TileTown Blog – Page 6 – Your Space. Your Style. Your Way.

How Culture Can Influence Interior Design

Since 2017, Judi Merrell, a talented interior designer and architect, has been a part of the Richmond, BC Tile Town team. We asked Judi a few questions on her role, love of design, how she discovers Tile Town customer needs and what inspires her own home interior designs.

Please share with us, Judi, how you came to work at Tile Town?

Being in the design world and the opportunity to practice my skills every day in helping guide, solve, and execute very real customer visions and problems with interior design and renovations, drew me to apply for a position with Tile Town in Richmond, BC.

I was offered the position of Assistant Store Manager and Design Consultant. Along with that came the freedom to implement design influences and share knowledge to help create design dreams, no matter the size of the renovation project.

It’s been an incredible five-year journey in an enjoyable, creative and wonderful work environment.

It’s entirely my pleasure working with Tile Town clients; I love hearing about customers’ design needs and ultimately seeing their reactions to what tiles can do to beautify spaces.

How is Tile Town different – why should people shop with us?

We listen to your needs at Tile Town and guide you through the tile selection process.

Well-designed architecture and design and the connection individuals have to it, is first and foremost, personal and something not easily explained.

Why? Because everyone is different!

Designing any aspect of your home is a reflection of your personality. Tiles play an essential role in interior design, and we work with you to identify what tiles can be used. They set your home’s look and feel, creating the desired ambience and comfort.

How has your role changed?

Each day I step up to the challenges of finding the right tile, designing the proper layout and meeting the needs of my customers with ever-changing design and style trends.

What do you love about your job?

Everything! I LOVE the Tile Town Approach: Tile Town – Your Space, Your Style, Your Way.

I have the tools and the resources to support my work and customers.

Most importantly, I am valued and part of a great team. I am provided with the opportunities to increase my knowledge and understanding of tile styles and applications, additional supplies and accessories and new product training while working with a great group of friends – a reliable and fun team headed by a dedicated and fun Store Manager.

Do you have a background in design?

Design trends have always been an influence in my life. It all started with observing my mother designing our various homes while growing up.

I studied Architect, Project Management, Interior Design and have a Bachelors’s degree in Architectural Interior Design from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Working professionally with architectural firms showed me that my area of expertise is working with the finished colour, space, layout and style rather than designing an overall structure. My education allows me to offer both advice and experience, architecturally and design related.

Tell me about your approach to design.

I am influenced by culture, cultural design trends and space having its own personality.

Creating memorable, delightful stress-free experiences is key to my approach to design and designing space.

Creating a tile design is like painting a picture – we must consider all the factors involved in the space – colour, space, layout and style. I love simplicity, elegance and comfort. I enjoy marrying glass, wood and tile together, Scandinavian or Swedish styles, clean, muted tones, transparent glass and wood structures with diffused lighting and lighter tones and textures. The right tile choice enhances the overall effect of completing the space.

What design inspirations have you brought to your own home?

The strongest design inspirations for me are the South Pacific. Our home reflects my childhood in the South Pacific with my husband’s BC background. Our home combines culture and arts. BC’s magnificent First Nations art is very similar to the New Zealand Maori art. My Fijian roots and artwork add to the warmth of our home as do Indigenous art and warm elements like plants and paint tones (Terracotta and Indian sunset colours). Even in the middle of a snowy winter, our home feels like a tropical paradise.

All that’s needed is a cold beverage in a coconut cup to make me feel like I’m on permanent vacation in my home!

Visit our Tile Town location in Richmond to see Judi. Come prepared with vision ideas by first spending some time using our (free) desktop design app Town Square.

Spotlight: Ali Alamolhoda, Osa Construction

Osa Construction was established by Ali Alamolhoda who took his joinery foundation program and has his certificate in furniture design and construction. Ali’s team includes Travis, a talented builder experienced in residential framing.

Ali – tell us about yourself. What type of clients do you work with? What do you help to design?
We are located in Sooke and we operate from Langford to Jordan river. I’ve had the opportunity to have customers who allow me to design the entire space we are working in. We agree on a general look and budget and my company takes care of everything in the project. We mainly do large custom renovations in vacation rentals on the West Coast – providing high-quality custom spaces for our clients to rent out. We also build custom homes in the Sooke area.

Are you known for a particular look or approach? Do tell!
I’ve been told I have a style, hard to say exactly what it is. It feels cliché to say the word “clean” but I do push to achieve more with less. I always put a heavy emphasis on timeless construction. Trying to build spaces that stand the test of time instead of directly following trends.

kitchen backsplash — Clean lines, Scandi influence.

