Looking at the projects that are coming my way, I am seeing a trend of fixing up the kitchen and bath. Not so much a full gut or removal of everything in a space, but fixing up what is tired and leaving what works. If it's not broke, don’t fix it right?
Trends in bath remodels can cover everything from new counter tops, tile for the shower, mirrors and light fixtures. This is a lot to cover so let’s break it down into a series to catch all the details.
The biggest element for a bath is the tile. And tile is changing rapidly with shapes and styles that we have not seen in a while. Light, bright and big seems to be the direction of everything. Tiles are now 18 x 18, 24 x 24, and larger. Please note the shape of the tile, squares! We have not seen a lot of squares for a long time. Remember the 12 x 12 days, when we even did the 12 x 12 turned on the diagonal in a kitchen backsplash? Look to these big squares to cover a lot of ground and keep the grout lines down to a minimum.
The patterns on these big boys are also getting more dramatic. Like veining that resembles Carrara marble without the price tag. Something to consider when installing a tile with a dramatic pattern or veining, look to keep the tile in a grid pattern so the designs line up. This keeps the busyness to a minimum.
Another trend is triangle tile that is on the offset. These patterns almost take on a leaf like effect.
These are great for an accent in the shower or the tile behind a vanity. If you are not looking to make a big statement, look to put these in a niche, keeping the drama contained. Geometric tile is really big with designs and patterns that bring all the shapes to life.
Make sure you’re paying attention to the patterns when doing a bath. Scale is the key to everything turning out alright. You should have a large, medium and small pattern in order to mix and match easily. The shower walls and bath floor can easily be interchanged, but not the shower floor. This needs to be a small tile, no larger than a 4 x 4. I personally prefer a 2 x 2 or even the new penny tile.
This makes the shower floor pitch correctly. Here function outweighs the style of the tile.
So, you can see tile is a big subject and this is just the tip of the iceberg. If this is all a bit confusing and you want a guarantee everything will turn out, look to bring in an interior designer to help answer questions and help you make great choices.
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