blog, commercial blog, floors, walls
Choosing the size of the tiles for residential space is a critical design decision since it affects how large the room is perceived to be as well as setting the mood of the place… cozy, cool, spacious, and busy? If your customer has a small space or a large space, what are the best sizes to choose from? Should you advise smaller tiles to marry with the size of a tiny space? Will large tiles automatically make things look larger? It’s not entirely cut and dried but it depends upon your circumstances and the room itself.
While it will certainly help in deciding by offering samples, sometimes it’s difficult for a customer to picture exactly what those tiles will look like in the home. The amount of natural light, the location of their fixtures and fittings, ceiling heights, and available wall space- all play a role in how the finished space will look. It’s generally good advice to purchase tiles of a size relative to the amount of space. So, a really large area, say an open plan kitchen or dining room, can probably handle really large format tiles or planks which will lengthen the room in the direction of the planks (like the image above). If it’s a medium size bathroom, a medium-sized tile will generally be suitable. The tiniest of guest bathrooms may look best with smaller, even mosaic-style tiles.
Right: adagio light grey porcelain
However, one thing to bear in mind is grout lines, as these will make an impact on the final result and whether the space will look smaller or larger. The more grout lines you have, the busier your wall or floor will look and this may tend to make a smaller space look even more restricted. It may be good to go with a medium-sized tile instead to reduce that grid-like appearance that results from grout lines and give the illusion of a larger space.
On the other hand, a smaller bathroom, for instance, might have some difficult angles which means, practically speaking, a larger tile is going to need more cuts to fit around those items. If the toilet is located quite close to the shower, for instance, those tiles running along both may require more work than using a smaller tile that will fit better around them.
One thing that will make a room look larger is to use a grout color that is similar to the color of the tiles. This will then make that grid appear less noticeable and the tiles will look more seamless.
One area you can usually get away with smaller tiles is inside a shower cubicle. More grout lines mean better traction and less slipping, so choosing a small or mosaic tile for this area with a larger tile in the rest of the space is a good idea.
Left: brick glass mosaic
Whatever your project requires, our knowledgeable Tiletoria sales team are eager to assist you. Please contact your closest showroom to find the perfect size tiles for your renovation.
bathroom, blog, how to articles, robin sprong wallpapers blog
When picking my wallpaper, how important are the colours and fixtures in my bathroom?
Clients most commonly come to us with their bathroom almost complete. By this stage, it is usual to see that a colour palette has been chosen, alongside matching fixtures objects like the shower rail, washbasin and taps, shower/bath and taps, and floor tiles.
So, we often end up creating a design that fits in with the style of the bathroom that’s already present.
In a perfect world, you might choose to plan your bathroom wallpaper earlier when planning the design of your bathroom overall – but more often than not, building practices are drawn out and stressful and there’s more of a focus on getting this side of the process started as soon as possible.
Thus, it’s a popular approach to pick neutral tones and muted hues that will blend well with the rest of your design choices for your bathroom.
Have a look at these elegant wallpaper panels we created to style a client’s bathroom. It adds to the atmosphere of the room, but subtly as an elegant design that punctuates adds some flair to the neutral-coloured nature of the space.
If you’ve already defined the look for your bathroom, stay in line with the theme broadly but don’t be afraid to stray slightly to add some contrast and creativity.
For a small bathroom space, having a feature wall with a design that draws the eye into the scene and away from the walls blank canvas.
Have a look at our ideas for creating bathroom wallpaper for a guest bathroom – which is typically a smaller sized space, to which you can add sparks of personality.
The Guest Bathroom
The guest bathroom is slightly different from a personal bathroom.
Like shared spaces, it’s more common to see imagery, patterns or colours that are more universally accepted or pleasing to the eye.
But, it’s not uncommon for someone to choose to style their guest bathroom with a slightly unique vision in mind – as it’s a lesser-used space and can be an area show off some creativity or take a risk.
Here, some of the themes we’ve already mentioned still reign true. Popular choices include bathroom wallpapers featuring patterns of birds, flowers, plants and a distinct contrast between these forms and a darker or lighter background colour.
Another popular choice, that you might not think of initially when the idea of styling your bathroom is whirling around in your mind – is fish.
