Tiles, tiles and more tiles - anything goes
Think tiles and you’ll think floors and walls but these days anything goes, says Mike Allred. ‘‘People are using tiles on splashbacks, benchtops, cabinetry and we’re even seeing living areas with feature walls of tiles,’’ says the Tile Warehouse manager.
‘‘There are so many options available today in porcelain and ceramic tiles, so many patterns and textures, that they’re even being used as artwork,’’ says Allred, based in Wellington.
‘‘Instead of doing a wallpaper wall and painting the other ones, people are tiling one wall. The physical texture and actual look is really cool.’’
Allred speaks of fireplaces surrounded by a feature tile wall and gives the example of a recently completed showhome in Porirua.
‘‘You walk in from the entrance and see views of Pa¯ remata inlet, but right smack bang in the middle of the massive lounge is this big fireplace that has tiles all around it.
‘‘They’re dark, marble-looking tiles and the whole wall is clad in it. It’s like this big, monolithic tile wall with a gas fireplace in it. It’s absolutely striking.’’
As Allred says as well as looking good, tiles have the potential to improve a space and the surrounding environment.
Having spent almost 20 years in the trade, Allred rattles off the endless benefits of tiles.
For starters, ceramic and porcelain tiles keep their colour, are fire resistant, water and moisture resistant, anti-slip, easy to maintain and are more durable than other materials.
‘‘The beauty of tiles is that they are completely carbon neutral because they have a life span of well over 25 years.’’
Best of all, the constant improvement in technology means there’s the likes of timber and concrete-look tiles that are often mistaken for the real thing.
‘‘Traditionally, tiles have always been the poor cousin to natural stone, but now people can’t tell the difference between a tile and the real thing.
‘‘The big benefits are that, unlike natural stone which is beautiful, tiles aren’t going to fade, wear out or stain. And concrete can create such a lovely, architectural feature, you don’t have to buy expensive slabs to create the same look, which is fantastic,’’ Allred says.
‘‘Wood-look tiles eliminate the need for porous, scratchable timber surfaces – they are great for wet areas because they are non-porous and won’t stain, scratch or rot.’’
Technology has also come so far that decorative and patterned tiles are now the norm, and massive formats in the form of 2.4x1.2m tiles in slim and standard sizes means the options are limitless.
‘‘It used to be the bigger the tile the thicker it goes so it didn’t bend or warp, but now slim tiles are being produced in large formats, which means you can use them anywhere,’’ Allred says.
‘‘As opposed to marble, using these large format tiles is better in regards to our environmental footprint, they don’t stain, they’re not absorbent like natural stone, they cost less, you can have any pattern you like, and because they have a slimmer profile you don’t have to brace or reinforce the walls.’’
Allred has seen these big format tiles in slimmer profiles used not only on walls, but on cabinetry and benchtops, too.
At a tile fair in Italy, he describes kitchen cabinetry completely clad in white carrara marble-look tiles with negative detail handles.
‘‘The cabinets are clad in 4.5mm thick tiles and the benchtop 10mm, mitred around the edges to make it look thicker, and everybody who saw it said ‘wow’ but didn’t realise it wasn’t marble,’’ Allred says.
‘‘The copies these days are phenomenal – the benchtops in that kitchen . . . you had a nonporous, non-staining, non-fading porcelain substrate which is more dense and stronger than marble, and in a fantastic print that you couldn’t tell wasn’t marble until you were up close.
‘‘Anything is possible with tiles these days. They are no longer the poor cousin to natural stone, the possibilities really are endless.’’
Allred talks of a reception area featuring huge slabs of white marble-look tiles on the floor surrounding a glass and metal staircase. ‘‘It was a massive area, but there were about 20 pieces of this huge tile, the grandeur of that tile just blew me away.’’
In a bathroom he’s seen three walls of large-scale tiles in a shower which, with its textured look, added plenty of interest.
That’s the thing with tiles nowadays, they’re so much more than a practical, floor laying option,’’ Allred says.
‘‘They are practical in that you can use them indoors or outdoors, in floors, walls, benchtops and cabinetry but with so many different textures, patterns and colours now available, they are also just beautiful.’’
For that reason, Allred says homeowners are becoming braver with their choices.
‘‘Right now, we’re seeing a lot of grey, beige, charcoal and timber-look tiles from all the spectrum of timber colours, but also rustic, concrete and exposed aggregate looks.
‘‘Terazzo-look tiles are also flying here in New Zealand. They look amazing and they’re a big part of our market now.’’
Best of all, tiling doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise – there’s something to suit every budget.
‘‘Tiles are not only practical and durable, they’re affordable and stylish and are a very good way to increase the value of your home,’’ Allred says.