We just saw the Pantone Color of the Year – 2014 and it is Radiant Orchid. The announcement was released yesterday from Carlstadt, N.J. and it is somewhat surprising in its boldness. The renowned color and style organization says “spruce up interior spaces by incorporating this eye-catching hue in paint, accent pieces and accessories. As adaptable as it is beautiful, Radiant Orchid complements olive and deeper hunter greens, and offers a gorgeous combination when paired with turquoise, teal and even light yellows”.

As you can see in the swatch at the top of the post, this is not necessarily a color for the timid. However, as always, the research behind this is solid. Pantone describes the process as follows,  ”the color of the year selection requires careful consideration and, to arrive at the selection, Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention”.

Janel Laban of  ApartmentTherapy.com believes that “its going to work well for interiors. It is a color that coordinates beautifully with light yellows, and, the neutral of the moment, gray, as well as with pale, warm taupes, creamy whites and soft metallics, both silver and gold”. Let’s speak for a moment to Janel’s point above on coordinating Radiant Orchid. Country Floors presents (above/below) our Luminere Collection, a noteworthy glass line featuring a rippling surface and offering the light yellows and neutral grays, amongst its 48 colors, that Janel alludes to.

It is safe to say that many designers and sophisticated homeowners will consider  Radiant Orchid, the  Pantone Color of the Year – 2014 to be somewhat playful. Fair enough! Since Country Floors has showrooms across the United States and now in Puerto Rico, why not stop in and learn more about the Luminere Collection  and lets have some fun working with it and Radiant Orchid. As always, thanks for reading!

Our friends at Wikipedia define grout as “a construction material used to embed rebar in masonry walls, connect sections of pre-cast concrete, fill voids, and seal joints (like those between tiles). Grout is generally composed of a mixture of water, cement, sand, often color tint, and sometimes fine gravel (if it is being used to fill the cores of cement blocks). It is applied as a thick emulsion and hardens over time, much like its close relative mortar.” That is all fine and well, but what we really want to get to is what the homeowner needs to know about grout. So here are a few grout tips for the homeowner!

Usually, the homeowner  will view grout as the “stuff” between the tile or stone. A little more knowledge is obviously very helpful. Typically you will find either sanded or unsanded grout as a choice. As a rule of thumb, the wider the joint the more likely that sanded grout should be used or has been used. Quite often very thin joints, like those used in marble installations, are filled with unsanded grout. The grout joint is of course the “space” between the tiles or stones. Please take some time to understand this distinction.

The grout color is a supremely important selection for the user to make. In its natural state, absent of colorants, grout is sort of a dull grey. However, fashion forward design trends demand more color options and they are certainly out there. But a word of caution here. Some grout colors can be a little bit unstable. After mixing and installing, the “moody marine” color  that you thought you were getting may end up as a mixed up blotchy mess. So, not to be too conservative, but you might want to stay with more neutral color values in the cream, light brown, off white and gray families.

Also of great importance is the potential contrast between the color of the grout and the color of the tile or stone. Usually, the installation of grout entails a still moist material being “smeared” over  the entire surface of the tile or stone. This serves to fill the open joints. The grout then cures or hardens. In an alternative and perfect universe, gray colored grout over a gray colored tile or stone would be really neat and quick.

However, outside of that perfect universe, let’s imagine that a member of the design team  has a black/white combination planned. The idea might be for  a black grout joint and a white country type ceramic tile. This might be successfully accomplished by painstaking effort from a real pro….but maybe not! In truth, this is probably not the greatest  idea since in the installation process that black grout might linger as a haze over the white tile. So, please dance very gingerly with this devil of a design concept.

In closing, these are but a few grout tips for the homeowner.Country Floors has showrooms across the United States and now in Puerto Rico. As always, thanks for reading!

The style that Fleur-de-Lis tiles represent in 2013 design is permanently anchored in the European and notably French portion of the American design character. Long a symbol of monarchal society, according to Wikipedia “the fleur-de-lis has appeared on countless European coats of arms and flags over the centuries, it is particularly associated with the French monarchy in a historical context, and continues to appear in the arms of the King of Spain“. This elegant shape allows tiles patterned after it to bestow a classic expression on stylized current interior design.