Bathroom wallpapers with fish can create a very interesting feel in a small bathroom. This still sticks to the overall theme of nature, but aquatic instead.
The range of blues associated with the ocean makes a fantastic base background for the wallpaper, which is contrasted by detailed and colourful fish forms.
This creates the depth you’re looking for, whilst the theme of nature is consistent and provides a tranquil feel alongside calming blue tones, used to represent the ocean.
The wallpaper design also has a funky, lighthearted feel, as you’re surrounded by fish with different colours, shapes and sizes. The natural intricate detail of a fish provides an eye-catching edge too.
Final part coming soon…
For any practical advice or assistance, call the Tiletoria Sales Team or visit their closest showroom.
bathroom, blog, how to articles, robin sprong wallpapers blog
Finding bathroom wallpaper ideas can be a difficult task, some might even view a bathroom as one of the more challenging environments to style. To help get you started with picking a style for your bathroom wallpaper, we’ve compiled a range of tips for picking wallpaper colours, wallpaper patterns and creating the kind of theme you have in mind:
Which vinyl wallpaper works best in the bathroom?
The fact that there’s moisture within the bathroom space, is a concern but one that can be placated. We will cover ways to deal with this concern later. For some people, choosing their bathroom space is more about not ending up with a standard white and chrome design scheme. Although, there’s nothing wrong with an elegant design scheme, but with bathroom wallpaper, you have a vehicle to emphasise and express any theme or atmosphere that you wish.
This wallpaper, for example, emphasises elegance by taking a vintage, floral-inspired twist. The artist, Jessica Warrwick, loves to illustrate the feeling of fun, whimsical movement combined with the opulent abundance of the natural world. The result is a bathroom wallpaper with muted tones that creates a classy environment.
Choose Your Prefernce from Options Like:
- rustic wallpaper
- modern wallpaper
- floral wallpaper
- landscape wallpaper
- photographic wallpaper
- textured wallpaper designs
Adding a Personal Touch
Unlike a shared space like a living room, which needs to be welcoming to guests, a bathroom is more of an experimental space. It’s popular when styling a bathroom to come across more striking themes and creativity, that relates strongly to a couple or someone’s personal taste. This means that the approach for designing your wallpaper will differ, depending on personal preference, the colour scheme, and fixtures you’ve chosen for the bathroom.
Bathrooms are often associated with the theme of nature which can be important to someone for a variety of reasons.
For some, nature is where they feel at peace. For others, the intricate detail and vibrant colours that nature serves to us on a platter are too much to resist when designing a bathroom wallpaper. Both the atmosphere created by nature and the detail of the wildlife and floral forms are important elements to a natural wallpaper.
The detail of the natural forms is brought to life by specific colours that have a purpose within the piece, the same way nature’s purpose within a bathroom wallpaper provides a sense of calm.
Selecting the right material on which to print your wallpaper
Bathrooms are wet spaces, subject to steam, splashes, spills and drips, wherever they might occur, so you need a wallpaper that will be able to stand the test of time. Steam is a primary factor that makes choosing a wallpaper for your bathroom a bit tricky. Steam can make wallpaper curl and decay designs, so it’s important to pick a durable surface to print your wallpaper on.
For starters choose solid vinyl, fabric-backed vinyl or paper-backed vinyl, as these provide the best splash proof wallpaper surfaces. Picking a plastic-based material will have result in a slight sheen or noticeable reflection, but the plastic nature of the material allows you to clean your wallpaper gently and easily. It also makes the wallpaper slightly water resistant, and this can help with any splashes of water or droplets of moisture left on the walls.
Vinyl wallpaper with a woven backing is also great for the bathroom, as it provides durability against slightly harsher scrubs and nicks. The textured nature of the wallpaper also provides creative room for enhancing the artwork or design. Certain imagery, like rustic wallpapers, vintage wallpapers and floral wallpapers can benefit from this additional texture for added intricate detail.
