Mosaic is the exciting new trend in household tiling. We asked the experts from House of Mosaics for their top tile tips
Q. Where can I use mosaic tiles?
A. Mosaic tiles are so versatile and are a simple way to add a touch of luxury and ‘wow’ factor to any tiled area, and there are so many ways to use them. Material depending, they are suitable for walls or floors, mainly in kitchens, bathrooms – basically for use in any room in the home. From en-suites and cloakrooms, to hallways and conservatories, even for fireplaces or to upcycle furniture!
Q. How difficult are they to apply?
A. All mosaics come on a mesh backer, which makes them easy to handle and they interlock and piece together like a jigsaw. They are usually 30x30cm per sheet and vary in thickness from 4mm up to 12mm, material depending. The mesh is simple to cut using scissors or a utility knife, and to cut the pieces, you would use a tile nipper or a manual or electric cutter.
The standard mosaics are easy to apply with a flexible tile adhesive using a tiling trowel, followed by a fine grade grout to finish off the look. All our packaging comes with full installation instructions. Our self-adhesive tiles are super easy, you just peel and stick for a quick makeover.
Q. What are the advantages of mosaic tiles?
A. Mosaic tiles can easily brighten up a plain wall and can be the difference between an average or nice tiled area, versus a fantastic or luxurious tiled area. You don’t need to break the bank to use mosaics, that’s the beauty of them as they are so versatile. You can get a real ‘wow’ look without the ‘wow’ price tag, depending on how you use them. Another plus is that you can easily use them on curved areas, and they are a little more forgiving if your walls are not perfectly straight or at a right-angle.
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Q. What different materials are available?
A. There are several available – glass, in many formats, from printed gloss patterns on the surface, to recycled glass to give a matt or encaustic look, to foil or fabric to the base of the tile giving the illusion of a 3D look. There are porcelain materials to give a classic yet hard-wearing finish. We have mixed materials, which fuse together different blends of natural stone, glass, metal, giving some innovative and unique looks, and natural stone – beautiful marbles, quartz and other stone finishes to give timeless options.
Q. What sort of range of styles is available?
We strive to ensure that our product mix caters for every customer taste or type, whether it be contemporary or traditional, and only stock the latest on-trend tile designs, with over 100 to choose from, with contemporary bright and bold designs, ‘bling’ mirror or ‘jewel-esque’ designs to daring geometric or Moroccan style patterns. We also have many monochrome designs, to classic ageless marbles, or trendy copper designs, we guarantee there will be a style to compliment your needs!
For more info see: www.houseofmosaics.co.uk/collections/style-guide
www.houseofmosaics.co.uk/collections/customer-type
Q. How can I use them in different styles and zones?
A. There are so many ways to use mosaics to create different looks or effects within a tiled area. For a striking look, use as a feature wall as you would with paint to define a room. To complement a contrasting tile, or to keep budget down, use as a slim border, and cut down the mosaics to create a horizontal or vertical border. Or use to zone with a larger border, full-sheet width for example in a shower area. Use in a kitchen in between cupboards as a splashback to create instant impact, or zone behind the hob as a subtle accent. Natural stone mosaics can also be used on the floor to create a wetroom or zoned floor area. See for more info: https://www.houseofmosaics.co.uk/pages/inspire-me
Q. How can I use tiles in upcycling?
A. Any of our mosaics can be used to upcycle but as a quick and easy solution, we would recommend using our self-adhesive mosaics. They are so simple to use; you literally just peel and stick. Use them in a kitchen as a splashback, as a quick makeover sticking directly onto old tired tiles, or even around a kitchen island. Try in a cloakroom behind the sink or even around a fireplace. Another favourite is to upcycle furniture, like a coffee table or even to zhoosh up a mirror or picture frame. See our Project Upcycle pics!
Q. What are the latest interior design/ tile trends?
A. The latest trends in tiling can be zoned into 4 key styles;
1. Club Tropicana – Bright colours fused with banana leaves, palm leaves, birds of paradise, toucans and flamingos! Bold large format pattern, fused on top of geometric stripes, and even Amazonite marble crossing over to give a tropical twist.
2. MonoGhrome – Monochrome with a twist of grey added in. Classic geometric stripes and shapes, circles, with some Moroccan pattern also in this colour way.
3. Peculiar Pattern – Dali and Picasso inspired pattern. Irregular edges, bold eclectic geometric, Moroccan patterns with photographic images, that should not work together on paper but do! Also etched textures within these patterns, and hexagonal shaping is a key trend coming through.
4. Majestic Marbles – From subtle grey to bold veins, like Calacatta or Carrara marbles, to the introduction of more gold vein designs, like Calacatta Gold. Also, marbles spliced or fused with brass or mirror accents to give an upmarket hotel luxe look
Q. Do fashion trends influence tile designs?
A. Absolutely! Albeit indirectly… Generally, what appears on the catwalk then filters down to interior design and in turn filters down to tile designs. For example, the tropical trend started on the catwalk, filtered down to High streeet clothes, then to interior design – on cushions, bedding, wallpaper and as such, we have recently launched a tropical range of mosaics! The HoM team strive to ensure that our mosaic designs are always on-trend, yet available for mass market. We love to keep on top of the latest trends in tiling, as well as interior design and decoration, as we know how important it is to co-ordinate the look of a kitchen or bathroom with the rest of your home.
Q. Can I match my mosaics with larger tiles?
A. Of course! And this is generally the main way that mosaics are being used today. Mosaics are a fantastic way to complement larger format tiles, whether it be as a subtle border to break up the monotony of a large area of plain tiles, or as a bold feature wall of mosaics to contrast, they are the perfect partner to larger format tiles.
See more fabulous mosaic tile ideas and great tile projects at www.houseofmosaics.co.uk
