Interior Design Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Natural Stone Tile Company & Shop

Marble Tiles Gallery Image - Original Style Earthworks Viano White polished marble and Nero Polished Marble

We’ve all experienced the ups and downs of carrying out DIY work and installing new stone flooring or wall tiling is probably one of the most common DIY jobs that you’ll come across. There are always questions that need answering when tiling, so we’ve decided to put together a few FAQ’s for those of you who are seeking out some helpful tiling advice or information. Three questions will be answered each week, so keep an eye on our blog over the coming weeks!

Q. Is it safe to drill through my bathroom tile installation?

A. Yes. However, it all comes down to what your tiles are made from. If they are thin and ceramic, a cheap drill bit is all you need to carry out the job. Porcelain tiles on the other hand require small diamond drill bits and can be much more difficult to start.

Q. Can tiles stick to plywood?

A. Plywood is quite a common bathroom material, though it must be thick enough to not be affected by regular changes in temperature. You will need a latex based bonding solution rather than standard PVA solutions to get tiles to stick to Plywood.

Q. Do I have to seal my natural stone tiling?

A. Yes. Natural stone isn’t porous so you’ll have to carry out a grouting procedure. Once the grout has been left to dry, it should become waterproof. Grouting doesn’t have a significant effect on the look of your natural stone tiles, so don’t worry too much about this.

We’re lucky enough to work in an industry here at the Stone Tile Emporium that provides us with all kinds of questions regarding the origin of natural stone and its characteristics.

It’s fascinating to learn more about the origin of natural stone, especially when you consider that the majority of stone flooring is the result of millions of years of compression beneath the earth’s surface.

For example, the colour in natural stone tiles derives from all kinds of organic matter and minerals. So how exactly does natural stone get its distinct colour and pattern variations?

The colour of natural stone is dependent on the minerals and organic matter present. For instance, red marble is given its colour from a high presence of iron, whilst green marble gets its colour from serpentine.

You can easily identify various minerals in natural stone by carrying out some research on the specific colours you get from all the different minerals present in stone. This can help you locate the perfect colour for your interior design plan.

So what should you know about minerals in order to maintain a tiles natural look? There are some stone tiles that gradually fade over time when exposed to sunlight, such as marble tiling.

Marble is sensitive to ultraviolet light and will subsequently lose its deep, shiny dark colour over time. You can bring the colour back by polishing or honing the stone every now and then.

Glass and stone come together to create a unique blend of texture, colour and style that contributes to the contemporary interior design ideas we often see in kitchens and bathrooms today. This particular combination is capable of enhancing both the vigour and relaxation of any average space. With the decorative addition of stone and glass mosaics in your home, you are sure to achieve the major artistic statement you’re looking to portray. Here are a couple of ways to bring glass and stone together in your home.

Example 1 – Liven Up Your Bathroom

If you use some dazzling glass mosaics on the walls in your bathroom and compliment them with stylish stone flooring, you can create a stunning contemporary interior that offers a range of qualities, from the sparkling nature of the glass to the natural effects of the tiling. You can also immerse yourself in an abundance of natural light thanks to the reflective qualities of the glass.

Example 2 – Mix Up the Shapes and Sizes of Your Tiles

Glass tiles come in all different shapes and colours, which is why you can use them to add aesthetic appeal to any tiled or painted wall. An earth-toned glass mosaic finish with the addition of clear, beige or creamy tiling creates a hugely appealing contrast of colours and finishes. Mosaic tiling on the floors compliment this outstanding wall design and you can create a distinctive look by going for a number of different colours.

As we get closer to winter, the opportunities we get to start decorating the outdoors with natural stone start to decline. Instead, you might find yourself carrying out many more interior tiling jobs, whether it’s kitchens, bathrooms, table surfaces or floors.

There are plenty of tiling add-ons to seek out that will further improve your interior tiling jobs during the winter. For example, you might be wondering how you can further enhance the insulating properties of your tiles in preparation for the colder months.

Insulation Boards

This is what most people will turn to if they are keen to improve insulation throughout the property. When laying a natural slate flooring for instance, the insulation board helps to prevent heat loss and saves energy in the long run.

