Set the Stage
Dress the table to impress for a party, but don't forget the floor. Dine in style by dining with tile
Image courtesy Image courtesy of "The Home Decorator's Tile Bible: A Complete Guide to Using and Choosing Tiles" by Morwenna Brett. Copyright 2008 Quarto Inc. Published by Firefly Books.
Sometimes inspiration is right in your own backyard ... and sometimes it's a continent away.
"I first became fascinated by tile on a student backpacking trip to the Middle East," explains Morwenna Brett, interior designer and author of "The Home Decorator's Tile Bible" (Firefly Books, 2008), in an email. "A girlfriend and I visited the mosques in Esfahan and Shiraz (Iran), where the tile work was stunningly beautiful, and it left a permanent impression."
According to Brett, that lasting impression can be made anywhere in the house, including the space many guests see - the dining room. She says tile is becoming more desirable and fashionable because of the range and availability of colors and materials. With all the options, the first step is to decide the tone you would like your dining room to portray.
"Tile always draws the eye - whether it's on floors or walls - so you really have to make it decide the theme of the room," Brett says. "Tile that glitters and gleams needs a glamorous decor to go with it. Soft, matte-colored tiles in neutral colors will make a restful room and should have gentle colors with them. Picture tiles and mosaics make a great accent but should ... star in the room without any competition with other bright colors or patterns." Your color choice can also enhance your dining room's mood. Brett recommends reds and oranges, as they are "warm and energizing" and stimulate appetite. When tiling a whole section, stick to simple, light-colored tiles because colors and patterns intensify in large areas - terracottas and soft oranges, she says, give warmth without dominating the room. Concentrate on the floor, rather than walls, in dining rooms - for added interest, form a frame around the table with metallic or patterned tile.
"Dinner guests can be talkative and the noise levels may rise," Brett says. "Tiled walls and ceilings in a dining room will reflect noise and make conversation difficult. So keep tiling to the floor surfaces only, unless [it's] an al fresco area on a patio or near a pool."
But if you are limited by your budget, even tiling a small area is a great opportunity. "You can use a beautiful, high-end tile that would be too expensive to use over a large area," Brett says.
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