Tile Effex

(left) Orsoni Stanza tile makes this entranceway both monumental and intimately personal. Photo courtesy of Marmol HI Natural Stones Ltd.

If personalizing your home sounds appealing, think of tile as a canvas for your imagination.

Define Space

The color and size of tile, the pattern in which it is laid, even the grout color can act upon “pattern recognition systems” in our brains, subtly causing a room to seem smaller or larger than it might actually be, says Mike Ferguson, of Tile Mart.

For example, a common mistake by homeowners who want to “hide” the smallness of a room is to seek out darker colors and patterns, contrasting grouts, and smaller tile. But in fact, these characteristics can make a small room appear even smaller.

To produce the opposite effect, the homeowner should apply light colors, limit patterns to tone-on-tone, closely match grout color and use 12-inch tiles, Ferguson recommends. “These will create a flow of color that increases the room’s apparent size,” he says. “The relative neutrality also makes it easier to decorate adjoining walls and floors areas.”

Larger areas can benefit from the same visual effect using tiles 16 inches and larger. However, Ferguson believes the 12-inch tile is still a good overall fit for most rooms. In large areas, “Furniture and other items often cover up a big part of the total surface anyway,” he says.

In bathrooms, the durable and lightweight characteristics of tile are well-known, and tile commonly runs from the floor halfway up the walls. To help people forget they’re in small rooms, don’t stop there, says Valerie Chan, of LF International Trading Co.

A sampling of Tile Mart’s collection.

“A ceiling mosaic is very doable with tile,” she says. “Tile is thin and light, needs less labor to install, and doesn’t require special solutions to cure or maintain. And, a bathroom with tile on the ceiling is really different, making the room look much bigger. It’s not a plain old bathroom ceiling anymore.”

In an open-floor plan, tile can distinguish two rooms within the bigger area. To create this effect, use same-size tile of slightly different color values, advises Cheryl Orallo, of Bella Pietra, A Natural Stone Design Center. “A light-color limestone in one area, and a different but still light-color limestone in another area, when seen from afar will look like one area just runs into the other,” she says. “But up close, each ‘room’ will feel distinct.”

Stretch the Imagination

When commercial and even custom tile won’t do, painting directly on tile makes possible “anything a homeowner or designer can dream up,” says Thomas Deir, of Thomas Deir Studios. “This is original art, so the theme is whatever you want.”

A kitchen made surreal and one-of-a-kind with original art by Thomas Deir Studios.

Deir uses permanent underglazes and fires the tiles so high they can withstand both underwater and direct sunlight exposure. He seeks the highest quality clay, which will not fade and is durable enough to accept foot traffic.

Thomas Deir Studio’s poolside image overlooks sailboats in the Ala Wai marina.

Want more? How about tile as art and/or a conversation piece unto itself? Not so far-fetched a notion, when you consider that ceramic, stone, metal, porcelain and glass tile come in so many textures, says Richard Cozzo, of Futura Stone of Hawaii. A single onyx tile, for example, when hung in front of a sun-facing window, will catch the light beautifully and create a natural, breathtaking glow. At Futura, homeowners and contractors can find interlocking pavers and flagstones for walkways, pool areas and anywhere a durable, nonskid surface is preferred. Coral fossilstone, a natural indoor and outdoor tile, is available at Stoneworld.

Given the abundance of creativity shown by ceramic tile manufacturers these days, virtually any idea you conceive can be realized in tile, adds Mike Ferguson, of Tile Mart. “It’s a great aid to anyone working to create a special effect.”

Set the Mood

Like the bass line in a music track that fills out the wall of sound, tile plays a subtle but vital role in adding vibes to interior spaces.

“The variation in color and finish of tile has a unique character, and will lend to the mood effect that one is trying to portray,” says Kevin Nip, of Marblehaus Hawaii. “For a more rustic, antique appeal, one may choose a travertine stone tile with a brushed finish and chiseled edges. To create a more formal, elegant look, go with a highly polished marble.”

(left) Is it wood or porcelain? Available at Selective Stone. (right) Glass accent tiles from Selective Stone lend a mood to any room.

