Join House Beautiful Director of Special Projects Carisha Swanson at The Tile Shop, as she shares some tips for choosing tiles. She explains how the showroom's large collection means she can always find anything she's looking for, and that she finds the mix of maximalist and minimalist selections inspiring. "Whether you're doing a full bathroom renovation, switching up your kitchen backsplash, or changing up your fireplace facade, you'll find what you're looking for," she says. Watch the video above and read on to learn her tips.
1) Jewel tones are timeless
These are colors that feel rich, decadent, and velvety, like rubies and deep purples. Carisha gravitates toward emerald tiles for their impactful color and variations in tone. She recommends them in a kitchen with warm wood, near a fireplace, or somewhere you're looking to bring in a touch of nature. She also notes that a mosaic tile with a few colors in the same family, like the Costa Aegean, is a great pick if you're having trouble choosing just one.
2) Texture gives minimalism an upgrade
Luxury vinyl tile that looks like wood or other natural materials has been trending for a while, but designers are now bringing it off the floor and putting it onto the walls. A wood-grain tile could be a gorgeous choice to wrap a kitchen island or create a statement wall in an otherwise staid room, Carisha says.
At The Tile Shop, you can pick a neutral tile that combines minimalism and texture to bring movement into your space. Or, depending on the design, you can mimic nature or one of the elements—as with the Violin Decor Porcelain Wall Tile, which looks like bamboo.
3) Think outside the box
Tiles don't have to be just squares and rectangles. Various shapes can be combined to form mosaics, which Carisha says "give you a lot of pattern and texture without having to overcommit in terms of color." Repeating designs are also eye-catching and come in countless, timeless combinations. The same pattern can have a totally different impact depending on the color variation—for example, compare the Christie Volakas and Highclere Marble Mosaic Wall Tiles—so consider your space and your intention with care when making your selection.