Perhaps the best translation for Fleur-de-Lis is “flower of the lily”. It is said that “the three petals represent the medieval social classes: those who worked, those who fought, and those who prayed”, or at least according to French historian Georges Duby.  While such depth of knowledge adds background, it may also help explain the allure the shape has held for centuries. On this topic, the very interesting site Style at Home posted “Get the look: French design”. The author , Lauren McPhillips, suggested you “incorporate these 10 design elements into your home for a touch of classic French style”. Number Seven on this list was the Fleur-de- Lis, about which Ms. McPhillips said, “the fleur de lis has always held importance in French culture and design”.

Since its founding in 1954 by Norman Karlson, Country Floors has believed that certain elements of style transcend trends and periods. Certainly the symbolism of the Fleur-de-Lis and the place it holds in French history and design is a perfect example of this idea! Take a look at the very top of this post and also immediately above. The Country Floors brand proudly offers you ceramic tile Fleur-de-Lis options as part of our Alhambra Collection.

As always, thanks very much for reading and remember that Country Floors has showrooms across the United States and now in Puerto Rico.

The second part of this post will focus on antiqued terracotta. In Part One we discussed a few of the mysteries that seem to surround terracotta in general. Firstly, some clients think of the word terracotta as being synonymous with a Mexican produced tile or pot that appears to be adobe. Secondly, how is it spelled…one word or two? Well, to clear things up a bit terracotta  can be Mexican, Italian, French, Catalan, Portuguese etc. etc. As far as spelling is concerned both “terracotta” and “terra cotta” are considered correct.

Since “terracotta” is more or less translated as “baked earth” or “cooked earth” how is it manufactured? Well, as previously stated, Saltillo tiles from Mexico are simply baked in the sun and are relatively porous and require proper installation to overcome this porosity. On the other hand, there are many other terracotta materials that are kiln fired and therefore much denser than their sun dried cousins. Country Floors will, in general, prefer the more dense product for practical purposes.

As mentioned earlier, the point of this post is antiqued terracotta. So what do I mean by that? Right now, and on and off for years, reclaimed elements have been significant in the fashion forward market place.These reclaimed items are numerous but do include the likes of farmhouse lumber from the South of France, brick pieces from various historical periods, almost anything from a Frank Lloyd Wright design and of course terracotta paving and flooring pieces. There are, understandably, a few issues with the reclamation process such as scarcity, price and logistics. For example, the client that absolutely must have reclaimed terracotta tiles from the proverbial Tuscan farmhouse may ultimately blanch when confronted with the “if, when and how much” parts of that proposition.

Country Floors is renowned for providing  ”antiqued” terracottas that present visuals of great character and distinction. This provides the discerning client with a solution to the problems that are often presented by reclaimed items. Over the years, we have made major design contributions to successful Mediterranean and Urban Rustic themed design plans with this approach. This being particularly true in kitchens,wine cellars and garden rooms.

Get the process started towards a fine antiqued terracotta project by taking an online look at our terracotta collections, Pedralbes, Europa, and Fiesole. Then, stop in and say hello to the nice folks in one of our professionally staffed showrooms. As always, thanks for reading.

At this time of year, many of us turn to remembrances of Thanksgiving past while in the next breath hoping for the chance to give thanks again later this month. Not incidental to those memories and hopes are images in our heads of warm kitchens that contain the most wonderful smells and visuals. The turkeys, the hams, the gravies and the stuffing’s all intermingled with the ubiquitous sounds of football in the background.

A common theme taken from the musings above is warmth. Wonderfully enough, HouseBeautiful.com quotes renowned designer Peter Dunham via MSN Living on the topic which they referred to as Homey Kitchens.  Mr. Dunham shared that “we’re moving toward a more organic modernism with warm, modern materials that look vintage: slate, irregular floors, weathered concrete, natural crackle-glazed tiles that look handmade. Less slick kitchens!”  Of course, when you are Country Floors, the warm and homey kitchen is right in your wheelhouse. So let’s take a look at a few of our collections that will help you achieve the warm kitchen for Fall 2013.

The last element we will touch on while discussing the warm and homey kitchen for Fall 2013 is slate as a flooring. Specifically our American Slate Collection as shown below. This collection defines organic elegance and imparts an intrinsic sense of warmth!

Since its founding in 1964 by New York photographer Norman Karlson, Country Floors has consistently strived to deliver the finest in luxury ambiences through the stylish use of tile, stone, terracotta and glass. Today’s homeowner seeking the warm and homey kitchen will feel right “at home” in our fine professionally staffed showrooms.