They are usually waterproof and can be used with both walls and floors. Insulation boards work by reflecting heat back up through the tile.

There are also a number of tiling finishes available on the market today that perfectly resemble the specific time of year, including wooden ceramic finishes. Another hugely popular tiling choice during the autumn and winter is slate, which offers durable porcelain material and low maintenance properties.

To learn more about our tiling range and tile fitting services here at the Stone Tile Emporium, call us today on 01737 201125. From tomorrow, you can visit our brand new shop in Bell Street, Reigate and explore our wide range of natural stone tiles and mosaics.

Marble Tiles Gallery Image - Original Style Earthworks Castel Marble EW

Marble is an extremely porous material that is often used for interior design purpose thanks to its beautiful range of natural colours and smooth textures. You’re most likely to find marble in your kitchen or bathroom, with marble stone tiles proving to be a particularly popular choice for bathroom floors and walls.

Like any other material, marble requires constant attention if you’re to negate the possibility of stains becoming permanent. Marble is under threat from any kind of stain, from wine spills to cooking oil. If you leave the stain to seep into the material for too long, it can become permanent, so make sure you get rid of any troublesome stains as soon as possible.

If you’ve identified a stain that won’t budge despite your best efforts, consider the following homemade cleaner:

Hydrogen Peroxide
Ammonia (In any household cleaner)
Paper

Shred the paper up into small pieces, add a few drips of ammonia and finally add the hydrogen peroxide. Mix the contents together until you get a smooth paste. Once you’ve got the past sorted, add a small amount to the tough stain on the marble surface.

Cover the solution and tape it down, before poking a few holes in for ventilation purposes. Leave it for a couple of days, before removing the contents and giving the surface a final wipe down.

Original Style Earthworks Burnt Sienna Slate Floor Tiles In Living Room

If you’re eager to decorate your home with some stunning natural stone tiling, you should probably start by considering which rooms will benefit most from limestone, slate, travertine or possibly even marble.

Natural stone tiles are great if you want to bring an abundance of character to your home, whether its a contemporary layout or something grade-listed and antique.

Here are three less obvious rooms in any household that can benefit from stone tiling:

1. Conservatory

If you’re tired of a concrete conservatory floor or having trouble with rotting wood, natural stone tiles are a great flooring alternative. Natural stone tiles bring a certain warmth to any room, though it works brilliantly from the comfort of a conservatory armchair whilst you enjoy the outdoor scenery.

2. Entrance Hall/ Hallway

The hallway is often overlooked when it comes to interior decor, with people happy to lay down some carpet or natural wooden flooring without worrying too much. On the other hand, a beautifully decorated entrance hall with limestone flooring can really set the tone of any successful interior design atmosphere.

3. Laundry Room

If you’re lucky enough to have a designated laundry room, you might consider decorating the walls and floors with natural stone tiling that reflects the general atmosphere of the room. If it’s near the kitchen, stone tiles that mirror the design aspects of next door can really enhance the continuity of your home.

There are plenty of benefits that go with using natural stone cladding as a character feature in your home. You can get a wide range of visual benefits from having it in bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens and various other parts of a property.

Stone cladding is often used to surround fireplaces, making it a focal point of any living space that relies on this traditional form of heating. Here are a few reasons why natural stone cladding has become popular in both grade-listed and contemporary properties.

Stone cladding offers you a unique opportunity to bring character often associated with the outdoors into the property itself. This natural appearance is capable of changing the entire atmosphere of a room, from bedrooms and bathrooms to living rooms and dining areas.

What’s more, you can get a variety of new textures from your wall with all sorts of slate finishes available on the market.

Stone Cladding is also extremely durable, so you don’t have to concern yourself with worries about scratches, marks or chips in slate cladding.

Moreover, it would seem logical to take extra care of your stone cladding as it can play a vital role in improving the character of your property. Also remember that natural stone is often equipped to work alongside fireplaces where burn marks are possible.