What are your favourite textures and colours to work with?
When it comes to vacation rentals I am tasked with the job of creating a space that will have a high return rate in regards to the client’s investment. With a lot of my work in the Sooke/Shirley area, that means that each space needs to be different from the last. I’m forced to change what I work with for most jobs. Right now I am really into dark tiles with gray veining and walnut details.

Who do you follow on social media for inspiration?
I don’t really follow anyone specifically for inspiration. When building homes I’m always looking for creative design details I can put into the next project that usually takes me down the Instagram rabbit hole of design/build posts.

Do you share your work on social media? Where can we follow you?
I share my work sporadically. Depends on how busy I am. You can find us on Instagram.

What home décor trend do you wish would disappear?
White on white everything. Don’t get me wrong – white walls are great but I feel variety is the key to design that doesn’t fade with a trend.

What trend is here to stay for a while?
Scandinavian design and details, along with black kitchen and bath fixtures.

What’s the next big thing in kitchens? Bathrooms?
Hard to say, I feel like everything that is possible has been done somewhere by someone and now we are just refining years and years of design and construction work.

Describe your approach to working with clients. Do you offer any of your services online?
My approach with the client has been pretty straightforward. We agree on a design style, a budget and a timeline. My company and crew take care of everything. We have a very talented crew that can cover every stage of the reno or build.

You’re stuck on a deserted island. A bottle washes ashore with a rolled-up magazine inside. Which one do you hope it will be?
Sunset
Dwell For sure!
Elle Décor
HGTV magazine
House & Garden
Architectural Digest

Executive style lodging at Cedar Coast Retreat in Shirley, designed and built by Osa Construction.

Describe the photos you are submitting with this profile.
A 2×2 dark tile mixed with a slab of new Cristallo backlit with a LED panel. The idea in this bathroom was a shower you could stand in overlooking the ocean while the lights were dimmed low. The glow of the slab warms the room while you stand under two oversized rain heads.

Four Tips for Choosing Floor Tile

When renovating or updating your home, changing the flooring is one of the most significant ways to make an impact. Before you move forward and make any tiling design decisions, consider these factors:

-How the room is used by you and your family
-Floor size: do you want the room to appear larger than it is?
-How durable do you need the flooring to be?
-Do you have children and pets?

With these considerations, we can help you make an informed decision on your new floors – before you fall in love with a particular colour or tiling product!

Featured: La Marca Nero Venato 12×24 Honed Rectified Porcelain Tile.

Room with a purpose
If you’re planning to tile a kitchen, and maybe one of you may be a wee bit messier in the kitchen (and prone to slopping sauce on the floor!), you may want to choose a more stain-resistant tile like porcelain.

Or, if you’re planning to tile a front room or entranceway, this area is prone to spills and muddy shoes or paws that track in the snow. What kind of tiles are not slippery? You may want to consider a vinyl tile for this area in your home.

Room size matters
If you’re tiling a bathroom (which tends to have less floor space), consider a smaller tile to make the room appear bigger. Smaller hexagon-shaped subway tiles in a bathroom can make a room appear a lot bigger versus a larger square tile pattern that could make a room look smaller.

Our online room visualizer tool can help home renovators see the difference between smaller or larger tiles with smaller rooms.

Durability

How do we find the most durable flooring? Tile always seems to win out as it’s typically resistant to stains and scratches.

We suggest you consider the room that you’re tiling for durability needs. Have you had water damage in this room? Is there any likelihood of future water damage? If you’re tiling the laundry room, you may want to consider a product that is water and stain-resistant. Tile Town carries a large selection of Italian tiles that are incredibly durable in a home.

Children and pets

Our beloved children can be hard on a home. And not to forget our pets (especially if they are prone to rolling in smelly things on walks!). Choosing a floor tile with larger grout areas can be more effective against messes and pet odours.

We suggest you log into our Town Square website, where you can start your project planning. Or give us a call; we’d love to help.

How to Plan Your Next Tiling Project with Town Square

Planning a new tiling project or renovation can quickly become an overwhelming task. From gathering ideas and inspiration to sourcing materials and trying out a variety of samples on location, there’s a lot to consider.

But with the Town Square project planner app, coordinating that same project can actually be simple, seamless, and more than a little fun. It can help you gather ideas, build mood boards, chat with tiling experts, and visualize your space—all from a single easy-to-use digital space.