It is safe to say that calling social media a “phenomenon” is really no longer accurate.It is now a simple fact of life and not just for the young. Rather, if you look carefully you will discover that various social media sites have segmented themselves by targeting particular user interests. A perfect example is Houzz. The site describes itself as ” the leading online platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish.” From our perspective, it is becoming a hugely valuable tool for observing trends and monitoring style in the architecture and design space! The basis of the Houzz experience is the “ideabooks” section. Here, users upload home design imagery that they love, like or simply want.. This content is highly sharable thus creating creative synergies amongst users!

The folks at Houzz recently posted their Fall Kitchen Trends Survey 2013 and this will be the topic for today’s Country Floors post. According to this work, the “big ideas” that the survey produced are:

• “Younger homeowners go contemporary.”
• “Stainless appliances cohabitating with appliances in other finishes.”
• “Bigger isn’t better, but open concept still a strong trend.”
• “Granite and quartz capture countertops, mixing materials a popular option.”
• “Conservative color schemes dominate, but color tied to kitchen style preferences.”

Timeless Tunisia

The North Africa of American Hollywood lingers in our minds. Bogart and Bergman and what might have been, in “Casablanca.” George C. Scott reminiscing on a previous life in “Patton”, Gary Cooper in the French Foreign Legion of “Beau Geste” and back to Bogart in the grit of “Sahara.” The Los Angeles Times said that ” ever since Rudolph Valentino’s nostrils flared and his dark eyes glistened in 1921′s “The Sheik,” Hollywood and movie audiences have been fascinated with North Africa.”  But inside all that mood and atmosphere there always existed an ancient world that helped define the arts and sciences of civilization. Today we will spend a little time on a small slice of North Africa while we examine a bit of Tunisian artistry.

Situated in the cradle of the Pan-Mediterranean world that spawned Western Civilization, the history of Tunisia is one of change. In fact, the rulers and occupiers of this land reads like a Rolodex of history. Berbers, Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Bedouins, Ottomans and French all strutted and fretted their “hour upon the stage” that was Tunisia. According to our friends at Wikipedia, Tunisian skills in ceramics and pottery that were “developed and practiced for many centuries under the prior Phoenician-derived, urban culture”, were extended into the Roman period. Furthermore, “ceramics were also crafted into various statuettes of animals, humans, and gods“ and pottery “complemented the local production of olive oil” as a vessel to hold it for transport known as the amphora.

Mosaics were a lively art form, again per Wikipedia, “plaques showing biblical scenes were designed and made for the churches.”  Hand cut mosaics were also a part of this as shown in the mural below:

Today, Country Floors is proud to bring this cultural heritage to the market place with, Baba Chic, an eclectic collection of limestone and marble. We were able to interview the Tunisian artisans who craft this product and were told that, “stone work has been a tradition for centuries in Tunisia, and especially in areas of Roman influence”, and that “from mountain to mountain and quarry to quarry, we choose the stones“. Then, “we cut the collected stones into small slabs” and “we draw all the parts that will complete a design of an individual piece.” From there, the process maintains the classic Roman traditions of hand cutting and hand finishing that still resonate with the luxury stone and tile client in 2013!

Think of the versatility that working with two mediums such as Tunisian limestone and marble can afford the the design purposed user! Then take a look at the patterns below. From left to right you will see the trending Arabesque shape, then the timeless Scallop form and lastly a Cubist dream.

The muted color values serve to accentuate the patterning. Now consider that these can be both residential and commercial interior floor solutions and you see the elegant simplicity of Baba Chic in practical terms.

There are Country Floors locations all over America. Allow our teams to help you blend Hollywood dreams with Tunisian artistry to complete your design plans for 2013!

Gray is good for 2013. At least according to our friends at Pantone and Sherwin Williams. Pantone announced its Fall 2013 colors which included the color “Turbulence” shown below left. Sherwin Williams gave us “Outerspace” and “Rare Gray” which are shown below center and right. As we look at these three color values we see a medium gray, a blue gray and a very cool crisp gray.

As previously discussed in this space, the well respected color psychologist, Ms. Angela Wright, on the site Colour Affects, says that eleven emotional colors exist  and  gray is thought to be “psychologically neutral”. To quote from one of our sister sites ” Gray moves through our consciousness like a color looking for a friend.” What we are trying to say is really simple. As a trending color in 2013, gray is quite often paired with more aggressive color values in order to achieve a design whole. So with that said, here are few tips on using gray stone and gray tile.

