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How do I Choose the Best Decorative Tile?

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

Much like the application of a fresh coat of paint, adding decorative tile to a room in your house can make a major difference in the aesthetics of your living space. Just as you can choose to paint just one wall, or repaint an entire floor of your home, you can choose to use just a few decorative tile or cover an entire swath of your floor or wall with them. Furthermore, decorative tile can be used in combination with monochromatic tile to create a simpler, less busy effect.

When choosing tiles for your home, it is important to consider the color scheme that already exists within your space. You don't want to choose decorative tiles that clash with the colors of your walls, floors, and furnishings. One of the great things about decorative tile is that it can pull together the colors in a room. Say, for example, that you are trying to choose a decorative tile to use on the fireplace in your living room. If you have a tomato red entertainment center, a dark brown couch, hardwood floors, and yellow walls, you might want to consider using a decorative tile that incorporates all of those colors, including the color of your wood floors.

Marble is a durable surface that is easy to clean.
Marble is a durable surface that is easy to clean.

Before you go shopping for decorative tile, take photographs of the rooms and spaces where you plan to use it so that you can compare the colors in the store to the colors in your home. You may want to invest in a few sample tiles that you can take home with you. This way, you can see how the colors look in different lights. This is an especially good idea if you are planning on using many of the tiles for a large project. You don't want to tile an entire floor or wall just to find out that the colors within the tiles don't work in the way that you had envisioned.

Choose tiles that work with your existing color scheme; color swatches allow comparison before buying tile.
Choose tiles that work with your existing color scheme; color swatches allow comparison before buying tile.

If you are planning on an overhaul of your home's style, you don't need to be as concerned with matching the colors that already exist on your walls and furniture. Be sure, before beginning, that you have a clear idea of the colors that you want to use. It is advisable to work with paint swatches, tile samples, and fabric cuttings. Once you have these, you can begin choosing your new decor and find the perfect decorative tile to perfectly tie together your new space.

Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel

In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.

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    • Marble is a durable surface that is easy to clean.
      By: imagesab
      Marble is a durable surface that is easy to clean.
    • Choose tiles that work with your existing color scheme; color swatches allow comparison before buying tile.
      By: Artur Marciniec
      Choose tiles that work with your existing color scheme; color swatches allow comparison before buying tile.
    • Consider the existing color scheme in the room where the new tile is going to be placed.
      By: Aleš Nowák
      Consider the existing color scheme in the room where the new tile is going to be placed.