Tile Backsplashes: Kitchen and Bathroom Showpieces

An increasing amount of people are cooking made-from-scratch meals. Whether it includes a personalized breakfast granola mix, a lunchtime sandwich that incorporates heirloom tomatoes, dinners that include the use of a tagine, or desserts that urge the food connoisseur to wander the garden for a sprig or two of lavender, growing your own food and using fresh, organic ingredients has seen a resurgence.

Murphy Mosaic Backsplash by Appomattox Tile Art

With this renewed back-to-basics philosophy, homeowners have found the need to refresh the look of their kitchens, be it with new, energy-conserving appliances or a fresh coat of paint, the need for a soothing, yet workable environment trumps even the most prudent of budgets.

Stainless Steel Mosaic Tile by Ann Sacks

Happily, along with this desire for something new and different, tile backsplashes have seen an uptick in updated kitchen designs. Not only is a tile backsplash functional with its easily cleaned surface, but I tend to think of it as a showpiece or focal point of the cooking area.

Fired Earth's Metropolitan Tile collection, Queensway series

Further, the increased awareness of tile’s long-lasting beauty has not only made kitchen backsplashes a showpiece, but the same theory has held true for bathroom walls as well. With a surge in home remodeling projects and newly built homes, homeowners are looking for something different and more personalized to their taste, character and lifestyle. Designers, bloggers, and design-oriented publications have dutifully observed this trend, and have embraced the use of decorative tile backsplashes. Here are several examples:

• Classic patterns with white subway tile
• Stone tiles with metal insets
• Metallic tiles
• Delft patterns accented with solid white ceramic tiles
• Geographical tiles (Cuban, Spanish, Moroccan, Moorish, etc.)
• Water-jet cut mosaic tile and stone panels
• Glass tiles
• Textured tiles
• Mosaic tiles (stone, glass, and mixed)
• Geometric tiles (linear, bubbles, Arabesque)
• Large-format tiles
• And so much more!

Kitchen backsplash featuring Cuban Heritage Design 110-2B by Avente Tile

Even though I’m partial to the Moorish look, I seem to be drawn to mixed mosaics each and every time. Perhaps when we finally we remodel our kitchen, my love for Moorish and Spanish tile will have its overdue moment in the spotlight.

Brilliante 267 Superior glass mosaic tesserae by Trend Group

Lastly, thanks to the technological advances within the tile industry, no design, pattern or material is out of reach or impossible to mimic. I’m sure we’ll be seeing many more advances in the coming months with Cersaie, the Italian tile exhibition held in Bologna, Italy September 23-27, 2013; Cevisama, the Spanish tile exhibition held in Valencia, Spain, February 11-14, 2014); and Coverings 2014, set for April 29-May 2, in Las Vegas.

Which pattern, color, or material of tile would you choose to serve as the culinary inspiration for your kitchen, or to create a spa-like surrounding in your bathroom?

- Written by Arpi Nalbandian, Tileometry

The Bellagio Resort: A Mosaic Tile Showcase

Image via Photographersnature.

Located in the southern part of the famous Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio Resort Hotel has dominated its surroundings from the time it opened in 1998 with lush landscaping, classic architecture and elements, and a man-made, eight-acre lake reminiscent of Italy’s Lake Como.

With an original cost of $1.6 billion, this Italian-styled property by MGM Resorts International exudes charm, luxury, and aristocracy while simultaneously welcoming the masses into its ornate lobby.

Artist Dale Chihuly’s 2,000-piece “Fiori di Como” hand-blown glass sculpture comes to life above the Bellagio's lobby.

It’s within this lobby that Bellagio’s true form and nod to the artistic masters, new and old, come to fruition. From the moment guests walk into the lobby, eyes are first drawn to the artwork on the 18-ft ceiling. This is artist Dale Chihuly’s 2,000-piece “Fiori di Como” hand-blown glass sculpture comes to life. 

As beautiful and stately as the individual glass blossoms are, one’s eyes are then diverted to the intricate mosaic and stone tile work on the floors, walls, staircases and even ceilings – all thanks to the talented artisans of Italian mosaic manufacturer – Sicis.

Elegant mosaics and marble tiles adorn the reception area of the Bellagio's lobby.

Above the entrance/exit doors, lighting niches are further enhanced by detailed mosaics painstakingly applied by tile and stone masters.

From the lobby, guests and visitors are encouraged to stroll through the hotel’s famous Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. With glass ceilings measuring 50-feet high and a space measuring more than 13,500 square feet, the amount of foot traffic the lobby and the conservatory see on a yearly basis could easily surpass a million people!

The Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens fully decorated for the summer season. 

This is one snail I wouldn't mind having in my garden!

Thousands of square feet of stone, mosaic tile, medallions by Italian manufacturer Sicis can be seen and appreciated throughout the Bellagio hotel and resort. Here are several mosaic stone and tile patterns seen in just the Conservatory and Botanical Garden area alone:

Intricate mosaic designs flow throughout the Bellagio's lobby and reception areas.

Classic and timeless stone mosaics patterns happily reside alongside the floral motifs.

Glistening mosaic stones form floral focal points throughout the Bellagio's lobby  and conservatory.

Mosaic floral bouquet in the conservatory.

Detailed view of the mosaic floral bouquet.

And this is where artistry, talent and experience are integral to a long-lasting and successful installation. With hundreds of thousands of casual visitors coming into the Bellagio’s lobby, wearing everything from flip-flops to stilettos, the role of the highly experienced stone and tile installer becomes even more imperative. With so much at stake, lippage or uneven tiles, are hazards that no hospitality facility can ever afford to overlook or tolerate.

Interlaced mosaic stone borders gracefully accentuate the Bellagio's solid marble floors.

Hotel lobbies, such as the Bellagio’s, have steadily evolved from an area where people merely check in our out of rooms to that of a public living room where all guests are welcomed on a grand level. 

Therefore, it’s on this social platform where the master tile and stone artisans’ of Las Vegas-based Carrara Marble Company of America (the stone and tile contractors for Bellagio) proved vital in presenting the hotel’s first impression to newcomers. 

Do you appreciate the level of hospitality and artistry that hotels and resorts now offer? Have you ever been drawn to a destination because of the variety of tile and stone installations? I'd love to hear your story if you have! 

How to Create a Stunning Mosaic Tile Wall Feature

Avente Tile welcomes a new tile perspective to our blog. Our guest post is provided by Ruth Hinds on behalf of Tons of Tiles, U.K.-based importers and suppliers of a wide range of quality floor and wall tiles for bathrooms, kitchens, and any area of your home you would like to improve.

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A mosaic wall is one of the best features that you can have in your home. Not only is it highly personalized and individual, it's also really easy to create once you know what you're doing. Let's take a look at how you should approach the task.

Necessary Materials

Planning is key to success, so make sure that you have everything you need before you get started. This is likely to include adhesive, grout, a grout scraper, gloves, and safety glasses. Then, it's just a case of picking the best tiles for your job!

Use Handmade Tiles

Handmade porcelain tiles are made with the most care and love, so are a great option when you want to make something really special. The colors and designs that you'll find are almost endless. A dedication to using handmade tile products doesn't mean you compromise on results; rather, you're installing a sense of uniqueness into the existing style of your home.

Break the Rules!

The joy of creating a tile mosaic is there is no right or wrong. Feel free to let your imagination run wild, and go with whatever patterns or designs appeal to you. A haphazard approach might even make the best results, so just go with the flow!

As you can see, it really is simple to create a mosaic wall feature. Have you ever made one? Do you have any tips you'd like to share?