Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Four Ways to Use Hand Painted Tiles

Here's four ways to use hand painted decorative or deco tiles as design accents. We feature our Barcelona Tiles in these tips; but, these ideas work well for any decorative tile.

Tip 1: Create a Decorative Border with Hand Painted Tiles

Use hand painted tiles for a decorative border along the edge of a counter or around a mirror, archway or door. 3" x 6" tiles work well for these designs. But, you can also use 3" x 3" tiles.

Hand Painted Border Tiles are used for the Mirror and Counter
Hand Painted Border Tiles are used for the Mirror and Counter

Some tiles, like our Barcelona border tiles come with a glazed edge so no trim is needed when used for a counter top. For instance, Barcelona La Merced 3" x 6" Border Tiles (above) are used for the tiled countertop and mirror edge. You can also use tiles with a glazed edge to create a base trim along the edge of a room.

Tip 2: Use Small Decorative Decorative Tiles as Floor Accents

Decorative tile make stunning accents for large format porcelain or terracotta pavers. 3" x 3" or 6" x 6" tiles work best as decorative insets for the floor. Choose different patterns set randomly or choose only one pattern to coordinate with a wall tile pattern.

Hand Painted Spanish Tiles are used as floor accents
Hand Painted Spanish Tiles are used as floor accents

In the patio installation above, San Jose 3" x 3" tiles are used as insets with this porcelain floor tile and coordinate with the the San Jose Quarter Design 6" x 6" tiles on the wall (shown below).

Tip 3: Create a Mural with Quarter Design Patterns on a Single Wall

Quarter designs require four tiles to make the complete pattern and are often scaled versions of smaller tiles in the same colorway and pattern. Quarter design tiles generally have more negative space and are ideal for creating a patterned mural for large wall installations. Here, the San Jose Quarter 6" x 6" tiles create a stunning wall mural for this patio.

Hand Painted Spanish Tiles in a Quarter Design Pattern
Hand Painted Spanish Tiles in a Quarter Design Pattern

Tip 4: Use Different Tiles Sizes for Different Sections of a Room

Use different sizes of tile in the same pattern to define different areas or set off sections of a room.

Hand Painted Tiles for Shower
Hand Painted Tiles for Shower

To create a complementary flow between adjoining spaces, simply use a different sized tile in the same pattern. This creates a contrast without taking away from the beauty and overall design of the space. Using a large quarter design on a wall makes for an eye-catching focal point. Create an eye-catching accent strip with a border of 3" x 3" tiles above larger format tiles.

These are just a few way to use hand painted deco tiles as design accents. Do you have a favorite tile design idea? Let us know, we'd love to share it. Or, feel free to browse the many different ceramic tile design ideas on our site.

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