Ceramic tile is the number one choice of homeowners to use as flooring in all kinds of home renovation projects, especially a kitchen or bathroom remodel. What many do not realise when planning such a project is that the way you have your remodeling professional lay the tile can impact the overall visual impact every bit as much as the actual colour and design of the tiles themselves.
The easiest thing to do of course is to simply lay the tiles in a simple grid style. There are however a number of other layout options that can create a very different look. Here are just a few commonly used tile patterns that you can consider:
Dazzling Diamond
Opting for a diamond pattern actually only involves making a small change to the way the tile is laid; simply running the grout lines at a 45 degree angle instead of in the usual horizontal and vertical fashion. And yet this tiny tweak actually completely changes the finished look in a very attractive way.
Hurray for Herringbone
The herringbone look is an excellent one for larger floorspaces as it adds depth, character and interest to what might otherwise by a rather boring look. To create the look you will need to utilize a rectangular tile instead of the standard square. These are then laid in a horizontal zig zag formation, which each tile laid at a right angle to the last one.
Pinwheel Perfection
In a smaller space the pinwheel pattern can add a little flooring dram without ‘closing’ the space in. The basic idea is to use four rectangular tiles to surround a square tile in a complementary colour and allow them to overlap at the ends.
Radically Random
This jigsaw puzzle like effect does take a considerable amount of thought and planning but the end result can also be one that is rather amazing and certainly very unusual. To achieve you will have to select tiles in different shapes and sizes and then lay them together jigsaw puzzle style in almost any way you like. Its time consuming and a bit tricky but it is also time well spent in terms of the end result. These are merely a few basic suggestions. In fact is ceramic floor tile is so versatile that you can actually use it to create almost any look you can dream up, so why not give it a shot?
Angelica Pinto is an artist, interior design lover and Realtor serving the Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph, Ontario communities.