1. Open Shelving

Open shelving makes this functional necessity an integral part of your design. Decorate them with objects you use every day or with decorative treasures not normally seen in the kitchen. It’s up to you whether you want a more minimal, coordinated feel or a maximalist and mismatched look. Below, the natural wood of the open shelves add warmth to this white space.

A popular way to use floating shelves is to create mini vignettes with kitchen necessities and pretty decor.

Vintage picture frames and pottery can tie the kitchen to the rest of the home and bring character to the walls.

2. Modern Subway Tile

Subway tiles are a classic choice, and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. What is trending is rethinking how you use subway tiles. Think of different patterns, colors and materials that breathe new life into this timeless tile. A less-common straight-stack pattern modernizes the tile below.

Placing white subway tile in a less-expected layout, like the herringbone pattern below, is the perfect way to put a personalized spin on your design. Get more subway tile pattern ideas here.

Take your subway tile to a new dimension by using 3-D sculptural tiles. The light catches the tiles’ angles and elevates the kitchen below.

For an extra wow factor, mirrored tiles provide sparkle, shine and elegance.

3. Entertaining

Kitchens of the past were purely functional places to prepare and store food. Now, if you’ve ever thrown a party, you know that people always seem to congregate in the kitchen. These amazing designs make it clear that kitchens have moved beyond simply functional. Treat your kitchen as the entertaining center of the home that it is. What’s more conducive to a party than a kitchen with not one but two islands to congregate around? (We’re just waiting for our invitation to the kitchen below.)

Another space with two islands, there’s ample room to congregate, snack and set up a wet bar in the elegant kitchen below.

One large island takes the place of two and, with the addition of expansive countertops, open shelves, glamorous accents and statement lighting, this space is ready for a cocktail party.

4. Encaustics

Based on traditional, old-world designs, encaustic tiles have been around for years. However, using them in new ways, like this counter-to-ceiling accent wall, keeps the style fresh. Read our blog on creating a wallpaper effect with tile for more ideas like this.

Afraid of going too bold? Muted hues and a small accent area are a great way to dip your toe into pattern and color.

This contemporary design is on the bolder end of the encaustic spectrum.

5. Colorful Cabinets

The popularity of colorful cabinets is likely a reaction to the all-white kitchens that have been ubiquitous in recent years. The below space is bright, despite bold, green cabinetry, because the glossy, white penny round tiles reflect the light.

A mixture of white and turquoise-blue cabinets tie this space together in serene style.

A royal-blue island is a welcome splash of color in between a black floor and white cabinets and tile.

Instead of acting as an accent, your cabinet color can be repeated and tie a kitchen together. This blue cabinet color is reflected in the tiled mosaic, presenting a united appearance.

While (and possibly because) trends will always ebb and flow, we say that if you love it, there aren’t any trends to avoid. However, we don’t recommend incorporating too many trendy elements into one space. Combine trendy elements with classics, like white subway tile, to keep the look feeling timeless and current at the same time.

Get more inspiration at our kitchen tile design idea page. Ready to get started? Make a free design appointment today!

The post Kitchen Trends for 2019 appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.

Featured: Tanagram Branco 3-D

Designs and trends are constantly evolving, allowing for the ultimate expression of creativity and imagination. One trend we’ve seen pushing the boundaries of ingenuity, artistry and self-expression is geometric tile. We’re going to highlight our favorite geometric tiles and how to use them to their full potential.

“Geometric shapes hold an energy pattern, and scientists did some experiments which say certain geometric shapes can affect matter around them. It’s simply because when a human looks at a shape, they instantly receive energy from their brain.” – Tom DeLonge, musical artist

The extravagant movement, iconic shapes and energetic patterns of geometric tile allow you to make a statement in any space. These tiles aren’t just an addition to a design – they ARE the design. Geometric shapes include squares, rectangles, triangles, polygons, hexagons, diamonds, pyramids and more. With so many different variations and shapes in geometric tile, the possibilities are endless!

Featured: Estrela Jeans Matte 

Featured: White Hex, Black Hex, and Hex Matte White with Black Flower

Categorizing Geometric Tiles

Geometric Patterned Tile 

Stunning designs can be printed on tile to add an artistic flash to any space. Glamorous patterns have universal use. You can either cover a wall to make a bold statement or display a small statement as a piece of art.

Featured: Outline White Gold AC 

Some printed patterns are made to complement modern spaces while others are created to wow viewers. The geometric tiles above define a wall with an elegant yet subtle diamond pattern. In contrast, the bold and bright pattern on the image below almost demands (and deserves) attention.

Featured: Artisan Tiare

Patterned tile can bring a very artistic and contemporary look into your home. The tile below creates a 3-D effect by using two different colored triangles and rhombuses to create a geometric structure.

Featured: Rowallan Encaustic Square Pattern

Geometric Shaped Tile

While most tile like subway or square tile only has four sides, geometric shaped tile brings tile design to a whole new level. Shapes like hexagons, diamonds and rhombuses stand out compared to standard rectangular formats. Geometric shapes can be either 2-D or 3-D. The front cover of our 2018 design book contains a very fresh, modern 3-D pattern. Yara Metal Silver Hex ceramic wall tile is unique because not only is the shape a hexagon, but the tile contains several different 3-D triangles for extra texture and augmentation.

Featured: Yara Metal Silver Hex

Geometric Mosaics

Mosaics are small pieces of tile that are intricately placed together on a mesh sheet to create stunning patterns—that’s what makes these mosaics so unique. Not all mosaic designs are the same. Check out the lavish, Nova Hex Graphite mosaics in the image below. The mosaic pattern is created by repeating stretched hexagons to add glamour and dimension.

