The most common styles of flooring we’re accustomed to in Australia and seem to prefer for our homes are a combination of wood, tiles, natural stone and carpet, and each provide characteristics that best suit our needs for a range of reasons. However, when it comes to durability, affordability and the ability to provide a wide range of different looks and finishes, Porcelain Tiles ticks all the boxes.
When working with my clients to build the home of their dreams, I’m there to select and help direct them to select products that best suit their needs and budgets, and when it comes to tiles, I also know I have endless choices of colours, shapes and sizes, to suit many different looks and styles. The amazing results achieved in modern porcelain stoneware create a flooring surface, which is water resistant, stain proof and harder wearing than natural stone. It’s also consistent in colour and style, providing a reliable look throughout the home.
I’ve talked profusely about how convincing tiles are at offering the look of natural stone, marble, wood, concrete, terrazzo... you name it. Yet, the simple, more classic ‘block colour’ look of tiles is still also present on the market and performing strongly, allowing to satisfy any desired look wished for on the interiors' market, as well as coming in a large range of shapes, sizes and colours.
Another great feature of tiles for our Australian way of life is that they are perfect for outdoors use, being durable, frost-resistant, with most ‘better quality’ ranges coming in matching interior and exterior finishes. This means you can match the indoor and out door tiles creating a continuous ‘indoor/outdoor” look, making the your home feel larger.
Not last, porcelain tiles are available in textures and patterns that make it easy to mix and match, working to achieve unconventional and unique looks. I often suggest to play with the tile size and shape, rather than mixing in too many different colours, to achieve an eclectic result without breaking the budget. From small mosaics to extra large format, from glossy to matte, smooth or textured, porcelain tiles provide so many options, there's no excuse not to play and find the looks that works for you.
But if you are overwhelmed by the many choices, how do you find what is best for your home? My advice is to do some homework and look around, to find what solutions really catch your eye; search the internet, flick through lifestyle magazines... collect all the images that inspire you and ask yourself why you like one look more than another... this will help you focus. Finally visit a tiling store and ask the experts all your questions to achieve the look and performance you're after.
Tip: For a striking and affordable result, a simple shaped rectangular tile can be laid on an unusual pattern: chevron, for example, and/or contrasted with a coloured grout. This will give you an affordable feature to elevate the look of a bathroom for example, or a kitchen splash-back.
Tip: Large tiles are one of my favourite choices, resulting in faster and cheaper lay, showing less grouting and making it easier to clean. Using large size tiles helps achieve an elegant and expensive look but also help by giving the impression of a larger room, and they allow natural marble and stone looks to really show off their “good looks”.
Tip: Consider Porcelain slabs for other applications like table tops, kitchen bench tops and splashbacks. Thanks to the many looks available, the sizes and formidable strength, porcelain tiles can offer that special detail you need to upgrade your interiors from DRAB to FABULOUS!!
From elegant to rustic, from classic to contemporary, to industrial, to outdoors... porcelain tiles are arguably the most flexible and satisfying product to consider for anybody's interiors' design. To be inspired, have a look at FLORIM webpage and marvel at this beautiful product in the many looks available.
James Treble is an ambassador for Planet Ark and firmly believes in sensible purchasing, recycling and creative re-purposing. James has three decades of accumulated experience in the Building Industry, Real Estate and Interior Design and regularly shares his knowledge and experience in adding value to properties through effective design & styling. Watch his free videos on YouTube, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram for more free information.
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