• Glass is great

There are so many ways to use glass in 2013 that it is hard to suggest where to start. At the top of this post you will see hints of gray paired with white marble in a very artistic interpretation from our Odyssey Collection. Then you can see below an item from the Sorbetto Collection that pivots away by using pencil type shapes to achieve a linear thought.

• Porcelain tile is tough

In a space that may need to stand up to some rough treatment, why not use a hard wearing porcelain tile? Bring gray into the equation with a product from our Vecchio Cemento Collection. The color “Gris Argento” or silver gray is presented  below.

• Ceramic is simple

In so many ways an artful ceramic glaze in gray can move the color from being the understudy to being the star. The Bedford Collection effortlessly elevates gray to stardom.

• Metal is hip

Everywhere we look metallic accents are being talked about . So let’s work with that in silver/gray expressions.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and there are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and let them help you turn your gray ideas into beautiful spaces that you will love!

Porcelain Tile as We See It Now!

In the early 1980’s the design profession was offered a new product to specify as a commercial floor. Porcelain tile arrived with very little fanfare but held some distinct market changing advantages over the incumbent products.

In those days this market was dominated by American produced quarry tile. On occasion, in an upscale area, a European split tile might have been selected. Quarry tile was most often produced in a red color with gray, brown, tan and a few other colors also available. The imported material, known as split tile or klinker, offered a more colors, especially a few “autumn” type color ranges. The sizes were also somewhat limited with 6”x6”, 4”x8” and 5”x10” being the norm. Another fact of life was maintenance, since a sealing program was necessary.

On the other hand, porcelain tile was composed of kaolin clay, feldspar and quartz and had a water absorption rate of less than 0.5%. Sealers were normally not required. Porcelain also offered more size and color options than either quarry tile or split tiles. It became a fairly simple Darwinian exercise for porcelain tile to gain market share very quickly.

Fast forward to today; porcelain tile now dominates the hard surface commercial flooring market. With the introduction of additional colors, stone visuals, textile visuals, wood visuals etc. porcelain has now also secured a solid place in the luxury residential market. Based on the images at the top and bottom of this post, these tiles are a profound fashion forward statement.

Country Floors is happy to introduce our  Q Stone Porcelain Collection . Since they are a “rectified” material, meaning their facial dimensions have been made more exact, a virtually  joint free installation is possible. A quick visit to one of the Country Floors locations all over America will help you discover more statements to be made with this hard wearing and easily maintained product!

Color, Mood…. and Designing for Both, Part Three.

Since this is the third and final post in our trilogy, let’s recap. We have covered nine colors so far and by way of review we have noted that there are very distinct human responses to color. For example, I have always been drawn to saturated, vibrant colors. Of course, individual human response to color is a tremendous variable.The respected Ms. Angela Wright, on her website Colour Affects, tells us that there are eleven emotional colors and we then described them below:

WHITE is hygienic.BLUE is intellectual.BROWN is serious GREEN is balance. PINK implies physical tranquility. RED is physical.BLACK is sophisticated and glamorous. YELLOW is emotional. VIOLET is spiritual. ORANGE is about physical comfort. GREY is psychologically neutral.

One last time on white since it is so often the clean neutral background on which so many other color values are “painted” in the context of stone and tile. Very often our Country Floors clients begin to plan through their kitchen tile ideas and their bathroom tile ideas with white as a design staple. Examples have been given of white on white ceramic settings and black and white marble mosaics where each color is a separate piece of marble. Our last example of using white will be an instance where white is the background color and the feature color is on the same piece of ceramic tile as you can see in the wonderful Delft pieces below from our Royal Makkum Collection.

If orange is about physical comfort, then how can you you design with the color and the mood in mind? How about combining the imagery of a comfort food and a physically comfortable color as seen below from the Novelda Collection?

Our last color is grey. As a psychologically neutral color it can also be used as a design neutral back drop similar to white. Another easy incorporation of grey is as a statement making vein in a white marble such as our Carrara.

This concludes our thoughts on designing with color and mood. We appreciate your attention and hope that you stop by again.Until then, there are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and let them help you design with color and mood!

Glass Mosaics: A Brief History and Three Current Trends

It is generally accepted by scholars that glass mosaics date back to at least 2500 B.C. Of interest, is that clay tiles are first thought to have been produced as early as 8000 B.C. The timeline differential is mainly owing to the far greater temperatures needed to melt glass.

