Today we are posting Part 1 of an interview with Zoe Voigt, a freelance writer, blogger, and tile aficionado.
RC: You’ve been writing about tile and the tile industry for almost a decade. What drew you to focus your attention on tile?
ZV: My mother used to be in the tile business. She was an importer who traveled the world looking for unique handmade tile. When I was young, she took me with her to some very interesting tile factories in out-of-the-way places.
Also, sometimes I went into work with her and I’d play out in the warehouse while she worked in the office. So, I’ve been around tile for more than 30 years. With this knowledge of how tiles are created and sold, I gained an appreciation the business. Much to my mother’s chagrin, I wasn’t interested in taking over her company when she was ready to retire. But when I decided to become a writer, it made sense to go with a topic I knew and cared about. She’s been very supportive of my career.
RC: It’s well known that Americans use comparatively little tile in their homes. Why do you think that is, and do you see this trend changing?
ZV: That’s a great question. In my opinion, this is changing–but slowly.
I think there are a number of reasons why we use less tile here in the US. One is that tile hasn’t been as common in the past and people go with what they know–what they grew up with in their homes.
Another is that quality tile is often more expensive than other flooring options and up until lately there were many people who looked at homes as very short-term investments. Perhaps they didn’t want to spend any more than they had to in order to make the place look acceptable to sell quickly. Along these lines slapping down some new carpet or linoleum, looks fresh for the sale and doesn’t cost as much as tile.
I’ve noticed that in the US, people have a tendency to avoid commitment in their homes. (And I am no exception, as you’ll see on the next question.) People go with beige walls for example, maybe not because they love beige, but because they’ve been told it will help the house sell quicker.
I think this is changing and tile is becoming more popular in some areas. For one thing, you don’t see as much of the ‘flipper’ mentality where people buy houses to fix-up just to resell. Homeowners are staying put more often, so of course installing a floor that will last just makes sense. People are increasingly looking for more environmentally-friendly options, and tile is much ‘greener’ than say, carpet, for example. Also, if you look at life-expectancy of tile, you see that it is usually going to be less expensive long-term than other flooring.
The biggest thing that is having an impact on tile’s use, especially in the residential sector, is the style factor. When I started writing about tile, the options were much more limited. There was a ton of monochromatic, shiny, white and neutral floor tile. There were also hand-painted ceramic tiles that could be used for back splashes, but that was about it as far as style. Now, companies are promoting amazing designs that come in every color, design, and material imaginable. There are so many sizes, different kinds of relief, unbelievably strong, thin tile, glass tile, metal tiles, leather tiles, coconut tiles, etc. It’s just amazing some of the things the tile industry has been able to do just in the past 10-15 years. The new releases continue to impress me every year. It’s pretty exciting to see what designers come up with and this is going to filter down to drive sales.
RC: What kind of tile do you have in your home?
ZV: I was afraid you might ask me that! Actually, I get asked this question a lot and I wish I had a better answer.
I live in an old, quirky house and I have not ever changed the 1950s mint green, glazed ceramic 4″ x 4″s in one bathroom or the grey-on-grey 1” tiles in the other. They are kind of funky, in a weird, antique way. OK, kidding, I’m justifying laziness and cheapness.
That, and the reality is that since there are so many new introductions every year, I am afraid to commit. Every year I find tiles I like better than the year before. I know it is really shameful that I don’t have beautiful tile in my home. Hopefully, you can interview me again in a few years and I’ll have a better answer for you.
In Part 2 of the interview, we’ll find out Zoe’s favorite tiles and her key piece of advice for homeowners considering a tile project. For more from Zoe Voigt, see her article in Tile Dealer or follow her TileStyle blog.
