Think modern tile flooring is only for your bathroom or kitchen? Think again. In Italy, tile is used everywhere (alongside other solid surfaces like terrazzo) as an option for any room in the home. Why? Because tile is cool. Literally. Particularly in southern Italy, where warmer temperatures are the norm, tile is not only a beautiful flooring option, but it’s also a functional one thanks to its natural cooling abilities. Tile is a natural conductor of heat, meaning it literally pulls heat from your body, making it cool to the touch.
So how can you incorporate this cooling surface into your home in an elegant way that feels both modern and timeless? First, you’ll want to start by using the right materials.
Modern Tile Materials
When it comes to materials and modern Italian design, there’s one term that should guide your process: monomaterico. This means you’re going to want to use the same style throughout the space to create the cohesive, elegant look we modern designers love.
In keeping with the principles of modern design, you’re going to want to try to keep the materials you use for your luxury tile flooring as close to a natural look as possible. Think stone patterns like granite or marble (or you could really lean into the Italian influence with terrazzo!)
Ceramic, porcelain, or stoneware porcelain are also great options for your tiles. Stoneware porcelain is a type of porcelain that is made with coarser clay and fired at a lower temperature to give it an opaque, earthy tone that’s perfect for modern design.
One more thing to remember when it comes to materials. Modern design will always favor textured tile flooring over a glossy look. Remember: modern = matte.
Tile Sizing
When it comes to finding the perfect size for your tiles, you’re going to want to make sure the tile you choose is proportionate to the room it’s going to be installed in. For example, if you have a large, expansive kitchen, the best tile for kitchen floors will probably be in a larger format. Conversely, if you’re tiling a small bathroom, the best tile for bathroom floors will be smaller (although there are exceptions). It’s that simple.
As you can see in this open, spacious spa bathroom we designed for a client in Cincinnati’s Brewery District, we reflected the openness of the space with large floor-to-ceiling tiles that followed the direction of the space.
As for the direction of your tile, you’ll want to work with your designer to choose something that is logical to the room. While there is no set rule here, you’re always going to want to aim to make the room feel spacious and visually calm, as opposed to cluttered and visually noisy.
Tiles for your Living Room
As we said at the top of this article, modern tile flooring is not just for bathrooms and kitchens. Tile can also be a beautiful option for your living room as well. Tiled living rooms create a dramatic, beautiful, and cooling look for any home, and can be a great option for creating visual cohesion in an open floor plan where the kitchen and living room flow into one another.
Don’t believe us? Here’s an example of a tiled living room we created for a client that took monomaterico to the next level, creating a tiled look that went all the way from the kitchen to the fireplace:
As you can see, the cohesiveness of the tile created a visually stunning, dramatic look for this space, that draws the eye upwards without being overwhelming.
Ready to start tiling?
NOLI has the experience and expertise to design a beautiful tile look for any room in your home! Come to our Cincinnati showroom or send a message through our contact page to get started.