Part 2- coming soon…
For any practical advice or assistance, call the Tiletoria Sales Team or visit your closest showroom. Tiletoria Paarden Eiland is an official retailer of Robin Sprong Wallpaper so pop in store for inspiration or to get a quote.
bathroom, blog, renovation tips
Deon Bing knew from an early age that the outdoors were going to form a major part of his life. Surfing, trail running, lake swimming, skating and travelling – squeezing everything out of the day. Fast forward a few years and nothing has changed – his love for the environment has continued to grow. He’s been able to share these passions through his Radio Surf Report for nearly 3 decades. In addition, he brews and distributes his own craft beer and runs a video production company, Bing Digital. He has been an ambassador for Tiletoria for many years, and recently renovated his bathroom. Read about his experience, get some advice and inside tips before starting your own renovations.
What have you got available to spend on completing the bathroom renovation?
PLANNING AND BUDGET
The sanware and the tiles and all the pretty bits to make your bathroom look amazing are just a portion of the final costs.
Additional costs to consider are the adhesive and grout, new power points and light fittings, possibly plumbing upgrades, removal of the old bathroom tiles, basins and baths and delivery and storage of your new materials, ready for installation.
You’ll need to chat to the plumber and electrician before you start, as they’ll need to be there at the beginning during demolition as well as at particular stages along the way – i.e. making sure the power to your backlit mirror or heated towel rail is there before the wall tiles go on, or that the shower will have correct drainage, before you lay the floor mosaic.
Discuss the scope of work required and get a quote from them – and their availability to be on site! They need to schedule their diaries around progress on your bathroom renovation. They’ve done it before and can offer good advice on the pitfalls to avoid.
Anticipate lots of chopping, cutting, mixing and dust – you’ll need to cover and tape the rest of your home to keep it clean.
An experienced project manager takes away a lot of the guesswork and hassle and can also assist with fine tuning a realistic budget, offering alternative solutions – choose wisely.
Budget sorted, layout and design ideas and a plan of action ready – it’s time to visit the Tiletoria showroom!
VISIT THE TILETORIA SHOWROOM
The staff have been involved with numerous creative clients over the years and are able to discuss your ideas and give you detailed advice on each and every aspect of your planned renovation. They can help you avoid costly mistakes.
Their catchphrase is “Luxe for Less” – finding those bespoke, luxurious pieces that will enhance the look of the space, at a great price.
Take a walk with them through the showroom displays to get a better idea of how things will look and work together.
There are options for all budgets, with ranges of baths, basins, taps and toilets to meet all pockets.
Also note how the tiles have been laid, possibly a herringbone layout?
Large format tiles help to visually increase the size of a space – with the added bonus of being easier to clean.
Lighting is just as important, and the showroom displays have been lit to create the perfect mood.
And talking about mood, there are mood boards everywhere. They can even help you create your own, helping you visualise what goes together and how the end product will look. Ask for a sample to take home with you.
The staff will guide you through the process, confirm the stock availability and get everything ready for you to get going on your renovation.
Renovating your bathroom is a process, both a creative one and a practical one.
I was incredibly lucky with the team on site, competent and professional, as well as the selection of tiles and sanware we purchased from Tiletoria. The results were amazing and worth the effort and investment.
Take your time in the planning, chat to the right people, be aware of what your budget is and be realistic about the time it will take to complete.
The sales team at Tiletoria will advise and assist along the way, ensuring you are able to create the bathroom of your dreams, adding value to your home and to your life.
Deon’s Bathroom Before Reno
Deon’s Bathroom After Reno
Deon Bing ©
blog, how to articles, renovation tips
Deon Bing knew from an early age that the outdoors were going to form a major part of his life. Surfing, trail running, lake swimming, skating and travelling – squeezing everything out of the day. Fast forward a few years and nothing has changed – his love for the environment has continued to grow. He’s been able to share these passions through his Radio Surf Report for nearly 3 decades. In addition, he brews and distributes his own craft beer and runs a video production company, Bing Digital. He has been an ambassador for Tiletoria for many years, and recently renovated his bathroom. Read about his experience, get some advice and inside tips before starting your own renovations.
In the first part of our two part series on renovating a bathroom, we discuss the project overview, questions to ask your self and practical considerations before going ahead with your dream bathroom renovation. Once you’ve gone through that process and have an idea of the direction you want to take, it’s time for the costing and detail.
Our bathroom in an old Woodstock flat needed help – lots of it.