In the spirit of expedience let’s focus on a Western style. The Italian city of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region, became the center of Roman mosaic art around the 5^th Century. Here we find the famed Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. This faith based structure is thought of as one of the finest and best preserved examples of the mosaic arts from the period. Amongst the many works there is “The Good Shepherd”, perhaps its most important work. It is pictured below.

After a period of decline in the relatively moribund Middle Ages, Venice and in particular the island of Murano, grabbed center stage in the glass “world” and ultimately also achieved a certain prominence in mosaics.

Moving forward along the historical timeline the well known site lagazzettaitaliana.com, helps us out with: “in the late 1800s, the Art Nouveau movement brought a resurgence to mosaics; and although mosaic tiles were being made and exported by Italian glassmakers to be used in buildings throughout the world, individuals were becoming interested in adding mosaic architectural elements to their homes. Today, with the wider interest that individuals have in creating art, numerous mosaic workshops are offered throughout Italy.”

Here are three general glass mosaic trends, in no essential order, that you may want to consider. As a word of caution, these “trends” are not this year or necessarily last year. Rather in a centuries old art form, they represent a longer term focus.

1. The inclusion of other elements such as stone into glass mosaic designs. The industry legend Pino Bisazza is quoted as saying, “We decided to ‘contaminate’ traditional mosaics by inserting stone elements, with great results.” Certainly an interesting choice of words, but the success of the approach is undeniable!
2. Personalize your glass mosaic. Dream up your signature color scheme. Draw an abstract design all your own. How about having a family crest reproduced? Today, computer assistance in layout and manufacture augment the traditional hand cutting techniques that were used for centuries. Therefore, we can deliver a personalized mosaic element in a cost efficient fashion.
3. Destination kitchens cry out for glass mosaic backsplashes! Mark your kitchen as a destination with a unique glass mosaic. The Sorbetto Collection from Country Floors is an excellent example as you can see below.

It’s time to tidy up this post and say good bye.There are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and ask them to show you how to make glass mosaics your friend.

The Arts and Crafts Movement: Tiles

The International Design Movement, later to be known as Arts and Crafts, began in Europe, and especially in Britain, in approximately 1860. The exact genesis of such things is never crystal clear but what is clear is that the textile designer and writer William Morris was extremely influential in fanning the Arts and Crafts flame. Morris had in turn read the works of art critic and essayist John Ruskin. These pioneers are pictured below left to right.

Most design historians will agree that the general theme which rallied the proponents of the Arts and Crafts school was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and in particular to the cookie cutter sameness that it implied. There was a tremendous energy generated by the search for a romantic ideal as exemplified by the lone craftsman plying his trade in a simple, pure, authentic fashion.

The Americanization of the Arts and Crafts approach had a profound impact on architecture and design that we still feel today. It is reasonable to say that it spawned directly or indirectly such familiar styles and themes as Craftsman, Mission, Bungalow and even by extension The Prairie School of Frank Lloyd Wright. In practice, the well designed middle class home, as desired by a homeowner, could and should be delivered by the design team.

Since we want to narrow the topic down to Arts and Crafts tiles let’s focus on the Pasadena, California of the early 20th Century. There, the legendary Ernest Batchelder, had a tile shop that provided artisan pieces to the likes of Greene and Green Architects for projects such as the iconic Gamble House, shown above.  This shop was incorporated into the Batchelder residence and the two tile images below are from this home.

At Country Floors, we have drawn inspiration from the famed Charles Voysey. As an architect, furniture, and textile designer this Englishman exerted tremendous influence on the Arts and Crafts space. Our Crossings Collection pays homage to his wallpaper artistry as evidenced by “The Saladin”, a famous Voysey work, depicted below.

There are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and ask them to show you the Voysey style patterns shown below. The spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement  is alive and well!

Trending Metallics in Tile

All things metallic have been creeping towards center stage this year. The website fashionpassion.com tells us that…. “Tremendous, amusing with futuristic spirit, the metallic trend is part of spring 2013 fashion. This time it takes us one step forward including metallic clothing with shiny textures and delicate pastels. Metallic clothing trend allows you to create a stunning look without spending too much energy and time on it!”

The site sweetlittleluxuries.com announces that, “Metallic, cap shoes are the latest trend. Classic silver caps are just as popular as the gold caps. Wear them with skinny jeans for a casual day out. Dress them up with a nice blouse for a night out.

Perhaps metallic clothing and shoes are not for everyone but metallic glazes on pottery and tiles have a long, long history. The Alhambra Vase, circa 1320, is shown below. This piece is central to understanding the entire style of the Alhambra and much of Andalucía for that matter.

