July 19, 2003
San Gabriel Valley, CA

Versatile Interiors
By Kyra Kirkwood

It's not just for bathrooms anymore.

For decades, tile was viewed as an appropriate option for floors and counters in the bathroom and kitchen. But according to representatives at the Rosemead-based Monterey Ceramic Tile and Marble Inc., tile has now found a home in almost every room of the house due to its beauty, cleanliness and versatility.

A large boost to tile's popularity is the variety of styles and colors available today. Homeowners have so much more than just "Home Depot White" from which to choose, said Jan Leong, president of the company.

From Van Gogh blue to buttery yellow, Christmas-tree green to barely-there cream, tile comes in nearly as many colors as paint.

The desired colors are anything but light. Homeowners are taking risks with bold, jewel-toned hues such as copper and amethyst, Leong said.

Modern tiles integrate other materials into the mix, such as glass and marble, to create a 3-D textured surface. For example, Monterey Ceramic's Glass Bubble No. 2 features tile with river-rock shaped pieces of glass, processed to look like naturally tumbled beach glass.

Some tiles are sculpted to look like sculptures, while others have iridescent-like qualities.

The fun part is that tile can look like anything other than tile, said Leong. She notes how new styles resemble wood, leather and fabric.

"It's more tactile," she said.

Homeowners are also looking beyond their back doors in an attempt to employ tile. Forget concrete and wooden decks for the patio and pool areas.

"Now we're using tile as a landscape treatment," Leong said.

Floors are still the most popular use for tile, but people are also utilizing this medium for fireplaces, ceilings, borders and even entire walls. From a Southwest-style fireplace hearth to a completely tiled bathroom (floors, walls and surfaces), tile's flexibility appears endless.

One of Leong's clients in the San Francisco area used mosaic tile instead of paint to cover each wall in his living room. Another client lined an entire bedroom ceiling with ITAL faux-END ITAL painted tile.

"This is their wallpaper, this is their carpet," said Leong, noting how many European countries utilize tile extensively in their home decor.

For the most part, homeowners are seeking to add to a surface, not completely cover it. And with the vast range of tile prices, it's an affordable option for nearly any budget. Its prices vary, but it generally runs higher than carpet and less that wood floors.

"The more interesting a tile looks, the more expensive it gets," Leong said. "But 'big' doesn't mean expensive."

The first thing homeowners should do is sit down and figure out which rooms they want to tile and what atmosphere they're trying to create within that space.

"Aesthetics should come into the mind set first," Leong said.

Home offices and entertainment-based areas are some of the most popular "new" areas to tile, while the bedroom or other "soft" places still lean toward carpet as a floor treatment.

But Leong said the sanitary properties of tile often make people with allergies choose this hearty floor covering over rugs and carpet.

Once the location and the "feel" of the room are determined, homeowners should then seek out an expert opinion on the type of tile appropriate for their family. A tile expert can help first-time tile buyers sort through the different properties of each style.

"It's best to match your lifestyle to the type of tile you're using," Leong said.

The fear of shattering tile keeps many a homeowner from placing it in a well-used area, but that's not necessarily the only option, said Leong. Asking tile professionals for high-traffic types of tile can provide new options for the shatter-fearing homeowner.

Although the actual placement of tile is more tedious than tough, many first-time do-it-yourselfers might be better off having a professional complete the job.

"If you want to hop in your car and go zero to 60 miles an hour, then maybe this isn't for you," said Leong. "It's hard work, but there is a sense of pride. If you just want to slap the tile on, don't bother" trying to do it yourself.

Before this home-improvement project is undertaken, homeowners should first make a plan with a realistic time line.

"It's very much like cooking -- you always want to have your ingredients, so to speak, measured out," Leong said.

A lack of planning and rushing through the project are the main reasons do-it-yourself tile projects wind up being much more difficult than first anticipated. Also, a rushed job often accounts for cracked tiles and poor floor preparation, he said.

When done correctly, tile is one of the most durable surfaces around. Leong points to the extensive tiling in Old Town Pasadena that has lasted many years.

"If it's swell enough for a commercial environment, than just imagine what it can do for your house," Leong said.

-- Kyra Kirkwood is an Orange County-based freelance writer.