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But rather than bring back old memories of the same ceramic tile used to cover an entire wall, I decided it was time to consult an expert. So I headed to Walker Zanger to meet with the company's Marketing Director, Tristan McManaman, to discover how to put together a beautiful ceramic tile design, and while I was there, I got quite the lesson in ceramic tile.
What is Ceramic Tile?
Simply put, ceramic tile is clay - or bisque - that has been fired at a temperature hot enough to turn it into a hard, unbending material perfect for use in wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. Compared to other tiles, such as porcelain, ceramic tile is not the most durable; however, people still love it for it's imperfect charm.
"Ceramic tile tends to be more artisan made, more irregular, less perfect, more beautiful versus porcelain tiles that tend to be much more streamlined," McManaman said.
Not every ceramic tile looks the same. The glaze may pool differently, the color may be a bit uneven, and oh yea, the edges might be crooked.
"Ceramic tile is hand pressed into molds and then it's fired and it typically warps a little bit when it's fired," McManaman said. "That warpage can be as much as 8 percent per piece, which means nothing to anybody except when you're trying to put tile on a wall together and one piece sticks out like this and the other goes like that and then it makes a big difference. People don't like that."
But don't worry. While the gaps between ceramic tiles may frustrate you at first, once the wall or floor is grouted those differences completely disappear and give the overall look an organic, natural feel.
Creating a Ceramic Tile Design
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Start with Field Tile. Field tiles are plain, basic ceramic tiles that have a flat front and no design. They take up the most space in a tile design and act as a background, according to McManaman.
Frame Your Space. Adding decorative frame moldings to define where the ceramic tile begins and ends will add interest and definition to your design. There are many types of moldings to choose from.
Add Decorative Elements. Decorative tiles add the finishing touch to your tile design. Decorative border moldings run along a tile design in a row. They can be used to divide a wall of tile, frame an area of tile or run along the top of a countertop. Deco tiles are accent tiles that are used sparingly in a tile design.
Frame Your Space. Adding decorative frame moldings to define where the ceramic tile begins and ends will add interest and definition to your design. There are many types of moldings to choose from.
- Base molding tiles run along the floor at the bottom of the walls.
- Rail molding tiles are used to top off a half wall of tile.
- Cornice or crown molding tiles are used where the top of the wall meets the ceiling.
Add Decorative Elements. Decorative tiles add the finishing touch to your tile design. Decorative border moldings run along a tile design in a row. They can be used to divide a wall of tile, frame an area of tile or run along the top of a countertop. Deco tiles are accent tiles that are used sparingly in a tile design.
If creating a tile design sounds like way too much work, there's a type of ceramic tile made especially for you. Called all over patterns, those ceramic tiles have a texture and interesting shape that creates a gorgeous pattern when laid together. In fact, the patterns are so beautiful they don't need any molding or deco tiles to finish the look. Simply put them on your wall and they'll easily become the focal point.
Introducing Ceramic Tile to the Rest of the Home
Most people use ceramic tile in the kitchen or bathroom as backsplashes, shower walls and floors. But ceramic tile can be used anywhere in the home.
"The coolest way I've seen ceramic tile used is actually outside of the kitchen and the bathroom," McManaman said. "We have a client that installed [an all over ceramic tile pattern] on a wall in the dining room. It's gorgeous."
Photo Credit: Walker Zanger