Heavy Metal
While playing with eyeshadow the other day, I thought, “This would make a great color palate for a room.” I tend to gravitate towards golds, bronzes and coppers and there’s no reason why that affinity shouldn’t translate into my surroundings.
Antares Metal Look Tile is a rich, porcelain tile that has a look of worn metal. A patina if you will. It’s perfect for a cozy family room or office. Go all out with dark woods and iron framed furniture or lighten things up with linen upholstered chairs. And the next time you’re trying to come up with a good color scheme, take a look at your make up or your clothes – chances are you’ll realize (if you haven’t already) you gravitate towards certain schemes.
Penny Wise
There’s something soothing to me about circles, something comforting about a cluster of little circles. Even when I’m daydreaming and I doodle, I find it’s circle after circle next to another circle – it’s therapeutic! So it’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of Penny Round tile.
Penny Round is a classic and very understated tile. So often when people think of “clean” or “simple” tile they think subway tile or white marble but there’s a richness to penny round, a depth that’s camouflaged by the smooth look and feel of its material.
The floor gradually curves up the wall to the ceiling – brilliant! (Source)
Black penny round for the shower floor – quite a slick transition from that gorgeous hardwood. (Source)
How awesome is that metallic backsplash? (Source)
Ok so maybe that last one is a bit much but kudos to the Standard Hotel for doing it! Wonder how much the floor is worth?
Check out our gorgeous selection of penny round here.
2 Comments
Interlocking Circles Mosaic (and a Giveaway!)
We have received such a wonderful response to our competition! Click here to see some of the photos people have entered.
One of our specialty tiles that we love is our Interlocking Circles Mosaic. Made of Spanish marble, this tile is a customized design by Mission that we had specially made that we’re really proud of and that our customers have come to love. It is made of 3/8” tumbled crema marfil pieces, with polished dark emperador accents, or White Thassos accents. Whether it’s for a backsplash, for your entryway, a feature wall in a shower, inside or out, you don’t need much of the Interlocking Circles to make a statement.
Since it’s almost spring and most of us are starting to plan some home decor changes, we thought we’d help you out a little so we are giving Interlocking Circles tile away to one lucky person. No purchase necessary, entering to win is simple.
How To Enter
Leave us a comment here on this post with the answer to this question:
How would you use this tile in that space if you win?
That’s really all you need to do to qualify but you can also increase your odds of winning by:
- Following us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/missiontiles and tweet this: I just entered to win gorgeous tile for my home from @missiontiles. Enter here: http://cot.ag/fkohkV
- Like us on Facebook and leave us a comment on our page. If you’re already a fan, just leave us a post telling us you’re our fan!
- Email a photo of the space where you’d like to install the Interlocking Circles to info@missionstonetile.com
The winner will be selected by an online vote. You must leave us a valid, working email address because if we select you but can’t reach you within 48 hours we will select another name. Add us to your inbox (info @ missionstonetile [dot] com) so we’re not sent to your junk folder.
For contest rules and details go here.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Tile
I used to spend hours and hours in the library. I love to learn. I guess you could call me a student of life. So when the Internet became available, I was in heaven. It opened up the whole world to me. If I wanted to see examples of DaVinci’s work, all I had to do was look it up online. So long Encyclopedia Britannica. Hello world!
I pride myself on being able to find just about anything. If it’s out there, I’ll find it. I’m not a hacker or anything, just a person who knows how to use the Internet to find whatever I’m looking for. So when it came time to learn about tile, I turned to Google, who showed me the way.
Here are some of the sites that have been extremely helpful when it comes to the technical side of tile.
The Tile Council of North America, Inc. is an international trade association dedicated to expanding the market for ceramic tile manufactured in North America.
Ceramic Tile Education Foundation
CTEF administers the only ceramic tile installer certification program that comprehensively evaluates hands-on skills, is standards- based, and recognized nationally.
National Tile Contractors Association
The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is the largest, most-respected tile contractors association in the world.
Ceramic Tile Distributors Association
CTDA is an international association of distributors, manufacturers and allied professionals of ceramic tile and related products.