Niches, usually reserved for artwork or plants, are excellent but commonly overlooked places to augment the ambience with tile, especially at the base. A full line of mosaics, liners, boarders and moldings are available at Marblehaus. They serve as excellent accessories for backsplashes and listellos (narrow borders or molding) and help invoke your intended atmosphere.

“And, don’t throw away those leftover pieces from floor-tile cuttings,” says Nip. “On baseboards or window sills, they will surely put on the finishing touch.”

Jinny Nip, of Selective Stone, uses glass tile to create a similar effect. “Installed as decorative trim, glass tiles are reflective and present a look that is rich and full,” she says. “Also, with so many different textures and sizes, porcelain and ceramic can set the mood or tone to a space.”

(left) Tile listellos from Marblehaus Hawaii and (above) glass accent tiles from Selective Stone lend a mood to any room.

Nip says the tile industry has become sophisticated enough that manufacturers can actually mimic stone or wood with porcelain tile. “Due to the popularity of wood flooring, the porcelain industry has created a floor tile in a plank that is 6 by 24 inches. It has the beauty and look of wood without the maintenance concerns,” she says.

Create a Theme

For a beach feel, Nick Nye, of Custom Marble Design, recommends tiles that blend with the natural elements. “To mimic the sand, use a light-colored stone tile with a honed or brushed finish and inlay basalt to create a lava-rock feel.” To accentuate this effect, Nye has created custom borders around showers and backsplashes in abstract shapes.

Porcelain tile below the water and stone tile above combine for Bacchanalian seduction at this backyard pool by C&J Contracting.

For outdoor applications such as in and around a pool, Clifton Crawford, of C&J Contracting, recommends glass mosaics with “major reflective qualities, such as brilliant blues, greens and golds. When you light up these tiles around a water environment, the images that bounce back are outstanding. The same goes for accents in bathrooms and kitchens.”

Homeowners often want Crawford to extend a pool’s theme to the lanai table, barbecue island, thatched-roof umbrella and so forth. Some ask for tiled columns that blend and flow all the elements into one Mediterranean landscape. For one customer, Crawford built a fire pit that shoots light through an aggregate of broken glass tile for a kaleidoscope theme. Whatever effect you want, he knows the tricks of the trade needed to create it.

A pineapple accent tile is cute as a button. Photo courtesy of Bella Pietra, A Natural Stone Design Center.

“We know how to blend the tile so you don’t see the merge of lines, how to get one monolithic, clean look, with no ugly cuts in the corners,” he says. “Sometimes, just a few brass medallions are all you need to set the style.”

Orallo, of Bella Pietra, agrees. “Just a few accent tiles with a pineapple detail or palm tree motif, set within larger tile, can give the whole thing a tropical theme,” she says. In the Bella Pietra showroom, homeowners can find contemporary, tropical, Asian and colonial accent tiles, plus many glass accent lines with fish, starfish, bamboo and other delicate details.

Go With the Flow

Tile thresholds can separate and provide transitions between rooms. Or, tile can unify a living space, creating a nice flow and simplicity in the home, says Alice Newman, of Andean Stone, which carries large-format Peruvian travertine tile.

What if you want to emphasize a sweeping hallway? One simple but effective way is to place the tiles diagonally. A diamond profile adds drama and directs the attention toward a single point, such as a door or fireplace.

To enhance that look, use dull colors near the entrance because they’re more natural, then get brighter and shinier as you move deeper into the house, notes Luis Oliveira, of Marmol HI Natural Stones Ltd. And, don’t forget to facilitate energy flow.

Simple lines create flow and unify the home. Photo courtesy of Andean Stone.

That’s right, energy flow. Some exotic, edgy varieties of tile have striations and ripples. They’re integral to the look and filled with energy and movement. According to Oliveira, it’s important to lay out these tiles before installation and align the striations “so you can capture the free flow of energy,” he says. “This brings life to your room and really creates a unique social environment for your guests.

“At Marmol HI, we like to open our customers’ minds to what a piece of tile can be,” Oliveira adds. “We’re not afraid to bring in materials from nature, a little different, that blend in very well with Hawaii. These tiles have a lot of character and many different personalities, but also are suave and very smooth.”