We here at Country Floors have long included metallic tiles in our arsenal of fashion forward products! Yes, looking back at classic metal influenced pottery and tiles can be part of your kitchen tile ideas or your bathroom tile ideas. Our Palladium Collection can help can help you achieve a classically inspired design plan in metal tiles.

Please understand that metallic surfaces need some consideration in their usage. For example, at Country Floors we suggest:

• Use an epoxy based installation method.
• Be very sure to remove excess grout from the face of the tiles before it hardens in “hard to get to places”.
• When cleaning these metallic tiles, use non-abrasive and non-acidic cleaning agents with a soft cloth.

These are all very common sense based suggestions. Please let us help you with more suggestions on how to use metallic tiles.There are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and let them help you!

Terracotta Tiles: Part One

Terracotta tiles inspire creative thoughts and engender romantic design notions. However, there is often a bit of confusion for the homeowner and even for the professional. Let’s start with the name. Is it terracotta as one word or terra cotta as two words? Is this really another word for Mexican tile that seems be adobe? Are we referring to Italian red material? Well, the answers are all basically YES. The two spellings are both recognized as correct. As to origins, terracotta tiles can be Mexican, Italian, French, Catalan, etc. etc.

Let’s revisit the name terracotta for a moment. It is loosely translated as “baked earth” or “cooked earth”. Well how is it “baked” or “cooked”? That leads us to production methods. The famous Saltillo tiles from Mexico are literally baked in the sun and feature the occasional wildlife footprint as a byproduct of this process. They also are relatively porous and require certain installation techniques. Another region famous for terracotta production is Impruneta in Tuscany about 30 minutes south of Florence. This type of material is kiln fired and therefore considerably denser than its sun baked brothers.

As Country Floors, we have a tremendous respect for Spanish terracotta. In particular, those produced in the Catalan region in the northeast of Spain which of course includes the marvelous city of Barcelona. To be even more specific, in the image above is the Monastery of Pedralbes. This is a 14^th century Gothic structure built by King James II of Aragon for his wife. One of the prominent features of the monastery is the terracotta tiling which is emblematic of Catalan pavers and serves as the inspiration for our Pedralbes Collection.

All terracotta tiles require a certain amount of TLC and understanding. For example, the end user should be aware that like a piece of bronze that develops a patina from use over its lifetime, so too does a terracotta tile floor “wear in”. Over time the material develops its own particular and unique finish. Naturally, prior to achieving the final finish there are steps needed to be taken in the name protecting the tiles.. They include “burning” a wax into the material, finishing it with an oil based penetrating sealer, coating it with a water based top dressing, etc, etc. They can all work or all fail depending on the particular conditions uniquely present!

In closing this first post on terracotta tiles, we would like to point that there are Country Floors showrooms across the Unites States and now in Puerto Rico. The professionals there will guide you to a wonderful terracotta tile experience.

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Color, Mood…. and Designing for Both, Part Two.

We covered six colors the last time in this series. Let’s recap where we were and then cover three more! There are very distinct human responses to color. I have always been drawn to saturated, emotional colors. But that is me. As we discussed previously, the respected Ms. Angela Wright, on her website Colour Affects, tells us that there are eleven emotional colors and we then described them below:

WHITE is hygienic.BLUE is intellectual.BROWN is serious GREEN is balance. PINK implies physical tranquility. RED is physical. BLACK is sophisticated and glamorous. YELLOW is emotional. VIOLET is spiritual. ORANGE is about physical comfort. GREY is psychologically neutral.

We want to discuss white again, since it can be so easily used as the backdrop for the insertion of all these other color values!  Many of our Country Floors clients begin to work through their kitchen tile ideas and their bathroom tile ideas with white in mind. Often, the feature color is a separate tile or stone from the background color. As you can see in the image below, blacks and whites are unique pieces of marble!

Another approach is for the color to be on each tile so that the color combination is shown in real harmony. As you can see here, from the Country Floors Royal Makkum Collection, the crackled white glaze serves to deliver the classic Delft blue in a tile by tile style.

On to black and all that it implies. As per Ms. Wright, this color is sophisticated and glamorous, and who can argue? After all, when you get an invitation that says “black tie” what do you think about that event? On the other hand, many clients might be interested in black, but are a little bit wary of the black white combination. It might be little bit too stark for them. There are other ways to use black however. It can be paired with a soft cream color and with a rustic production technique the overall design effect is much more traditional. A panel from our Olde English Collection illustrates this perfectly.

