• About
  • Coupons and Special Deals on Kitchen and Bath Fixtures from HomeThangs.com
  • Home

logo
digg
facebook
stumble-upon
twitter

  • About
  • Coupons and Special Deals on Kitchen and Bath Fixtures from HomeThangs.com
  • Home



Most Popular
<?php the_title(); ?>
Small Bathroom? No Problem! The Magic Rule To Maximizing Your Storage Space
12 Comments
<?php the_title(); ?>
What You Need To Build A Shower All Your Own: The Magic Of A Custom Shower
10 Comments
<?php the_title(); ?>
Mosaic Tiles to Inspire a Summer Project
9 Comments
<?php the_title(); ?>
Low Flow Toilets Aren't The Bane They Used To Be: Fancy New Tech To Help You Get With The Flow
9 Comments
<?php the_title(); ?>
Copper Sinks Shine With Easy Maintenance
8 Comments
Categories
  • "Green" Home
  • Appliances
  • Bathroom
  • Bathroom Faucets
  • Bathroom Heaters
  • Bathroom Lighting
  • Bathroom Sinks
  • Bathroom Vanities
  • Bathroom Ventilation
  • Bathtubs
  • Ceiling Fans
  • Decorating Ideas and Tips
  • Flooring
  • Furniture
  • Kitchen
  • Kitchen Accessories
  • Kitchen Cabinets & Furniture
  • Kitchen Faucets
  • Kitchen Sinks
  • Lighting
  • Medicine Cabinets
  • Range Hoods
  • Showers
  • Toilets
  • Uncategorized
Shopping!
  • Save with our Coupons and Deals
  • On SALE!
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Lighting
  • Ceiling Fans
  • Decorative Hardware
RSS Bathroom Vanities SALE
  • silkroad exclusive double 72 Bathroom Vanity hyp 0703 72
    On sale at $1,371.06. Reg: $1,538.94 […]
  • silkroad exclusive single 48 Bathroom Vanity hyp 0153 48
    On sale at $974.05. Reg: $1,093.32 […]
  • Legion Furniture 48 Bathroom Vanity BC089
    On sale at $1,029.08. Reg: $1,159.07 […]
  • silkroad exclusive double 72 Bathroom Vanity ltp 0176 72
    On sale at $1,346.50. Reg: $1,511.37 […]
  • Legion Furniture Barstool W1747S
    On sale at $378.19. Reg: $425.96 […]
  • silkroad exclusive single 36 Bathroom Vanity hyp 0212 36
    On sale at $820.15. Reg: $920.57 […]
  • Legion Furniture 48 Bathroom Vanity W5251
    On sale at $1,040.29. Reg: $1,171.69 […]
  • silkroad exclusive single 38 Bathroom Vanity hyp 0904 38 l
    On sale at $913.96. Reg: $1,025.87 […]
  • Legion Furniture Bathroom Vanity WLF5020 48 48 SINGLE SINK Bathroom Vanity W SOFT CLOSE DOORS NO
    On sale at $902.14. Reg: $1,016.09 […]
  • decolav 5235 jordan 15 Bathroom Vanity cabinet only with 3 drawers
    On sale at $947.34. Reg: $1,764.53 […]
Archives
  • June 2013 (13)
  • May 2013 (19)
  • April 2013 (23)
  • March 2013 (21)
  • February 2013 (19)
  • January 2013 (18)
  • December 2012 (19)
  • November 2012 (14)
  • October 2012 (14)
  • September 2012 (15)
  • August 2012 (18)
  • July 2012 (16)
  • June 2012 (13)
  • May 2012 (13)
  • April 2012 (15)
  • March 2012 (7)
  • February 2012 (11)
  • January 2012 (9)
  • December 2011 (4)
  • November 2011 (7)
  • October 2011 (17)
  • September 2011 (9)
  • August 2011 (14)
  • July 2011 (13)
  • June 2011 (9)
  • March 2011 (1)
Home Design Gallery to Inspire
  • Kitchen Design Ideas
    • Kitchen Design Ideas: White Traditional Kitchen Design Photos
    • Kitchen Design Ideas: Kitchen Pantries
Recent Posts
  • 12 Easy Ways to Go Green
  • Weathered Black Bathroom Vanities – Getting A Grunge-Free Aged Finish
  • Five Great Ways To Make A White On White Kitchen Decor Work
  • Teak Outdoor Furniture – An All-Natural, Weather-Proof Alternative
  • Do You Need A Second Sink? Examining The Trend Towards Two Sink Kitchens
Mosaic Tiles to Inspire a Summer Project
Jun 12, 2011
by Megan Wahlberg
Interior Design, Mosaics, Murals, Tile
9 Comments
Download this page in PDF format

If you make your own mosaic, you get a weekend of arts and crafts and an increase on your house’s value. Mosaic art dates back to ancient civilization. The Romans decorated their extravagant public bathhouses with mosaics. In these times, few people could afford to bathe at home, and going to the bathhouse was a  daily social practice.