Here’s how you can use Town Square to plan your next tiling project from A to Z.

1. Getting started
Before you begin brainstorming ideas for your space, visit the Town Square page to get started. If you don’t want to lose your progress, you’ll want to create an account as well.

Then, give your project a name. We recommend using the name of the room you’re tiling. If you’re going to be working on multiple rooms, you can create multiple projects and switch between by tapping on the top left menu.

2. Add photos of your space
Next, take some photos of the space you want to tile or retile. For the best results, take wide shots that show most of the full room or space you’re working on. You’ll use these photos in the Town Square app, later on, to visualize your space, as well as in consultation with your Tile Town design expert.

You can also add notes to your photos. For example, say you’re taking photos of your kitchen because you’re planning to retile the backsplash. You can note in the photos whether the countertop will be getting replaced or not, as that will impact the colour or style of the new tile you choose.

3. Collection inspiration and build your mood board
Now it’s time to start gathering ideas and inspiration. From inside the app, you can browse tiles and add images to your mood board with a tap. You can also see any tile you’ve already favourited previously.

This is a great way to keep all of your ideas and inspiration in one place you can easily reference later, or easily share with a Tile Town designer.

4. Use the Visualizer Tool
Finding inspiration and ideas isn’t hard. Trying to visualize them in your space, though, can be tricky. That’s where Town Square’s Visualizer Tool comes in handy. With the Visualizer, you can see how different tile combinations look in your space with a few taps of your finger.

You can use the photos you uploaded of your space, or choose from pre-loaded scenes if that’s easier. This is a great way to quickly see how different tiles and combinations of tiles work together for your space.

5. Manage your project
From directly within the Town Square app you can also find installation tools, order samples, and arrange to talk with a Tile Town designer for tips and advice.

6. Consult with a Tile Town Designer
After you’ve gathered your ideas, built your mood board, and visualized your project, you can book a consultation with a Tile Town Designer for some expert advice. Your Designer will review your project in the app and offer advice and recommendations.

7. Complete your order
Once you’ve finalized your selections, you can complete your order from within the app, and select either doorstep delivery or in-store pickup. With the Town Square app, planning your next tiling project is simple and easy. From start to finish you can keep all of your ideas, inspiration, favourite tiles, and advice from expert consultants in one easy-to-reference place. Try it out today.

Top Home Décor Trends 2022

Adding updates to our home is often at the top of our “new year, new me” resolution list. When considering interior design changes, we suggest looking at top home décor trends for 2022.

From earthy colours to dual-purpose rooms. Smart tech with our home appliances. Less clutter and meaningful collections. Bring the outside in with plants. Or bring the inside out with expanded living areas for your patio and yard. Here we describe a few of the home décor trends 2022.

It’s all about earthy colour
This year sees us moving to more earthy paint colours. Our white and grey walls will see more rich browns and bright greens as we move away from neutrals and bring in splashes of colour that modernize our homes and bring new energy to a room.

Featured: Utah Granite 12×24 Italian Porcelain Tile.

Featured: Templestone Plow 12×24 Porcelain Tile.

Make it bold
While it’s forecasted that big, bold designs and colours are on their way in, we don’t all need to buy huge pieces of art or large luxurious velvet sofas to be on-trend. As The Province newspaper shares in this feature, it’s easy enough to add a boldly printed duvet cover to a bed or some bright throw cushions to be on-trend.

Dual purposes
Many of our rooms have dual purposes as the family is living, working and learning at home. We’ll find ways to incorporate other needs into rooms. Whether it’s a hangout space and a dining room or an office in a walk-in closet or a nook of the main bedroom, in 2022, we see new creative ways of maximizing our home spaces.

Featured: Flux Concrete 12×24 Matte Rectified Porcelain Tile.

Smart homes
While technology advances our lives, our homes see more and more smart appliances.

Smart soundbars for televisions help us manage volume and also act as a control centre to manage our other voice-activated devices (“Alexa, what’s for dinner?”).

Smart thermostats help us manage how cool our homes are throughout the day – no more thermostat battles!

Smart appliances help us manage tasks – coffee makers start with a voice command to robot vacuums programmed to skirt around the living room on preferred days and times.

Simplify
While we used to have bold collections of books and collectibles on flat surfaces, now is the time to streamline the candle scape and lessen the pile of books on the coffee table. We can simplify our lives by setting out one or two meaningful items from a collection.