If yellow is emotional, it may be in no small part attributable to the heat of our sun and its effect on our lives. Look no further in literature than “The Long Hot Summer”, by Mr. Tennessee Williams. Generally, clients that want to invite yellow into their design plans hope to do so with less drama than Mr. Williams was known for. Therefore, we offer the collage below, with the flower and vegetable from our Novelda Collection and the field tile in the middle from our California Collection.

The spiritual aspect of violet can be seen in Catholicism in the form of liturgical dress and in Hinduism as the color associated with the Seventh Chakra. We can also focus on the color in nature and let that be our design criteria. Again, the Novelda Collection gives is two floral tiles flanking a field tile from the California Collection in the panel below.

Next week, we will conclude these thoughts with orange and gray. As previously promised, we will  hear from the Creative Director of Country Floors, Ms. Sylvie Atanasio. Until then, there are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and let them help you design with color and mood!

The Diamond Shape

Naturally, “Diamonds Are Forever”, at least according to Ian Fleming and his alter ego, James Bond. So too does this shape keep its place in contemporary design. Recently, interior designer Gabrielle Di Stefano, contributing for Houzz, posted some very interesting comments on this timeless shape. “The diamond pattern is a standout and classic geometric design. Used for centuries as a motif on things like clothing, quilts and even knitted garments, this pattern is still just as popular now as it was hundreds of years ago,” said Ms. Di Stefano. To illustrate, Ms. Di Stefano points to a stainless steel backsplash by Elizabeth P. Lord, as seen here.

Also on Houzz, designer Zoe Lee posted a visually arresting image of the diamond shape used in a children’s nursery

At Country Floors, we offer an interesting interpretation of the diamond with our St. Tropez limestone mosaic.  This pattern allows you to insert a shape and multiple color values into a space. This can fulfill your design plans for your bathroom tile designs, your kitchen tile designs or anything else that might seem appropriate to you.

Also, consider pairing this mosaic with a complementary limestone field tile that works with one of the colors in the mosaic. If you are really brave…..pick two colors and work with both as the field!

May we also suggest a terracotta alternative with the Gothic Collection by our Creative Director, Sylvie Atanasio.  As you can see, the classic warmth and range that terracotta always brings to a design plan can soften the shape.

Thanks for visiting our blog area and we hope this has been helpful if you are considering a diamond pattern in stone or tile. There are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and let them help you!

Delft Inspiration

Situated between Rotterdam and The Hague, the Dutch city of Delft has a long political history through its association with the House of Orange and a significant cultural past .That wonderful past is amply evidenced by the great painter, Johannes Vermeer, noted for “Girl with a Pearl Earring” below and “View of Delft”, shown at the top of this post.

However, we are a stone, tile and glass site, so let’s drill down on the legendary Delftware and in particular Delft tiles. The omniscient Wikipedia defines Delftware as “blue and white pottery made in and around Delft in the Netherlands and the tin-glazed pottery made in the Netherlands from the 16th century. Delftware in the latter sense is a type of pottery in which a white glaze is applied, usually decorated with metal oxides. Delftware includes pottery objects of all descriptions such as plates, ornaments and tiles”. Below, you can see a classic bit of Delftware from the Pushkin Museum.

In the America of the 21^st Century, Delft tile is most commonly thought of, in the broadest layman’s terms, as simply a white tile with blue decorative elements. But as depicted below, one should always expect a hand finished artisan style with crazing or minute cracks in the glaze.

At Country Floors, we have enjoyed a long relationship with a Dutch producer of Delft tiles located in Makkum. This is reflected in our authentically beautiful Royal Makkum Collection. As you review this Delft selection, you will notice all the classic genre elements: white background, blue ornamentation, country ambience and farm scenes. A great example of this is the farmhouse below in Bedford, New Hampshire by LKM Designs. If you are seeking to realize your kitchen tile ideas through the placement of Delft tiles, look no further than this classic usage.

Here is a final suggestion. Consider bringing samples of other elements that you may want to “work” with your Delft tile. For example: paint chips, fabric swatches, millwork samples, etc. etc. This may sound obvious but you would be amazed at how many clients leave these things at home.

Country Floors has showrooms across the USA. Let the experienced hands there guide you through a rewarding experience working with Delft designs!

Color, Mood…. and Designing for Both, Part One.

