Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

5 Creative Ideas for Kitchen Tile Backsplashes and Vanities

Without a doubt, cooking or eating in a contemporary kitchen that's complete with creative tile backsplashes and vanities is very enjoyable. Most homeowners take special consideration with kitchen, design as it is considered the heart of a home. This is where every family member spends their time, sharing stories while enjoying a meals and each others' company.

When it comes to kitchen design, one of the most considered materials is tile. Tile come in different patterns, shapes and sizes. Not only is tile composed of durable materials perfect for handling the messes from preparing and cooking meals, but tile can offer endless possibilities to explore creativity.

So whether you're working with an experienced local tile store or doing it yourself, in this article we share five creative tile ideas for kitchen vanities and backsplashes.














 

 

 

Colorful Malibu Tile

This tile backsplash design is inspired by the vibrant colors of Malibu. With a California-meets-Spanish tile feel, the tiles are used as eccentric pieces installed on the kitchen walls. The exhaust hood above the stove is also installed with tiles matching the color of the entire kitchen. To make it more appealing, it is combined with oak cabinets in rich brown color. (image source)



Two-Color Tile Combo

Combine a vibrant color with a lighter tone and you will get a bright kitchen aura. This creative kitchen design plays only with two colors but the over-all effect is amazing. The blue tiles are installed in mosaic finish where it accentuates the white paint. It is then accessorized with contrasting colors of brown center table and rug. For homeowners who want to have a clean feel, this two-color combo is perfect. (image source)

 

 

 

 

  Timeless Kitchen Tile

For a kitchen that will never be out of the trends, classical pieces and neutral colors are combined in this tile vanity. The kitchen is designed with rich wooden cupboards and paired up with ceramic tiles. The plain tiles are combined to give a clean look without compromising the over-all design of the kitchen. White ceramic tiles are used to bring the brightness of the room. (image source)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contemporary Black and White Tile

Black and white kitchens are one of the trendiest designs to date. The combination of dark and light hues makes the whole kitchen very appealing to young homeowners. This sleek kitchen is made with black tiles perfectly installed on both sides of the kitchen. White paint is used to give the entire kitchen an impression of a bigger space.(image source )

 

Industrial Style Tile

The use of stainless steel and wood can be combined to give the kitchen an industrial look. The tiles used on the walls gives a rustic feel, while the floor tiles blends all the colors together. Industrial style kitchens are preferred by home cooks as it gives an ambiance of being in a commercial kitchen. (image source )

These are just a few of creative tile designs for kitchen vanities and backsplashes. Spanning from ceramic tile to mosaic tile, there are still thousands of ideas shared all over magazines and online publications. The only thing you need to do is to choose the tile projects that appeal the most to you and your family.

Monday, March 17, 2014

5 Creative DIY Tile Projects to Enhance Your Home's Decor

Tile can transform home's decor in many different ways. Whether it's ceramic tile flooring for the bathroom or an exotic tile vanity for the kitchen, embarking on a tile project is a great way to enhance the look and ambiance of almost any room.

No matter what tile design you choose, in most cases you can install the tile yourself with the right tools and instruction. In this blog post, we'll share some creative, DIY-friendly ideas for tile projects around the home.


Simple Tile Art

One of the most basic yet fun ways to integrate tile in your home is paint on blank tiles, and use the tiles as coasters, stepping-stones, or other creative applications around the home. Also known as tile art, get crafty and paint a few tiles with patterns or images (like wine grapes for a coaster.) The possibilities are endless!

Creative Bathroom Tile

Adding tile to a bathroom offers many ways to set a more stylish and visually-appealing tone. Some of the most popular tile projects for the bathroom include vanities and flooring. In many cases, especially for flooring, ceramic tile works the best for the bathroom.

You can also opt for special-purpose tiles (which work great in high-moisture settings) in the sink and vanity area. So of the most creative bathroom tile projects are designed with space to hold toothbrushes, soap, or cups. Also common and highly creative is to make the entire vanity wall and sink area of your bathroom a nice tile.