It’s weird how one gets used to peeling, lumo green walls, black mosaic and a faded yellow bath and toilet. Then, one final morning, after more than a year of lockdown and working from home, it smacks you between the eyes and you scream – ENOUGH!! This has to go…everything! You might be in a similar situation?
Maybe you walked into the bathroom of a new boutique hotel and were blown away with what’s possible and where the latest looks are headed? But take a breath and maybe some tips from my experience before diving in. There are so many little things to be taken care of and to plan for, before you start buying taps and tiles. You don’t want to be making costly changes down the line. I’d taken the decision to renovate, but wasn’t a builder, tiler or designer, plus didn’t have an unlimited budget. I’d have to focus and plan, understand the process to get what I wanted and keep costs realistic. It’s not just a tiler you need, it’s a plumber too. And an electrician that can install approved power and lights for bathroom use – which have different requirements to the rest of the house. And someone to jackhammer the old tiles off and a project manager to oversee that all the elements come together in sequence. But let’s go back to you in your bathroom.
FIRST THINGS FIRST – Some questions
- Take a shower or bath and practically look at what you’d like to change. Is it only you who uses the bathroom, or is there more input needed?
- Whats not working for you, what is? Is the layout correct, is the basin or shower big enough?
- Is there enough water pressure? Is the ventilation sufficient or is the fan too noisy?
- What would be the ideal scenario in your new bathroom?
- Do you still need both a bath and shower – I removed the bath completely and put in a nice sized walk-in shower.
- Is there enough storage – look at the variety of shampoos and face scrubs and medicines and the rest – do you need extra space for those? Or kiddies bath toys?
- A big mirrored cabinet could help, with subtle, understated lighting.
- There are often times, like the middle of the night, when you don’t need all the lights to be turned on.
- Heated towel rails or underfloor heating?
Before even thinking of the aesthetics, understand your basic requirements for the bathroom to be practical and functional and work for you and your family. Ideally, if you can stick with the existing layout, then you won’t have to make any major structural and plumbing changes.
Measure the space you have to work with. It’s important that you don’t get baths or basins that won’t fit the area – i.e. a basin too big that the bathroom door can’t open – nearly happened! Make sure there’s plenty of space between everything.
Now it’s time to get creative and play with some ideas!
GET CREATIVE
Look at the Tiletoria website, Pintrest, Studio McGee, Amber Interiors.
Colours – what goes together?
Floor styles and wall tiles, light fittings and ceiling finishes, baths, shower roses and glass doors and basins, taps and towel rails, mirrors, toilets and all the details that go along with it – so many options!
Narrow it down to the look and feel and then…reality.
The budget.
Part 2- coming soon…
For any practical advice or assistance, call the Tiletoria Sales Team or visit their closest showroom.
Deon Bing©
blog, floors, woodlook
Keen to switch up your flooring but not sure whether vinyls or laminates are most suitable for your space? Let’s explore some of their properties to help you decide which one is your perfect fit!
Vinyls vs Laminates:
Vinyl and laminate flooring offers a sleek and modern touch to your space.
Vinyl is made from plastic, making it extremely waterproof. This is ideal for rooms that are prone to moisture such as kitchens and bathrooms. Laminate floors are produced from synthetic materials that create the appearance of wooden floors, therefore offering the aesthetic of hardwood floors on a budget.
Vinyl is a better option if you’re looking for more water-resistant flooring, durability and a longer lifespan. Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is believed to be more stylish and comfortable on your feet, however, it is not waterproof and having water sit on these floors for a prolonged period of time can result in serious damage. It also does not last as long as vinyl flooring.
Both types of floors are simple to clean and maintain and require a simple sweep, mop or vacuum when necessary. If you require a form underlayment in order to install laminate flooring or choose to install vinyl sheeting, you may need to call on the help of professionals. However, both types of flooring come in planks that lock together, meaning it has the potential to be a DIY project as well.
Generally, laminate flooring can be found at a lower price point than vinyl flooring, however, both are considered budget-friendly compared to other types of flooring.
Shop our range of vinyls and laminates
One area you can usually get away with smaller tiles is inside a shower cubicle. More grout lines mean better traction and less slipping, so choosing a small or mosaic tile for this area with a larger tile in the rest of the space is a good idea.