We all recognize our personal sensitivity to color. Does the blue of the ocean inspire you? What about fall foliage colors? Do you feel serene with green? Let’s learn a little bit more. The very well respected, Ms. Angela Wright, on her website Colour Affects tells us that there are eleven emotional colors and describes them below:

WHITE is hygienic .BLUEis intellectual.BROWN is serious. GREEN is balance. PINK implies physical tranquility. RED is physical.

BLACK is sophisticated and glamorous. YELLOW is emotional. VIOLET is spiritual. ORANGE is about physical comfort. GREY is psychologically neutral.

Think about these for a minute! Now let’s take a look at this from a design standpoint using a variety of Country Floors collections! The use of white stone, ceramic and glass in bath settings is certainly easy to understand. Being crisp and clean, white is also neutral in a way that invites other colors to be introduced in juxtaposition. This, of course, enhances your ability to deliver on your bathroom tile ideas. When working with white, always consider “white on white”. As seen below, the use of three dimensional molding pieces from the Bedford Collection achieves this “white on white”.

If blue is intellectual, what do you think of the intricacy of the Miradouro Collection?  Perhaps as a feature wall or a cleverly refined accent strip? Below you can notice the exquisite detail of the blue pattern with the ancient brush stroke technique on the solid blue molding.

Take a look at the brown below on the left. OK, this is an emotionally serious color, according to Ms. Wright. But as interpreted by our Riva Del Mar Collection, the color gradations inside the brown value lighten the mood while not detracting from the setting. After all, we are all pretty serious about eating! Pantone recently announced Emerald as its color of the year for 2013.  So if the emotion of green is balance……notice the balance that Giallo Verdino, also from the Riva Del Mar Collection, strikes in this composition below right.

Earlier we spoke of white, its hygienic emotion and its ability to act as the backdrop for other color values. So if you are looking for floral ideas, take a look below at this 20 piece ceramic panel from the Novelda Collection! We can certainly feel the sense of physical tranquility that pink can produce!

Then of course there is red. Do red cars really get stolen more? Do they cost more to insure? Do we really see red? Well, let’s just believe in the science and agree that red is a physical color. If you, or your client, loves red…its does not have to overwhelm. Take a look at this collage from the Novelda Collection. In these settings red as a color value is more implied than truly indicated.

We hope this has been an interesting exercise in the use of color and the moods associated with them. So, keep this in mind when you are using stone and tile to realize your bath and kitchen design ideas. Next week, we will continue these thoughts with black, yellow, orange and gray. We will also hear from the Creative Director of Country Floors, Ms. Sylvie Atanasio. Until then, there are Country Floors locations all over America. Stop in and let them help you design with color and mood!

Summer Style with The Odyssey Collection

In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus is chronicled as he returns home to Ithaca following the Trojan War. His ten year journey back to his wife Penelope is justifiably enshrined in the pantheon of literature in Western Civilization.
 
Certainly no mere collection of stone can hope to match the epic sweep of Homer’s work. What Country Floors hopes to do with the “The Odyssey Collection” is to begin a design journey with its clients. We think that it will be a winding adventure in style and substance that will bring ancient elements such as marble, limestone, glass and metal together. So let’s begin!

One thing is certain. Even a cursory glance at this collection brings white, and white stone in particular, design forward to your eye. Influential blogger, Holly Foxen Wells, posts that “One trend gaining speed in the decorating world is the use of white marble. It seems that everywhere you look is replacing darker granite, river rock and tile.” Naturally we think that is well said and spot on.

As you can see below left, two famous white stones, Thassos and Calacatta, are woven together with stainless steel through the innovative use of water jet technology. In the same design spirit below right you can see Statuary white marble juxtaposed with glass.
 
 

The cleanliness of this collection lends itself to both sparse design plans and elaborate ones. Perhaps you might want to make it focal point in a space such as a bathroom wall design or a kitchen backsplash design. On the other hand, maybe your mosaic design plans could get a little lift by using the aforementioned metal, and glass.

As a design aside, please remember that while its seems that “all things white” are the trend, white marble will more times that not benefit from the addition of color that metal and glass can bring.

So, no matter what your design problem is and what journey it takes you on, Country Floors is here to help. Get some professional stone and tile help with your mosaic designs, bathroom tile designs, kitchen tile designs and much, much more.

The ever iconic brand that is Country Floors has six luxury showrooms across America. They are staffed with driven professionals ready to guide you through your odyssey of design. Bring your SPIRIT!