If you’ve just acquired some natural stone tiles and you’re wondering where to go next, it might help if you know exactly what it is you need to get the tiling process underway. Tiling might seem reasonably straightforward but there are a number of tools that can make the time-consuming process a whole lot easier. Here are 5 essential tiling tools that you should invest in if they aren’t already part of your toolbox collection.

Start by getting hold of a grout float. These are essential if you want the job to be done neatly and efficiently. Use the grout float to press the mortar into the seams created between the tiles.
A trowel is another essential tool that lets you spread the mortar for the tiles to be placed on. They are designed in a pointed fashion to ensure you get the right amount each time.
You’ll need a mallet to tap the tiles into position. Just make sure you use a rubber mallet instead of a wooden one!
If you’ve noticed a build-up of excess mortar on the top of the tiling, you can use the tough, resilient grout sponge to get rid of it.
Finally, make sure you have a bucket to mix the mortar in. It needs to be new and ideally suited to making thinset mortar.

There you have it, 5 essential tiling tools. Make sure they’re available to you the next time you decide to purchase some tiles from us here at the Stone Tile Emporium!

When we anticipate putting up a new range of tiles in the bathroom or kitchen, we don’t usually make grout a huge priority. However, grout can have more of an effect on the appearance of your tiles than you’d probably think, so here are some of the best grouting methods you can use when assembling your natural stone tile designs.

If you’re looking for something reasonably neat and simplistic, you’re probably better off going for matching grout. This can really improve the overall finish, so it’s ideal if you don’t want the tiles to look ragged or stand out too much. The grout colour doesn’t have to be identical, though it shouldn’t stand out as much as the primary colour of your tiles.

If you’re thinking of doing the opposite to matching grout, you’ll probably favour contrasting grout. You’ll need to find a grout colour that suits your chosen tiles, whilst it may not be overly necessary if you’ve already got an attractive, natural finish. However, coloured grout works well if you want to hide dirt accumulation.

If you want something a bit more advanced for your porcelain tiles, such as accent grout for instance, you might want to choose a colour that fits the overall style and theme of the entire room. Once you’ve chosen a specific colour scheme it can be difficult to change it, especially when you use accent grout, so keep this in mind when choosing this option.

With the Easter holidays in full flow, you might be feeling a little inspired when it comes to decorating your home and garden space in preparation for the warmer climate. The beautiful spring weather we’ve seen over the last few days might have been enough to give you some new ideas for beautifully decorated mosaics in the garden, or possibly even some natural stone tiles for the kitchen and bathroom.

Here at the Stone Tile Emporium we have some stunning stone tiles available that are ideal for creating the perfect kitchen and bathroom space. Whether you prefer something naturally elegant and blossoming with traditional elements or a modern space that creates a wonderfully soothing atmosphere, we have the stone tiles to get your dream kitchen or bathroom up and running.

We’ve also got some great mosaics available that make the most of stunning natural designs and beautifully shaped stone. We have a pebble mosaic option that creates a beautifully natural atmosphere thanks to its natural finish, and it works both outside and indoors. Or if you’d prefer, you can put your Easter inspiration to good use and get hold of our colourful glass mosaics, each providing their own unique benefits from shimmering colour to dazzling pearls.

With just a week to go until the Easter Weekend, see what inspirational tiling ideas you can come up with and make the most of our unrivalled range of tiles and mosaics here at the Stone Tile Emporium!

Category: Interior Design

Tiling FAQ – Week 1

Q. Is it safe to drill through my bathroom tile installation?

Q. Can tiles stick to plywood?

Q. Do I have to seal my natural stone tiling?

How Does Natural Stone Get Its Colour?

Combining Glass and Natural Stone for Interior Design Purposes

Example 1 – Liven Up Your Bathroom

Example 2 – Mix Up the Shapes and Sizes of Your Tiles

Autumn/ Winter Tiling Tips

Insulation Boards

DIY Solutions – Taking Care of Marble

Tiling Dilemma? 3 Rooms That Benefit From Stone Tiling

1. Conservatory

2. Entrance Hall/ Hallway

3. Laundry Room

Why Go For Stone Cladding?

5 Essential Tools for Tiling Jobs

Choosing Grout For Your Next Tile Job

Easter Inspiration from the Stone Tile Emporium

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