Did you know that ceramic tile has been dated back as far as 8000 BCE? And though the accessibility and prevalence of glass tile exploded in the 1990s, the first glass tiles have been created over 2,000 years ago.
I am fascinated with tile, also spent several years teaching classes in mosaic artwork in the UCSD Craft Center in La Jolla, California. It amazes me that something that’s been around for so many centuries can have many interesting and new appearances. The options are only limited by imagination.
This story features some of the most amazing, jaw-dropping tile applications I could find. Some are luxurious, covering hundreds of square feet, where others are avant-garde inside their own aesthetic or placement. And there are a few in here which will surprise you when you realize what the material really is.
Not one of those ideas are reduced price. Dream tile like this can run anywhere from $30 per square foot up to a few hundred dollars per square foot. Though this ideabook is not especially about bathrooms, it is no wonder that the majority of the amazing tile is employed in those areas. They are one of the smallest places in a home, so if you are going to splurge on a luxury end, it is possible to go all out. However, these are so beautiful that they are stunning in any area of your property.
It is fine to drool over these (they’re tile, so the drool will wipe right off). And yes, along with the hundreds of square feet of tile, you get hundreds of square feet of grout to clean. But who cares? If you can afford them, you most likely have a housekeeper — or possibly two.
Brandon Barré Architectural Interior Photographer
The heavy hitters in the mosaic tile arena that is high-end are all Italian, and this one is Bisazza. The large-scale patterns and luscious colours are bold, modern interpretations of mosaic artwork.
Stone Habitat
This tile portrait in Bisazza is lasting artwork for virtually any place you’d love to install it. Even though it will cost you a whole lot greater than most tile alternatives, the price is comparable to artwork created by a reasonably well-known artist. The difference? You may put it in your shower, or any other place you want.
Traditional Tile
I said the Italian heavy hitters, also Sicis is another one. This pattern, paired with all the curved-leg console, would be fabulous in any area — minus the sink and faucet.
I would place this in my own entryway in a heartbeat. Should you click on this vendor’s website, be sure you have a little extra time. I was sidetracked for an hour gazing in delight at their amazingly beautiful mosaics of all sorts.
Brani & Desi
This is one very avant-garde usage of tile. The planes and angles of vibrant colour give energy and movement to this hotel room. The designer refers to the tile program as a three-dimensional sculpture.
Brani & Desi
I could not resist showing you another perspective so that you can see how it goes and goes. This is a special program of tile, very expressive of an energetic character. I would really like to meet this designer — I bet he or she would have a fun character and be interesting to know.
Oceanside Glasstile
That is luscious: each surface coated in lightly iridescent gold tile. If Midas had a bathroom, this would be it. The tile is by Oceanside Glasstile.
Oceanside Glasstile
This room feels ancient to me. The colours and the mix of materials are very warm and earthy. Again, every surface is coated for complete immersion in texture.
Kallista Plumbing
This gorgeous wall evokes pictures of water, an entirely suitable sense of the toilet. This pattern is called Azure from Ann Sacks.
Elad Gonen
The large scale floral creates a large impact and seems to glow with sunlight. Looking at this would most likely be much more cheerful than looking at my own face in the morning. I am not a morning person.
Red Deer Carpet One
This floor-to-ceiling mural of lilies is scaled beautifully for this very big bathroom.
Sonali shah
A stunning mural is much better than having a backyard out of your bathroom window. These flowers will always be in blossom.
nC2 architecture llc
I believed this toilet had a fresh look with its carpet of blue penny rounds and dim pebble mosaic on the wall. The blue tile swooshing above that curved surface looks like a large wave.
Artistic Tile
A whole wall of soft blue-green wavy tile is also relaxing. The pattern from Artistic Tile is aptly called Sinuous. The theme is echoed in bright, undulating inserts in the white floor tile.
Pepe Calderin Design- Modern Interior Design
This glitzy set of metallic ribbons is called Festoon by Bisazza. I love the free-spirited movement of the lines along with the reflective shine they add. The mirrored wall doubles the effect — a very good thing, considering that the maker’s suggested retail price is greater than $6,000 per module.
Elevation Architectural Studios
A modern bathroom gets a super punch of style with this bold geometric pattern.
RW Anderson Homes
This mirror-finish tile is completely beautiful in a minimalist bathroom. So often, we tile around the tub or shower and then simply paint the walls. Could not it be great to go all of the way around the room with your favorite tile? It would not necessarily have to be a high-end choice, but go horizontal and a bit big in scale, and set it in a counter pattern to get this appearance.
By the way, the builder says the client bought this tile and the job was finished a while ago, so that I do not have a resource for this specific product. If any tile vendors out there recognize it, please speak up. Readers would really like to know, and so would I.
I am reminded of the murals I saw in ancient Roman ruins I visited in Italy and in Bath, England. A timeless mural similar to this combined with columns brings a sense of timelessness.
Many tile vendors will turn any picture you want into a mural, and you place up consecutively numbered sheets. Are you artistic? You may purchase glass tile called smalti, that’s the exact kind used in Italy for murals, and create your own layout, reducing some of their cost. Take a craft class in mosaic. It is fun and a great creative outlet.
Designer Glass Mosaics
Putting a tile mural inside a market and spotlighting it showcases it for your own work of art that it is. Designer Glass Mosaics creates these beautiful works with fused glass methods. If you go to their own website, you will see examples of artwork glass tiles used in several rooms.
Mercury Mosaics and Tile
A free-flowing, undulating mosaic takes the bling all of the way around the room. You will need a very great tile setter to have the ability to cut back similar curves in the area tile. This creative layout was completed by Mercury Mosaic Design. They analyzed in Italy and have been influenced by Italian masterpieces for this particular installation.
Innovative installations require tile from ordinary to sensational. This mirror sits within an asymmetrical opening in the tile, and even the wall sconces are set at various heights. Individual mirrored tiles are interspersed in a random pattern throughout the shower.
This is a superb idea, but best done by a pro. Using mirrors in wet programs is catchy. Cutting them damages their back coat, allowing moisture to get inside and destroy the reflective surface. You would have to use mirrored tiles created in the sizes you need, in addition to specific adhesives.
Designer Tile Plus
I Marmi – Beauty of marble – Durability of Porcelain
Looks like a weathered marble wall, does not it? Surprise, surprise: It is porcelain. Porcelain has turned into a long way in recent years. It may duplicate the appearance of metal or stone, but without some of these care issues of either of those materials. You can have the appearance of marble on your countertops also, using these large-format tiles using hardly any grout lines without any concerns about cosmetics spills.
Oceanside Glasstile
A barrel-vaulted ceiling is the best place to go all out with mosaic tile inside this galley kitchen. Contrasting bands throughout the ceiling make interest down the long, narrow space.
David Wilkes Builders
These walls seem as they are coated in exotic rock, but this is a floor-to- ceiling, wall-to-wall application of glass tile. Mosaic glass tiles now are offered in sizes as large as 6 x 11 3/4 inches, and some have even bigger pieces.
Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR
Chains Blue Glass Mosaic Glass Mosaic Decoration from Bisazza – $267
I really like that this large-scale pattern looks perfect in an office or some other area. The blue chain motif provides it a manly appearance — stunning.
More:
Straight Out Of Spain: Amazing New Trends in Tile
Contractor Tips: How To Install Tile Flawlessly