You're not ready to pick out tile when...
Last week I was shopping for tile for a couple of clients. I visited three of my trade tile sourcing stores and in all three stores, there were people shopping who were sent by their contractor to pick out tile for their space(s).I always find it interesting when I go sourcing and run into people who are trying to pick things out on their own and are clearly struggling. Don't get me wrong, there are many people who are great at choosing elements for their home, it just happens to be that last week, in all three stores, there were people who were clearly struggling to pick out tile.
You're not ready to pick out tile when...
You have no counter
In the first tile store, there was an older couple who came into the store with their cabinet sample. A beautiful, off-white, shaker style cabinet was in their hands. They were trying to find a great back splash tile for their kitchen. What they didn't have (and later I found out they had not even picked out yet), was their counter. How can you choose a backsplash without having a counter chosen?
I'm not sure what order the elements were chosen in this image however I am going to guess that the elements were chosen individually without a lot of thought going into how the 'big picture' would look when they all share a space. The island granite would sing IF the backsplash tile was a solid. In my opinion, there are competing elements in this space - and I'm not a fan. Who is the star of this space? I'm not sure.
When to pick out tile
When designing a space, it is really important not to look at elements as individual pieces. In that I mean, you always have to take into consideration the big picture of the space. You need to consider how each element is going to play with each other. Are there competing patterns? Are the elements in the same undertone (and yes - this matters)? Here is the order I use when to choosing elements for a kitchen and /or bathroom that would have tile:
- Flooring
- Cabinet colour and cabinet style (typically based on the home's foundation palette)
- Counter
- Backsplash
- Wall colour
Pulling it all together
Here's a sneak peak at a master bathroom and the elements that were used to pull this space together. For this space, the cabinet colour and style were chosen first. Then the counter and then the tile. The wall colour was chosen last. The palette for this particular master bathroom gives a lot of choice as to adding in accent colours. Final photos are being taken this week and I can't wait to share this with you!
Not sure where to start with your next renovation project.
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