Flooring/Tile

Set the mood

Creating a moodboard is an excellent way to clarify your vision for a project. You don’t necessarily have to get on Pinterest and create a board– you could just look through lots of catalogs and magazines to find tile and general decor that resonates with you, and put together an informal scrapbook. You could also scour the web for examples of tile that you love, and create a photo album on your phone.

Showing a tile expert during your search will help them get the best idea of what you have in mind, allowing them to find the best fit for you and your needs.

Form and function

Considering the function of the room is another thing you should do right off the bat when starting the search for your ideal tile. A kitchen backsplash will have different material requirements than a bathroom floor, especially a shared one that will get a lot of traffic in your home. 

There are actually different types of tile specially made for walls versus floors. It’s definitely not recommended to install wall tile on floors– it won’t be as durable and doesn’t have as hard of a glaze as typical floor tile, meaning it just won’t last as long.

If you’re not sure which type of tile will look great and be durable enough for your family’s needs, the tile experts at Kaufman By Design will be able to steer you in the right direction!

Don’t forget about maintenance

Tile might seem like a low-maintenance material, and compared to something like a plush deep pile carpet, it is! But there’s still a certain level of maintenance to keep up with to make sure your tile stays looking its absolute best.

The amount of grout required for your chosen tiles is an important factor for maintenance. Choosing very small tiles, for example, means more grout to clean! It’s imperative to keep the grout clean and immediately attend to any issues with your tile that might arise, like chips or cracks, to keep everything looking its best.

In addition to just making your home look nice, well-maintained tile will increase the value of your home, if you ever choose to sell it. Keeping tile maintained on a regular basis will also decrease the amount of repairs you might have to make to keep a potential buyer happy.

Use the illusion

Did you know that the size of your chosen tile can actually create the illusion of a larger space? Choosing a larger tile, especially one in a plain and neutral color, can give the impression of a bigger room, and will open up the space to feel a little more open and airy, even if it’s a small bathroom!

This unexpected benefit of larger tile makes it the obvious choice for many, since larger tile also means less grout and therefore less grout maintenance!

Ultimately, of course, it’s up to you. If you’ve always wanted 1” honeycomb tiles in your bathroom, you should absolutely get those small tiles. The most important thing is that you end up with a room that you love. Everything else is secondary!

Test drive

An effective way of choosing a tile that you will end up loving for a long time is to pick up tile samples of your top choices. Lay these samples out in the spaces where you’ll be adding tile, and keep them there for a couple of weeks. Be sure to look at them in different lights, like daylight versus overhead lighting, in order to best picture them in the space.

Spending a considerable amount of time with your prospective tile will help you consider it as effectively as possible, and when you finally make your decision, you’ll know that you really did make the right choice!

At every part of the process, the tile experts at Kaufman By Design will help you find the perfect tile for your home in Little Rock. We’re prepared to answer any question you might have about the process, from color suggestions to grout maintenance. Give us a call or send us a message today and we’ll get to tiling in no time!