Timeless Tiles

One of the questions I get asked most frequently as an Interior Designer is what kind of tile can you choose for your kitchen or bathroom project that will be timeless and appeal to almost anyone?  This can be answered a couple different ways:

If you plan on it being your forever home, then do whatever you want!  Be bold and use a fish scale pattern or order in some authentic Italian tiles that no one has seen before.  Your home should reflect who you are and be the place you can feel the most comfortable.  

If you're not in your forever home and plan to resell in 2-5 years, there are still some options that are beautiful and will most likely appeal to whoever buys it next.

The safest you could go with wall tiles is a white subway tile with either white or dark gray grout.  I believe this look will be forever timeless and it is a nice clean option that works nicely with any paint or decor that lies next to it.

If you want to stem away from the typical brick-patterned subway tile design but still be minimal, there are some other options you can play with:

 

Change the size or shape:

Keep the colors minimal and just change the shape of the tiles.  Mini subway or honeycomb tiles are a safe way to keep a space interesting.  I would keep the mini tiles on the wall, but the hexagon shape works nicely on the floor and the wall.

Change the pattern orientation:

Instead of using a typical brick pattern, try lying the tile in a stack or diagonal.  This one detail will change the look drastically but will still appeal to many future buyers.  

Marble Tile:

Whether you cover your whole bathroom or kitchen with marble or just use it as an accent, marble adds a classy touch and it would be hard to find someone who dislikes the design.  You do not have to blow your budget either and instead use a ceramic or porcelain tile that looks like marble.

Be bold with black and white floors:

If you love bold patterns but are afraid of reselling your ideas, then use a bold black and white pattern on the floor and keep the walls nuetral.  It is less scary to home buyers when there is a pattern on the floor instead of the wall, and a checkered black and white pattern will always be in style.

People are afraid to get creative when they renovate a home to sell, and it does not have to be that way whatsoever.  Instead the idea is to make the home stand out against the competition, while keeping the design classy and timeless.  I believe the best approach is to keep the colors neutral so people have the freedom to easily add color with paint or décor. The key is to pay attention to what designs have lasted throughout the years, and also to what has flopped and we hope to never see again.

Happy Wednesday friends.

-Alyssa