked element of tile design is the grout itself. AquaBlu offers a wide assortment of Litokol epoxy grout that not only adds an extra design element to tiling projects, but also provides construction advantages over traditional cement-type grout.

Recently, AquaBlu upgraded to Starlike Crystal EVO (evolution), a new generation epoxy tile grout that’s even more eco-friendly with ZERO RISKS.

And don’t forget the Litoelastic Evo tile adhesive, an eco-responsible adhesive that allows extreme flexibility and ease of installation with no vertical slip.

---------------

Have a question about mosaic tile home improvement projects? Or maybe there’s something else on your mind. Talk to one of our experts. You can call us at (800) 971-1442 or fill out our contact form. You can visit our website at https://www.aquablumosaics.com/.