Every part of the country has its own style, including specific tile choices. If you look up what tile is trending in the latest magazine articles and blogs, there are many designs that just don’t fit with the Southern lifestyle.
While Saltillo tiles are gaining ground for outside patios in this area, California is well known for them because they are tied to its highly Hispanic influenced architecture. Most of us think of brick as the walls in industrial chic lofts found in former warehouses in large northeastern cities. Hexagonal white and black tiles are often identified with the tile work in the subways of New York.
Wood-Look Tile Fits Southern Lifestyle
The South has its own look – classic, traditional, and full of old plantation elegance. Using wood-look porcelain tiles in place of wood in moist areas fits perfectly with Southern living, especially with the increased number of choices and looks, like waxed and distressed.
Wood-look plank floor tiles can be used in high traffic areas and those exposed to high levels of moisture, like mudrooms and bathrooms. Technology has allowed manufacturers to create product that looks more and more like the real thing.
Subway With a Twist
Many articles say that subway tile is dead, and in some parts of the country it is slowing down, but not here. It is still big in the south, but not the same old same old subway. Subway tile comes in beveled, oversized, glass, small mosaics, and colors.
The tiles are not just being laid in one pattern. These tiles can be laid in patterns like herringbone and stacked in mixed width sizes. Small glass subway tiles of varied shades can make a great statement backsplash, or add accents to a walk-in shower.
Glass Tiles Add Glitter
Bliss by Anatolia tile has a complete line of Element Glass tiles in penny rounds, mermaid scales, subway, arabesque, petals, beveled, random strip mosaics, and mosaic shapes. It comes in soft shades like ice, mist, skylight, shadow, smoke, cloud, earth, skylight, and sand.
The tiles come in an assortment of sizes, 3” x 9”, 3’ x12’, 2” x 6” Brick Mosaics, 1.5” x 6” Stacked Brick Mosaics, and 8” x 24” Wall Tiles.
Glass tiles are to be used as wall tiles. They are great for pool surrounds, showers, and backsplashes. They add a dash of glitz, and they give traditional tile styles newness.
Cement-Look Large Format Tiles
Interest in cement countertops has grown with the use of them on shows like Fixer Upper. But cement countertops are expensive, and if anything goes wrong with a cement countertop, floor, or wall, and it has to be torn out, it is a big mess. So it is not surprising that interest in cement-look tiles is growing.
Cement tiles can be made to look like the real thing by using the same color grout to give it a smooth finish. Or to create a more modern look, black grout can be used. More and more black is being used to frame windows, doors, and tiles.
Marble That is Not Marble
Marble, especially travertine marble, is still huge for designers. But marble is not in everyone’s budget. However, marble look porcelain tiles can take the place of the real thing.
Until new technology expanded the types of tiles that manufacturers can create, most tiles were made to look like stone or marble. A long history of marble-look tiles insures that the choices available today are quality and full of variety.
Tile Choices for Southern Style
When updating your home, come to City Tile for the latest designs, be they wood-look, subway, glass, cement-look, and marble-look. For more information on the latest in design, check out our blog, Contemporary Design on a Budget, and look for Ask Doug: How Much Tile? to find out how much tile you will need.
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