Plants
To bring the outdoors in, we continue to see more house plants. Be sure to look at plants that work with your lifestyle, so if you’re not one for regular watering, maybe choose more low maintenance plants vs an Orchid.

Or maybe there is a smart watering can that can remind you to water!

Featured: MyStone Sand 12×24 Italian porcelain tile.

Indoors out
Again, we anticipate enjoying our patios and yards when the seasons change. This year will be the one to look at patio spaces and expand outdoor living areas with new dining or lounging furniture if this hasn’t already been updated.

These trends don’t mean that we all have to take down our beloved sliding barn doors and immediately paint our homes in the Pantone colour of the year 2022 (Very Peri). We can add a few elements to give a home a refresh for the new year. Western Living Magazine shares a few ideas on their website to incorporate the colour of the year into your home.

If you’re thinking of updating your tiles (what a great way to add colour to a room!), please try our virtual visualizer to see what tiles might work well in your room. Or give us a call; we’d love to help.

Choosing Fireplace Tiles

Fireplaces add elegance, class and sophistication to any room. When in use, they provide warmth, comfort and peace of mind. Fireplace surrounds showcase the hearth and flames.

HGTV has 10 stylish recommendations for fireplace surrounds, each adding its own ‘flare.’ Most importantly is that they are non-flammable and safe to use.

Tile elements to consider
Fire safety is always top of mind. Always check with local fire experts about potential hazards and risks before making any major changes.

Consider the look, feel, geometry and colour of the tiles in question. Ask yourself if they fit the aesthetic of the room and highlight the fireplace itself without necessarily making it look too busy. Fireplaces are often the focal point of the room and should please the eye rather than scare it.

The installation process itself is not easy. Hiring a professional may be the best course of action to avoid mistakes, ensure safety and code regulations are met and know the job is well done.

Tiles best suited for fireplace surrounds

The versatility and nature of Porcelain tiles make them an obvious choice for fireplace surroundings. Porcelain tiles are dirt-resistant and also block out odours, fumes, allergens, or antigens. Wood-look porcelain tiles are also a great alternative to real wood, which may not be best suited for a fireplace for obvious reasons.

Featured: Ledger Stone Glacier 6X24 Porcelain tile.

Featured: Paint Stone White 12X24 Italian Porcelain tile.

Featured: Spaccato Mix 8X24 Muretto Italian Porcelain tile.

Natural stone tiles have many luxurious uses. High-end tiles fit well around a high-end fixture, creating a sense of space and making a room feel light, airy, and open. Natural stone never goes out of style with its upscale rustic look. While a fireplace provides actual warmth, natural stone adds the feeling of warmth, is durable and easy to clean. Some examples include slate, granite, marble, limestone, travertine and sandstone.

Featured: Caesar Bianco Macchiato 3×12 Polished Marble Tile.

Featured: Fitch Cloud 12×24 Italian Porcelain tile.

Visualize the fireplace surround
Take advantage of Tile Town’s Visualizer tool as your first step in figuring out the potential look of a fireplace surround. The online interactive tool allows you to play around with ideas, looks, and colours between the fireplace, floors, walls and other items in the room that complement one another to be cohesive.

Have questions? Visit your nearest Tile Town showroom and speak with one of our design experts today.

When to Choose Encaustic Tiles

Styles come and go. Encaustic-style tiles are making a comeback boasting beautiful, colourful patterns and designed to suit any area or look. Originally used in Europe in the medieval ages, these days encaustic tiles give modern-day homes a contemporary look and an upscale feel.

There are two types of Encaustic tiles – cement, and ceramic.

Cement-based encaustic tiles are handcrafted and time and labour-intensive. The process involves embedding colourful patterns into the tile using a forged metal frame and compressing it with a hydraulic press. Cement-based tiles also stand the test of time. As they become worn down, much of the design and colour remain. Their designs are limitless adding elegance, old-fashioned charm, and uniqueness. The metal frames can be shaped into any desired design or pattern, using any colour imaginable. Cement encaustic tiles also need to be sealed properly before installation and regularly after that. Needless to say, cement-based tiles can be pricey.

Ceramic encaustic tiles are manufactured differently. Like traditional encaustic tiles, they are made of clay and fired in a kiln. When glazed, they become waterproof. However, they can mimic the look so well that the difference is hardly noticeable. They are less expensive than cement tiles.

