Tile Style

Tile is still an exciting trend in new home construction and in remodeling as well. But as with most trends, the styles and patterns for kitchens and baths are changing for 2017. We’ll let you know how!

Subway Tile

In recent years, subway tile, with its clean lines and pristine white glaze, has become a staple for kitchen and bathroom walls. This style is still going strong, but with a twist. Instead of only the white glaze, manufacturers are promoting pops of color for subway tiles. From pastel pinks to bold turquoise, subway tile options are booming. In addition, installation styles are changing. Instead of orderly, horizontal rows of these tiles, try installing them in a herringbone or chevron pattern for extra interest.

Atypical Tile Shapes and Hues

2017 is the year of variety in tile choices. Some popular shapes are hexagonal (honeycomb), fish scale, intricate geometrics, textured natural stone, arabesques, penny tile and elaborate florals.

In addition, this isn’t your mom’s tiled kitchen! Colors star in vivid hues and finishes. Trends are definitely moving away from simple lines and neutral shades and are venturing into detail and variety. For example, the fish scale style tiles come in ocean-hued iridescent glass and convey a tranquil subaqueous ambiance.

Tile Floors Too!

Another recent trend is installing floor tiles that resemble hardwood. The ceramic and porcelain flooring industry has exploded with wood-look-alikes. The amazing thing is that some of these floors look so authentically like wood that you can’t tell it’s not wood unless you touch it. Digital image quality and high tech production techniques have fostered this advancement. The variety of images and patterns make this flooring appear authentic. Now, wood-look tiles can have radiant heat underneath them via subfloor heating which allows you to install tiles directly over it. Here is an example, published by Journal of Light Construction on YouTube, which demonstrates how such a radiant heat tile substrate works.

Should you install tiles? It’s definitely a great selling point for new home construction, and recent innovations such as genuine wood-look appearance and easy-install radiant heat help boost its appeal. Go for it! Oh, and don’t forget an American eBuilder Warranty to close the deal on a perfect home!