Create an Outdoor Living Space with Tile

Outdoor living rooms are one of the most popular amenities in today's back yard. More Americans are entertaining outdoors than ever before. And why not? Learn how you can create the perfect intimate outdoor room with a wonderful view! Sip your favorite rosé, roast pork tenderloin on the grill, and enjoy the sunset with friends.

This is one of my favorite outdoor living rooms in California. It uses beautiful tile, natural stone, and stained concrete around a cozy fire and eye-catching mural.

Notice that high walls on two sides really help the patio feel like a room. Natural stone, like flagstone (shown here) or slate maintains the built-in garden color scheme.

The strategic use of flagstone on seating areas, the mantle, and for edging along the patio is stunning. This also provides the right balance between beauty and cost. Stained concrete is a great choice for most of the patio floor and gives a natural look at a fraction of the cost.

The pergola provides a transition from the house to the open outside living area.

A well-designed space needs a focal point. In this room, the fireplace commands your attention! I love the warm, deep-red sangria color tiles around the hearth. It's warm and inviting even if the fire isn't lit.

You need to grace your outdoor living space with fine art. The Pomegranate Tree Mural is the piece de resistance in this outdoor living space. The tile mural provides the artwork in this outdoor living room and maintains a stylistic nature theme.

Chosen for durability and color, the outdoor kitchen countertop uses a high quality hand-painted vitreous tile resistant to chipping. Blue Celadon is a great color for outdoor living spaces because it harmoniously blends sky and earth tones. This color pairs nicely with the brown tones of flagstone. The natural beauty of hand-painted glazes are ideal in an outdoor setting because the colors vary from tile to tile.

The best part of living in an outdoor space is enjoying the view. And, you can't beat this view of the hills from Los Angeles's Echo Park retreat.

Sit back, relax and enjoy! Tile creates the perfect outdoor living space.

Read more more about this project at the Casa Lucretia blog.

Photos courtesy of Tom Chatt.

Kira’s Meadow Mural

Avente's new line of Sculptural Relief tiles includes a nature-themed mural with flora and fauna in a contemporary design called Kira's Meadow.

Kira's Meadow Mural - Fireplace Mural

Kira's Meadow is easy to install and comes mesh mounted. Each mural is custom made with a unique blend of small, medium, and large elements. Priced per square foot of mesh-mounted tile, you can have a truly unique and artistic mosaic for a backsplash, fireplace, or wall.

Sculptural Relief Kira's Meadow Mosaic Tile Grouping  

You can order Kira's Meadow Mural on online; but, feel free to let Avente Tile assist you with your plans to ensure your mural is laid out perfectly within your home that complements your design.

Cement Tiles Work Well for a Fireplace Surround

Did you know that in addition to being a durable flooring solution, cement tiles are great on walls? Cement or encaustic tiles, like our Cuban Heritage line, create stunning backsplashes and bath surrounds. The stylized designs fashion beautiful accent borders for the hearth. Cement tiles are a creative and flexible product! Use them from "floor level" to "chair rail" height as a stunning alternative to beadboard or wallpaper.

Using cement tile to surround a fireplace is a fantastic way to add visual appeal to your space. Available in multiple patterns and a broad color palette, cement tiles help create a dramatic focal point that will pull a room's theme together.

In this design, notice how well the gray and white border pattern of the cement tiles effortlessly blends with the marble hearth and mantle. Using a grayscale color palette, or monochromatic color scheme, creates a look that is understated, yet beautiful. Because no specific design element will stand out over another, all aspects of the space work together to create a seamless and cohesive look.

Tile Ideas for the Hearth

Home is where the hearth is. From ancient times to now, the hearth has always played a vital role. An important focal point for the family, the hearth traditionally provided warmth and a place to cook. However, it was also the social and creative center. Still true today, a fine-looking fireplace fills your home with warmth and beauty and creates a social center for friends and family. Tile provides the possibilities for creating a hearth that is both beautiful and practical.

Tiles are perfect for a fireplace surround, the mantle, the floor area in front of a fireplace, the area above the mantle, or around the hearth. For inspiration, look at these incredible installations:

Here's a few ideas to use decorative tiles for your fireplace or hearth:

• Create a medallion above the hearth with a decorative tile grouping. Avente's Celtic line works well with stone and travertine.

• Use a few pieces of 6"x6" decorative tile placed along the floor in front of the hearth, along a hearth bench or around the hearth itself. The stylized floral designs of our Spanish line create a traditional atmosphere found in haciendas of California, Mexico, and Spain.

• Create a stunning focal point by adding a large tiled mural above the hearth. Avente's tile murals come in a variety of designs to match any taste.

• Create a tile border around the hearth using 6"x6", 4"x4", or 2"x2" decorative tiles. Or, use 3"x6" border tiles to frame the hearth. Avente's Spanish tile and Portuguese tile lines come in all these sizes so that you can easily create a coordinated design using different sizes of decorative tile.