Form Ice Deco Clover, Monochrome Lotus, Tide Deco Clover, Atelier Fiore 8×8 Porcelain Tiles

Featured: Atelier Fiore Decor 8×8 Matte Porcelain Tile

Featured: Form Monochrome Lotus 8X8 Porcelain Tile

How to pick encaustic tiles
Because of their eye-catching appearances, encaustic tiles are a wow factor you can add to any room. They add fun and interest to kitchen backsplashes, bathroom floors, laundry rooms and entryways.

Encaustic tiles also look great on fireplace walls or to give a faux-rug appearance in a hallway entrance. No matter where you use encaustic tiles, know the material and how to maintain it so it stays long-lasting.

Tile Town offers porcelain tiles that are easy to install, maintain, and offer a classic timeless look that can add a luxurious touch to your home. Our staff will also work with you to design the look of any room you want to feature encaustic tiles.

Featured: 8″x 8″ – Deco Diamond Tide (Special Order)

Featured: 8″x 8″ – Deco Geo Monochrome (Special Order)

Staff culture at Tile Town based on supported growth

Jason Makowski will soon celebrate the seventh year of his Tile Town career.

“What inspires me is that, I know coming to work every day, it’s not just coming to do my job and leave,” says Makowski. “I’m working towards a greater goal of moving up and taking on more responsibility.”

Makowski was only looking for a paycheck to get by when he first started working – initially applying as a labourer lifter at Tile Town for what he assumed was going to be a temporary job. “I kind of just needed a job, I didn’t know about tile or anything,” he admits.

To his surprise, Makowski found purpose. He was encouraged by a supportive, growth-promoting team environment to think about his potential and change the course of his future.

“Tile Town breeds a culture of what you’ll put in, you’ll get back,” Makowski exclaims. “A couple of years in, I realized I could make something of this and grow.”

Makowski worked his way up from the warehouse to the sales floor, and eventually, into management and in the distribution centre. His motivation: helping and improving people’s lives.

“It’s not just about tile, people come in and we give them good service,” says Makowski. “The reward is they come back.”

Makowski’s managerial style is to provide his staff with as much support as possible – modelling his approach after a boss who took him under their wing.

“We just try and have fun. We all realize life is bigger than just work itself, so there is freedom if we can get the work done,” explains Makowski. “I’ve also worked in every position, so when I do have a message to get across, it resonates more because I know how my staff are feeling in those situations.”

Jason Makowski at work in Surrey's Tile Town Showroom

Makowski notes his store has seen slight changes in tile-picking trends.

“People are getting more exotic with their tile. They’re are coming in and adding more pop and style to their rooms,” Makowski says. “There was a 3-to-4 year period where all people cared about was reselling their house, so all they wanted to do was white. Now people want to enjoy their spaces a bit more and are planning to be there a bit longer.”

Makowski is excited about his future and looks forward to continue growing his career with Tile Town. When in the Cloverdale neighbourhood in Surrey, be sure to visit Tile Town say hello to Jason and his team.

Coats for Kids Means a Brighter Holiday

Coats for Kids Means a Brighter Holiday

It’s that time of the year again when we collect coats at our Tile Town locations throughout BC and Alberta.

At our Richmond and Surrey Tile Town locations, we’ve partnered with HAVAN’s 26th Coats for Kids campaign, in support of the Lower Mainland and Surrey Christmas Bureaus. We invite you to drop off warm winter items until December 3.

Our Tile Town location on Vancouver Island is accepting donations of new or very gently used coats (all sizes from infant to youth large) on behalf of the Victoria Coats For Kids Association, a non-profit organization serving local families for the past 22 years. Coats can be dropped off at our Victoria showroom during regular business hours.

If you’re near our Edmonton West or Edmonton South showrooms, we’re collecting coats on behalf of the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. Their Coats for Kids & Families initiative has been going strong since 1992!

Thank you for helping us create a warmer winter and brighter holiday season for families in need.

Tile Town staff at the Richmond showroom invite you to drop off coats (left).
Staff in our Edmonton location are ready for your warm winter donations (right).

Featured Tile: Formwork Series

Classic shades offer a versatile tile option for designers seeking continuity between the floor and the wall.

Formwork Series

Colours: Anthracite, White
Size: 12×24
The mass-coloured porcelain tiles of the Energie Ker Formwork collection best represent the minimalist and urban flavour of industrial reinforced concrete floors. Two classic shades – White and Anthracite – with a thickness of 9 mm, make Formwork extremely versatile in furnishing projects also in continuity between the floor and the wall.