Tile Envy is a favorite and recently posted a review of art tiles from around the world:

Lea Ceramiche is an Italian factory that produces Slimtech 3.5mm porcelain tile, pictured here in a post on their blog, Conversation.

Part 2 of an interview with Zoe Voigt, a freelance writer, blogger, and tile aficionado. (Link to Part 1)

RC: Do you have a favorite tile that you would use for your next project if money were no object?

ZV: Oh, yes! This is an easy question, although with being a writer, money will always be an issue. Here’s my dream home in tile:

Around the fireplaces, (and there will be several, since this is a dream house after all,) Motawi; kitchen backsplash, Trikeenan; mural in the dining room and (why not) the master bath too, New Ravenna; floors in the dining and living area, Cuban Heritage Cement; exterior cladding, Stonepeak’s anti-pollution porcelain; Olympic-sized pool outside, Oceanside Glass. I’m still deciding about what to put in the interior lap pool, so I’ll have to get back to you on that. Actually, I think I’m going to save the rest of this list for a future book. Thanks for asking a good question, I’ll be sure to mention you in the acknowledgments!

RC: In your blog, Tile Style, you often feature smaller, specialty lines. Tell us about some of your favorite specialty lines and how you found them.

ZV: Those handmade tiles are my favorites. They’re artistic and they just have so much character.

I find most new products at tile shows, which I attend regularly. Coverings is the big one, of course, there’s also Surfaces, but it shows all kinds of flooring, not just tile. The small, bi-annual Moravian Tile Show in Pennsylvania will often have interesting antique tiles and small artisan manufacturers. The other way I find new products is through press releases and by following manufacturers on social media sites. Lots of PR representatives contact me so that I am aware of their company’s new products.

RC: If you could give one piece of advice to someone remodeling their home with tile, what would it be?

ZV: Hire a qualified installer. Nothing ruins a tile job like a crappy do-it-yourself installation. I love all kinds of tile, but I’m a huge snob when it comes to leveling and groutlines!

Many thanks, Zoe, for taking the time to answer our questions. For more from Zoe Voigt, see her article in Tile Dealer or follow her TileStyle blog.

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.

Saul Griffith, who coined the term, describes it thus:

An object with “heirloom design” is something that will not only last through your lifetime and into the next generation, but that you also desire to keep that long because it’s beautiful, functional, and timeless.

At Status, Richard uses the best quality materials, is fastidious about his quality control, and takes great pains to create glazes and forms that are not faddish, but enduring. Moreover, as I always say when someone asks me why I would choose Status over a less expensive tile, Status Ceramics are the kind of item that a consumer selects for posterity. They don’t ever intend to replace it, as they would a carpet choice, or an appliance, or even some pieces of art.

For more information on Heirloom Design, check out these articles:

Heirloom Design as a Cure for Consumption

Built to Trash

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Dallas and Denise Frakes run a company called Blue Sky Services, which provides stone cleaning and restoration services, and they are typically the first people we call in the event of a stone emergency. Aside from an incredible knowledge of natural stone characteristics, they are also honest, friendly people. Just recently Denise set up a blog with information about keeping a clean and safe home. Check it out: “An Ounce of Prevention.”

I was recently poking around on Twitter when I came across a guy named Richard Scott tweeting about tiles.   Ever the tile enthusiast, I checked out his site and was really impressed.  Scott owns an outfit in Seattle called Status Ceramic where they design and hand craft their own tiles.   Well… I had a couple of questions about how the tile world operates and thought you might be interested in learning a thing or two about tiles from a much bigger and better authority than I.  The following notes and tidbits are straight from the Tile Makers mouth…

Where do Tile Specialists get their inspiration (just in case I decide to hop into this line of work)?

Our inspiration comes from many sources including the current market and what we think will be the coming trends.  Since I <Richard Scott> employ several different artists I can vary the look of our design images.  To vary the looks of the tiles, Scotts team of engineers and designers play not only with colors but also shapes and glazes.  In the case of Scotts’ company, he focuses on traditional designs with leanings towards contemporary, pulling heavily from the background of his team members to come up with the designs.  I rely on our ceramist, Zsuzsa Bansaghi, she engineers our glazes but designs most of the Status line.  Her roots are in Hungary so her designs are more of the old world flavor.  Susan Boyd, our designer, works with Zsuzsa and together they are responsible for our glaze colors and presentation of the product line.

How does one get into this line of work?

Scott worked in the world of arts for a number of years doing everything from leaded glass, blown glass and beveled glass to pottery and eventually tile ceramics.  The transformation that a well done ceramic tile can create in a room is profound, and being able to work with custom tiles and projects lets you take rooms from mundane to masterpieces in just weeks.  

In your opinion, is tile installation or tile creation something that the average person could do?

If a person is mechanical in any way I believe they can install tile <Bold Statement>.  Some of the most creative installations have been by amateurs.  They have the time it takes to make it the way they want it to look.  It also provides them the opportunity not only to be creative but to use reclaimed tile or other objects.  The important thing to remember however is that the tile just is the finish and it’s what is behind the tile that’s important <Excellent Rule – think Shower Stalls!>.  Backsplash’s can be glued on the sheet rock but tile for a countertop should never be put over plywood or press board.  Yes, with patience and persistence most people can install tile.  Even my wife and she is a slap dabber <I’ll be using the term slap dabber again – thanks Richard!>.  Sometimes the professional look is not always the best!

What are some of your best money saving tips when it comes to tile?

1. Ask a lot of questions:  Do I use mastic or thin set?  Is this suitable for a floor?  What is the proper backing for this application?  Do I need to pre seal or just seal after grouting?  How do I mix the grout and apply it and how do I clean up? 
2. Make sure your materials fit the project that way you don’t have to do it twice. 

3. Recycle materials when possible and spend money on your backing materials and sealants.

Faith Sheridan’s blog provides advice on all things design related for home decorating and remodeling. Not only is the information updated daily, but Sheridan also invites experts from other design resources and fields to post about their forte.

In addition to Sheridan’s daily posts she also writes a monthly newsletter which is also free. The newsletter provides interior design tips, trends and resources to further your design knowledge and answer more questions.

Sheridan has been practicing for over 20 years, and her work has received many awards. She is recognized as one of the top designers in Seattle. She is a past president of the Oregon ASID chapter and was featured as the winning expert on the HGTV hit Designer’s Challenge. She also served as a select member of the Benjamin Moore Residential Design Advisory Council from 2006-2008. She currently is a practicing designer at Faith Sheridan Interior Design firm and has been speaking about interior design and its use of social media for the past year.