Tile Trends for Tampa Bay Homes

By Missi McCombs

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to Coverings, which is a trade event that features tile and stone from around the world. It was a great opportunity to see amazing products and get a better feel for upcoming trends for flooring in porcelain and ceramic tile as well as natural stone. The major “take-away” I had from the show, is that now more than ever tile and stone can be used in unique ways to showcase a home owners’ personal style. Below are just a few highlights of the 2012 Coverings Trade Show.

Mosaics continue to be a strong trend for 2012. Whether the material is stone or glass there is truly something for everyone with all of the different mosaic options that are on the market. Mosaics offer the ability to easily customize the color or design for a specific room. Allow me the indulgence of highlighting my Alma Mater with tile. Go Gators!!

Polished ceramic tile is back! Remember your Granma’s 4 ½” polished tile in fun shades of pink and purple? Well, it is back with grown up glazes and polishes that will offer an alternative to neutral stone looks that have been prevalent for years.

In addition to the many new tiles, the Coverings Show focused on using the same tile with different applications. Some examples include using accent tile in vertical lines on shower walls, or covering one accent wall from floor to ceiling with tile.

As a designer, with a custom home builder in Tampa, my biggest challenge will definitely be sorting through the limitless options and helping our clients bring out their own style personality for their home.