INTERIORS : Ceramic Tiles Put Accents on Floors, Walls and More

You can put ornamental ceramic tile on walls or floor without blowing your decorating budget. Just use it as accents and borders.

“There are many options in pattern, texture, color, even size and shape,” says Judith Gura, a representative for the Italian tile industry in the United States.

Flat tiles come in many sizes, ranging from two-inch squares to 24-inch squares. Rectangular tiles are also available, but the most common sizes are four-inch and eight-inch squares for walls and 12-inch squares for floors.

In addition, edge tiles are available in many patterns. Finished on all edges, they can be used for small decorative projects such as a tabletop. Dimensional molding tiles come in shapes similar to wood moldings and are sold in lengths typically of eight to 12 inches. So-called pencils are narrow half-round moldings.

Gura, who collects examples of tile used in interesting ways by American decorators, says a number of recent ideas can create a big effect for relatively little effort and cost.

Often, only a small portion of a wall or a floor is tiled. One idea, for example, is to edge a fireplace opening with different tile patterns and colors. Another is to create a tile “headboard” on a bedroom wall. It can extend to form a backdrop for bedside tables, too. The tiling is framed by a narrow wood molding.

Designers often create an “area rug” by installing decorative tiles in the center of a tile or wood floor. Tiles can also create a decorative border around the perimeter of a room.

Tile a windowsill, maybe even around the window frame. Use the same tiles to cover a wood cornice. A simple curtain or shade is all that’s needed to complete this unusual window treatment.

Use small pictorial tiles as a border on the wall. If the tiles are placed at chair-rail height, paint the lower half of the wall in a darker color and the upper part in a lighter color.

Tiling kitchen countertops and back splashes is common. But what about installing a colorful sweep of tile behind the stove from range-top to ceiling? The treatment, reminiscent of an old Dutch room, adds pattern and color to the kitchen and protects the wall from cooking spatters.

For do-it-yourselfers, consider honing your tile-laying skills on a small tabletop or square planter or install decorative tiles around an unframed wall mirror.

When selecting tile, make sure it is suitable for its intended use by checking with a retailer or reading manufacturer’s literature. Any tile can be used for a wall, but for a floor, more durable tiles are required. A foyer or bathroom floor, where water is tracked in or dribbled, should be impervious to water on both the underside and the glazed side, Gura says.

For floors, a level surface is critical. Without it, tiles are liable to crack with wear. Consult your retailer for methods of leveling a floor that is not badly out of alignment. A smooth wall makes for a more attractive installation. The wall can often be leveled by sanding or, in more serious cases, by covering it with wallboard.

The larger the area, the more difficult the installation. But no matter the size, it doesn’t pay to rush the measurements before setting the tiles.

Says Gura: “A professional installer measures very carefully.”