Outdoor Tile Flooring

A growing trend in outdoor tile design is the use of natural stone. Natural stone tile in outdoor settings offer an elegant look to any settings. Some of the most attractive and outdoor-friendly tiles include White Oak, Statuario, and Calacatta Gold. Almost all of these tile applications can be integrated with ease. Look for opportunities to add creative tile flooring to patios, outdoor fireplaces, gardens and planters, and window trim.

Stone Tile for the Kitchen

Kitchen stone tile, such as stone mosaic tile, is ideal for all types of kitchen areas. The pattern on this form of natural stone tile draws attention to the complete space.

Install mosaic stone tile on kitchen walls and vanities, or in specific areas such as above the stove or sink. To give a look with more dimension and depth, you can choose glass mosaic tiles. Just keep in mind cleaning and maintaining the tile when choosing the right products.

Subway Tile for the Kitchen

A subway tile scheme is a timeless classic for the kitchen. In most cases, these 3" x 6" ceramic tiles with gloss finish that come in a multitude of colors. What's great about this style of tile is that it's easy to clean and can help illuminate the entire kitchen.

Additionally, you can find this form of tile at most tile dealers in Bloomington, IL. You can choose a simple monochromatic tile design or you can add a sense of depth by blending herringbone tiles as a backsplash (often times behind the oven or sink.)

Do you have any simple yet super-creative DIY tile project ideas to share? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

5 Creative At-Home Activities to Keep Old Man Winter at Bay

The cold season often coops families in the house for far too long. This can mentally straining for anyone.

However, there are numerous creative activities that engage and entertain both kids and adults, helping to stay mentally healthy while making the most of winter. Below we share a number of great at-home activities that promote creativity and excitement for all ages.


Creative Games

Games are usually the best way of entertaining both the young and the old. So when the winter cold keeps your family indoors, introduce some creative games.

You can hold the scavenger hunt where each family member finds something that starts with a certain letter in the house. For kids, you can tell them to find specific items, some hidden in the bedrooms. As they reach for the treasures, place obstacles along their way such that they have to crawl or climb over chairs, jumping over a rope and competing to see who will find the said item fast.

Alternatively (and depending on the age of the participants,) you can try some fun board games that promote creativity. Some of the most fun and creative-inducing include Snake Oil and Apples to Apples. These games are super fun and will guarantee many laughs.

Arts and Crafts

For the families with artistic members, spending time indoors can be a great time to be creative. For instance, you can engage your family members in stringing multi-colored pasta so as to make nice looking necklaces and bracelets. Alternatively, you can cut out pieces of paper and color them then make flower models or you could design sculptures using such materials as paint, salt and dough. To make finger paints, you can mix powdered tempera, warm water, liquid dishwashing soap and vinegar.

If you really want to start a project and create something useful and practical, making reusable snack bags is a fantastic idea. Typically created with soft materials like organic cotton reusable snack bags not ignite creativity, but also provide an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags. There are many different sources online for DIY reusable snack bags, as well as many different companies that offer reusable snack bags for sale, which you can get inspiration from.

Science

Science experiments can be entertaining to both kids and adults. For instance, you can make soap bubbles and compete to see whose bubble will be the biggest. Try to fold a paper in different ways to make a kite-like model and see whose flies the longest. Make dancing raisins by mixing a cup of water, some raisins and one spoon of baking soda.

Erupting a volcano in the house can also be fun. You can do this by building a dough mountain surrounding a plastic soda bottle. Then pour in the vinegar, baking soda and water, and see as the lava explodes. You can also have each member in the family design a boat using aluminum foil and see whose boat will sink the last when pennies are placed on top of each.

Party

During winter, there are many other adults feeling the winter blues. You can arrange one weekend night where the adults will come together and party together. The activities of the party can include drinking, dancing, eating and having fun and entertainment. You can have different themes for your party depending on what you like. Alternatively, you can also organize a party for the kids where they come and have fun playing together, dancing and eating.

Edible Fun

The indoor fun will not be complete if there is no edible treat. Using straight marshmallows and pretzels build towers and see whose tower will be the tallest. You can also top sugar cookies using candy and frosting so as to make small dessert pizzas. You can also shell peanuts in a food processor or blender by engaging the kids, they will absolutely love this. You can as well pack picnic lunch and go hiking’ all the way to the living room where you spread out a large shawl and have your indoor picnic.