Ceramic Tile of Italy (Italian Tile Producers)
For three decades, the Italian Tile Center has worked in close collaboration with Confindustria Ceramica (The Association of Italian Ceramics) to promote Italian ceramic to architects, designers, dealers and distributors through a wide range of activities and services.
Tile Partners for Humanity was formed in December, 2002 when Curt Rapp of The Tile Doctor and Gray LaFortune of the Ceramic Tile Institute of America realized that the industry’s excess tile disposed of in landfills could be put to much better use. They worked with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) to create the partnership which serves to utilize this excess inventory, raise awareness of HFHI within the industry and to solicit donations of materials, labor and other support for HFHI. TPFH is also proud to partner with other non-profit organizations who would like to use ceramic tile for the projects.
According to Tile…the Natural Choice there are 5 reasons to choose tile.
Durable - Unlike competitive flooring products that have to be replaced periodically, properly installed tile will last a lifetime.
Ecological - Tile manufacturers maximize recycle content, offer regional availability, and implement resource-efficient practices.
Clean and Healthy - Tiled surfaces are clean, healthy, easy to maintain, and conducive to superior indoor air quality.
Economical - Tile, a luxurious product that increases the value of any building, is the least expensive long-term flooring option.
Green Building - There are many ways that the use of tile can be an integral part of LEED®, CHPS, and ICC-700 projects.
Want to know more? Check out any of the sites referenced above and learn all there is to know about tile and then some.
1 CommentA Tile Rug? Well, not really
I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it when I see someone get creative with tile.
If you are looking for a way to customize your next room or flooring project, using some clever placement of tile will allow you to create a customized “rug” for your room.
Debbie Snider over on Houzz’s website has some fabulous examples of how this fabulous look can be achieved.
Here are just a few shots:
Rob McNealy also has some great suggestions on his site AskAFloorGuy.com. He goes into detail and explains the various levels of complexity that are involved in creating some unique patterns.
This isn’t just for new homes either. Take a look at how this same process was incorporated into some older homes, particularly in the bathrooms. This article on OldHouseOnline.com has some great examples.
So, are the creative juices flowing? Where would you most love to implement a “tile” rug in your home?
3 CommentsGoing Green Is More Than Just Recycling
LEED certification was developed and introduced in the US in 1999 by the Green Building Council, the association that brings together representatives of the building industry, of the research institutes and North American government bodies, with the objective of providing a useful tool for all operators in the sector to certify an eco-sustainable development. This certification evaluates and certifies the environmental, social and economic sustainability of buildings, from their project-planning phase to their final execution, thanks to a flexible system featuring different parameters depending on the various types of building, yet still maintaining a consistent approach:
- LEED New Construction (NC)
- Existing Buildings (EB)
- Commercial Interiors (CI)
- Core & Shell (CS)
- Homes
- Neighborhood Development
In recent years, the LEED certification has become an increasingly important certification internationally, and has established itself as the most stringent certification for eco-sustainable building. The increasing number of companies joining the US Green Building Council, whose members now number 15,700, underlines the commitment operators in the industry have towards eco-sustainability. USGBC official figures show that more than 1,500 projects are LEED certified and almost 12,000 projects are currently in the process of being certified.
Following the expansion of their rating system, planners and architects are increasingly feeling the need to have information on “LEED compliant” products, that is to say products currently available on the international marketplace that have eco-sustainable characteristics. Easy access to this information by potential customers often gives one product an advantage over another rival product, especially when the potential customer is forced to search for the information, as this takes up the customer’s valuable time and resources.
At Mission Stone & Tile, we want to make the process as simple as possible for you when choosing to go green. Here are just a few of our favorite “green” partners:
CAESAR – Where Material Becomes Culture
Caesar Ceramics- More is a contemporary porcelain tile with a smooth finish that is available in several sizes and colors.
I Bianchi porcelain tile by Rex Ceramiche is made to look very similar to Calacatta marble and comes available in six sizes and four colors at Mission Stone and Tile.
Provenza Lignes is the most realistic porcelain wood look ever created. Lignes combines the aesthetic qualities of natural wood with the mechanical qualities of porcelain tile.
This porcelain tile manufactured by Rondine resembles a honed Calacatta gold marble, available in 18" x 18" in a matte finish.
Let us know how we can help you make your next dream home project a reality.
