Tile brings style to any room and combining shapes, colors and finishes adds elegance and performance. Knowing how best to mix and match tile in your Madison home brings your imagination to life.

Modern tile is not only waterproof and easy to clean it provides a new palette for your design vision. Done right, it provides visual interest through color, size and texture. The application of modern tile can expand or contract a bathroom without changing its footprint.

There are four typical ways to match tile to your space, including:

1. Vertical installation increases height – install rectangular tile vertically instead of horizontally to make the walls look higher. An excellent complement to glass shower doors or a new walk-in shower.
2. Mix and match half way up – using darker tile on the bottom half of a wall grounds the space and makes the room appear smaller. Darker colors add depth to the lower half of a wall and the two-toned effect makes a large bathroom seem “cozier.”
3. Emphasis on depth – use bold tiles on the end wall of a narrow bathroom creates an inviting destination distracting from the lack of width. The size and shape of wall tile should contrast with floor tile and work smoothly together.
4. Long tile stretches space – install long tiles like wood-look tile planks horizontally on the wall to stretch the space visually. Highlights of glass or mirrored tile add cool effects, too.

Mix And Match Tile — Designer Guidelines

Whether you’re creating a new bathroom, expanding an existing space or bringing new life to a well-worn room, experience is important. Professional bathroom designers, after years of trial and error, understand the top priorities leading to success. With the dozens of tile options from which to choose, you can create anything you can envisions. Taking advantage of a professional’s experience makes sense, right? As you plan a bathroom renovation that includes floor and/or wall tile, consider these guidelines:

• Balance patterns – you can use small “statement” tiles to create special features like mosaics but they work best in small areas not an entire room. Combine small tiles with larger, plain tiles to avoid “busy” designs that distract rather than enhance the space.
• Combine pattern and plain – restrict the use of patterned tiles to one surface – either the floor or a feature wall. Don’t overwhelm the space with too much activity.
• Account for scale – create a balance of small- and large-scale patterns. Mixing and matching small, medium and large tiles creates a harmonious installation.
• Be consistent – mix and match colors and sizes but keep the shapes consistent to avoid visual disconnects as well as basic fitting problems.
• Vary size, shape more than color – it is easier to fit tile designs of different shapes and sizes than to blend too many colors in a small room. To add interest, use colored grout.
• Limit color choices – a bathroom has several surfaces to contend with and to minimize clashing from one to another it’s best to limit the colors. That’s especially true when adding the visual impact of patterns.
• Mix and match matte and glossy – another way to add visual interest without more colors is using both matte and glossy tiles. Use the light in the bathroom to provide special effects.

Bathroom Floor Tiles — Make A Statement

The bathroom floor is often overlooked as a design element. Most homeowners look for one thing in a bathroom floor covering: It must be easy to clean. Modern bathroom floor tiles have stepped up as significant design elements. They provide, literally, the foundation for the room’s décor. You’re re-energizing the space so you want something that’s stylish and practical, right?

Bathroom floor tiles come in about any shape, size and texture you can imagine. Styles come and go but a few standards are worth noting:

• Wood-look tile planks – one of the hottest newcomers in recent years, wood-look tiles have become a design standard. Tile that looks like real wood – without the danger from water exposure – is especially popular with homeowners looking for a farmhouse feel. Inkjet technology can put almost any wood stain and grain on tile. Lighter shades are best for small, confined spaces like bathrooms. Because planks are larger than standard tile they use less grout – making them easier to clean. Wood grain shows less dirt, too.
• Stencil tiles for retro look – black and white tiles can be super chic and modern or bring back a by-gone era. Monochrome decorating is all the rage. You’re not limited to black and white, other colors combinations work well, too.
• Mosaic creations – colored and black/white patterns are particularly popular designs. Choices include subway tiles, various square tiles, herringbone patterns, chevrons, hexagons in many sizes and basket weaves. Great for adding visual interest with a mixture of shapes and sizes.

No matter the design you choose, there are basic concerns for every tiled bathroom floor. The No. 1 consideration has to be how the tile reacts to water. A textured surface helps to avoid the threat of slipping. Matte finishes are a good choice, too.

Mix And Match Tile — Get A Pro’s Perspective

A major bathroom renovation isn’t an ideal do-it-yourself project. With all the various details to cover – from plumbing to permits – it’s best left to professionals. That’s true with tile choices and installation, too. The professionals at Molony Tile have seen about every potential pitfall and have successfully completed hundreds of small and large projects. They have the tools and skill to complete a job quickly and efficiently. You’re making a commitment to a major change, you don’t want it to look like it was done by an amateur, right?

There are choices to make beyond color, size, shape and texture. What’s best for your room, porcelain tile, ceramic tile or maybe natural stone? Do you know the advantages of each? Or the disadvantages? Which needs sealing and annual maintenance? Do you want to install a material that needs more work than what you have now?

When you’re ready to explore all the options and want to get answers to these and all your questions talk with the professionals at Molony Tile. Our skilled craftsmen have been the go-to resource in Dane County for more than 70 years. Take advantage of our experience – we not only provide a vast selection of tiles and tools, we complete your installation as well. We are a great resource if you want to mix and match tile!

Take advantage of our years of hands-on experience. Call or email Molony Tile, 608-268-8453 and see how our installation pros can show you how to mix and match tile in your Madison WI home.

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