Featured: Skyline Marquina Mosaic

The pattern on this next image shows a mosaic from the Legno Limestone collection. This design presents a stylish look with its wood-like texture and variety of shapes.

Featured: Legno Geometric

Ways to Use Geometric Tile

The Center of Attention 

When people want to make a bold statement, they might use a big collection of art, flashy furniture or even a bright-colored tile or wallpaper. While those are all great options, geometrically patterned tile is your key to making a show-stopping space. Cover your floor or wall with tile to make a bold, eye-catching presentation.

Featured: Star Olive/Grey Encaustic

Subtle Accent Displays

Don’t let the boldness of geometric tile intimidate you. Many people turn away from geometric patterned tile and layouts because they think it might be overwhelming. But patterns can be displayed as an accent piece if you aren’t committed to the full effect. Kirsty Froelich, The Tile Shop design manager, loves adding small statement displays to rooms because it adds a dash of emotion and color.

“You don’t need to be scared of using geometric tile and patterns. They are a great opportunity to add something exciting that won’t overpower the features in a space. – Kirsty Froelich

Featured: Alato Beachwalk Chevron Glass Mosaic

Display a geometric accent piece in your shower or on the side of a bathtub or island countertop. “Accents give you a chance to add unexpected artistry,” Froelich said. As seen above, these geometric displays are ideal for people who only want a subtle but stunning statement.

A Lively Greeting

Incorporating geometrically patterned tile is wonderful in an entryway. Fun and spirited patterns give guests an immediate welcoming impression. West Bay Homes perfectly completes a modern farmhouse design with the vintage, symmetric Star series.

Image from West Bay Homes. Featured: Star

Modern Elegance

Solid-white tile is a great choice for creating a clean, modern presence. The White Hex tiles below create a chic, fresh feeling without an overbearing display.

Featured: White Hex

Create Your Own Masterpiece

A current trend is to create your own geometric designs and shapes with tile. This trend attracts the bold and brave designers. Every concept you explore is a statement and your very own work of art. The Connect series in the image below was made to mesmerize. The small triangular pieces allow you to create extravagant designs for a modern twist. This method of using geometric tile guarantees originality and personalized taste and vision.

Featured: Connect Tri 

“Styling with geometric shaped tiles gives you more flexibility and freedom to make whatever you want.” – Luke Crownover, Tile Shop product manager

Whether a bold, patchwork arrangement of patterned tiles, an elegant kitchen backsplash or a simple display of white hexagons, geometric tile will always be the ultimate tool to express yourself. Inspired by what you see? Schedule a design consultation to achieve your next vision with geometric tile.

Source of Tom DeLonge quote: Spin Magazine

The post Self-Expression Through Geometric Tile appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.

This past September, The Tile Shop sent a team to Cersaie including Brandy Janke, product designer, and Rob Grosskopf, manager of product management. They brought back their observations, stories, pictures and upcoming tile trends to share with the rest of the team.

Cersaie by the Numbers

It’s hard to comprehend just how vast Cersaie is, but the numbers speak for themselves.

• 100,000+ visitors over 5 days
• 1.7 million square feet of show spaces
• 800+ vendors
• 40+ countries represented
• 18 halls

A small portion of the many Cersaie attendees.

Welcome to Cersaie!

Attempting to tackle Cersaie without a plan would be too overwhelming, so the team made 30 brief appointments each day to meet with vendors they were interested in. Before the show, Brandy worked on developing a Tile Shop lookbook to show vendors what we’re interested in seeing and the trends we’re expecting to be big in the next year to act as a visual shopping list.

“The look book is a progression of where tile design is heading based on trends in interior and product design, art and fashion. After seeing what vendors have to offer, our team decides what the market is missing and we work to develop new and exciting products to meet design demands.”—Brandy Janke

A Day at Cersaie

Appointments with vendors took place all day and were spread out over 12 massive buildings. (The team clocked six miles of walking a day!) Each vendor has a booth that acts as a mini showroom, as seen in the amount of detail and design in the image below.

An artistic and aesthetically pleasing vendor display.

In these brief meetings, the team challenged vendors to show their newest and most original products. The companies design and develop lines of tile specifically for the show, anticipating new trends and putting their best foot forward. Trusted vendors get a peek at The Tile Shop’s lookbook to see if they can fill in any of the product or trend gaps that have been identified. A close vendor partner may even offer to develop a new product based on the inspiration in the lookbook, creating an original tile.

Vendor meetings taking place.

Foliage makes this display stand out from a crowd.

Top Trends

We can’t talk about Cersaie without talking tile trends. This year, ceramic tiles mimicking the look of tin ceilings, white marble, 3-D tile and new advancements in technology were the big stories.

“We noticed a lot of experimentation with the incredible advancements this year. The whole team can’t wait to see what is presented at next year’s show.”—Brandy Janke

Deep ink technology, which gives a realistic marble veining effect to man-made porcelain tile, and nanopolish, a process that creates a high-definition glass glazed look, are two of the newest advancements on display this year. And large-format tile? It just keeps getting larger. A 10-foot tile was even presented by one vendor.

Bold and colorful tiles display a patchwork trend.

Beyond Cersaie

Another year, another successful scouting mission. Attending shows like Cersaie is important for The Tile Shop team. It’s an investment in our customers that allows us to have the most robust selection around.

“Cersaie is a scouting experience. It allows us to see what is out in the market and stay ahead of trends to ensure we bring the most unique new products to our stores. After this year, I feel very confident that The Tile Shop is ahead of the trends. We have a lot of exciting things our customers are going to love coming out over the next year.”—Brandy Janke

Cersaie has made us even more excited about what 2019 has to bring. Check back over the coming months to see what new arrivals we have in store.

The post The 2018 Cersaie Tile Show appeared first on The Tile Shop Blog.