The Bisazza Alcove designed by M.W. Harris

The Bisazza Alcove designed by M.W. Harris

Nowadays, we turn our spas, our kitchens, and our entryways into a sanctuary by embellishing them with mosaic tiles.

Interior Design by Lisa Higgason

Interior Design by Lisa Higgason

Whether simple or intricate, a tile addition brings exotic beauty to any room.

Entrance at  Barneys in San Francisco

To get started on a mosaic masterpiece, first decide where you plan to build it. Tile can be applied to wood, stone and concrete. This offers possibilities of building a mosaic on the floor around a Jacuzzi tub, on the wall behind the kitchen sink, or even on a table.

Marble Tile Chess Table circa 1890

Marble Tile Chess Table circa 1890

A dusty old antique could become the new chess table in the study. The next step is to browse mosaic tiles to get an idea of what palette of color will flatter the room where your mosaic will live. The color scheme can drastically effect the look of a mural. The floor mosaic in Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle Suite uses hints of 14k gold  with colorful tiles. The entire castle is filled with mural mosaics, but this particular piece has only been seen in person by a select few, as the suite is only available to winners of a sweepstakes.

Cinderella's Pumpkin Coach Mosaic

Cinderella's Pumpkin Coach Mosaic

This kind of project would be a lot of fun for a family to do together, perhaps in a little girl’s bathroom. It looks complicated, but all you need to do is sketch your design on a piece of paper, measure your workspace and draw your pattern on the surface with the pencil. You don’t always have the make sure each tile fits the space perfect to scale from the drawing because you can stretch tiles to fit by making the gaps of grout bigger or smaller.

A Sketch of a Mosaic Pattern by Owen Jones

A Sketch of a Mosaic Pattern by Owen Jones

With a sketch, you will find where you might want Martini Mosaic’s blocco red tiles or piazza gray tiles to appear. Many shapes are possible with a wet saw. This tile cutter can be rented or bought at most hardware stores. Its blade picks up water and spins diamond dust to make a crisp cut on tile. When you’ve cut your tiles, you can place them together in the pattern you’ve drawn with a pencil to see how it looks. When you’re satisfied with a layout, it’s time to use tile adhesive to stick each piece down. Make sure the tiles are level. If one bulges up from the mosaic, it will need to be chipped out and replaced, which can be a real pain.

Piazza Tiles by Martini Mosaic

Piazza Tiles by Martini Mosaic

Use a trowel to spread grout into the cracks and crevices, scraping away any excess. With a wet sponge, polish the tiles clean. Grout can leave ugly stains. If you’re working with glass mosaic tiles, you will need to seal the grout and allow the sealant to dry overnight. If sealant gets on the glass, wash it away with warm water. Martini Mosaic produces eye-catching tile blends of glass and stone that make the extra step well worth the trouble.

Mosaic Tiles from Martini Mosaic

Mosaic Tiles from Martini Mosaic

The work area will need to have a lot of ventilation. You may even want to grab a work mask as the fumes will be quite strong. Making your own mosaic could occupy an entire weekend, but the addition raises the value of a home and is a great outlet for creativity.

Whimsical Kitchen Mosaic

Whimsical Kitchen Mosaic by Lori Desormeaux

Tile makes a room feel more luxurious for a number of reasons. It is visually appealing to a huge degree. Also, tile causes reverberation which makes a space feel bigger. The art of mosaic has been in style for thousands of years, and it’s not going out any time soon.

About the author
Social Share
9 Comments
  1. Pingback: Bathroom Tile - Choosing Tile For Every Part Of Your Bathroom

  2. John Wingate August 10, 2012 at 4:41 pm Reply
    The Bisazza Alcove designed by M.W. Harris is a stunning bathroom!!!! I love simple Mosaic Tile designs and all of the designs are great example of what Mosaic Tile designs should be.
  3. Pingback: Details of a French Country Kitchen Design

  4. crystaldrapery hardware June 2, 2012 at 5:47 am Reply
    . Thank you for constantly posting so many useful tips. They are such a great help to me. Thank you very much! I’ll bookmark your web site and take the feeds also… I’m happy to find numerous useful info here in the post.
  5. Pingback: Soup’s On: How A Pot Filler Faucet Can Save Your Back And Put The Joy Back In Cooking For A Crowd - homethangs.com

  6. sports hall maintenance August 17, 2011 at 7:16 am Reply
    What wood flooring should I use for my table tennis room? Some recommended floating interlocking laminate flooring with good underlays is good but I don't know what the hell are they talking about. I was wondering if some could suggest and explain some wood that can be used to play Table Tennis. To help Table Tennis requires good shock absorption and cushion from underlays. Those expert wood people out there please help..
  7. Kitty June 15, 2011 at 2:59 pm Reply
    Inspiring!
  8. GAIL WHITE June 13, 2011 at 7:00 pm Reply
    COOL
    • Megan Wahlberg June 13, 2011 at 9:33 pm Reply
      Thanks, Gail! I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels passionately about mosaics.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

*
*

captcha *


Blog Directory
homethangs.com | All site content is copyrighted. Google