Tile Trends 2013 - Tile of Spain

A couple of months ago I traveled to the Coverings show to see 2013 tile trends first hand. Coverings is an American showcase for all things tile. The design fair was held in Atlanta. I attended at the invitation of the Coverings show officials, a great opportunity. 

While I have many, many images of tile from the trade show, some of which I will feature in the near future, I'd like to start my coverage (overdue!) with a few of the tile companies who are members of the Tile of Spain trade association. Here is a slideshow which features my images from the show floor!

Following are trends that I have identified at the show that are true for Tile of Spain as well as trends which were seen throughout the show.

• As travel is on the rise, homeowners want to replicate a travel experience with tile textures and patterns that bring back their favorite place
• Art Nouveau has surfaced as a trend many like due to its unique design elements, not quite traditional, not quite modern
• Mid Century Modern continues to gain interest in the marketplace
• Popular colors are mid range warm gray and neutrals (no surprise there!)
• Warm tones - cream, beige, camel, brown and red are rising. Emerald and blue are important in North America this year.
• Metallics with their warmth, patina, and age add personality
• Vintage design helps homeowners connect with a meaningful period
• Salvage such as brick, rustic wood and stone remains very popular
• Inspiration from nature and accompanying natural textures seen in stone and wood, particularly with more pronounced texture and grain is increasing in popularity
• Subculture motifs from graffiti, classic art forms, pop culture, industrial are a strong peripheral trend
• Tiles are very thin and are produced in ever larger sizes 

In addition to these trends, the refreshed traditional tiles such as Spanish and Moroccan looks continue their innovations, producing exciting new designs.

I have many more images which I will share with you in the days ahead!

Modern Kitchen Backsplash Accessories

Written By Kelly:

With the floorplan for my kitchen renovation decided upon in terms of work flow and lifestyle considerations, it was time to take a close look at an important functional aspect of the entire design - countertop prep space.

My old kitchen countertop with all the charming kitchen objects in place, allowing, maybe 9-10" of prep space front to back!

While, to me, my kitchen is a decent size having come from shoebox apartment kitchens in Manhattan, at 190 square feet, it is still small for suburbia. It was very important to both me and my mom/Susan/kitchen designer (all in one) to design in efficient countertop prep space; otherwise, really, what's the point? We immediately thought of Kessebohmer - a German brand we were familiar with that offers clever storage solutions as beautiful to look at as they are to use.

Since our main goal was freeing up counter space, I surveyed my counters in their current (read: cluttered) state and took stock of which elements would be most beneficial to our lifestyle and space and which could be moved off the counter. The Kessebohmer Linero collection became a quick answer to countertop clutter.

Linero is a classic modern rail system that is at once practical and extremely versatile. In fact, its beauty lies in its versatility. The simplistic design consists of a variable length horizontal rail that can be customized with any number of smart attachments.

As Kessebohmer's collection is so intuitive, we arrived upon more accessories than I had space along my backsplash where the main rail would be positioned. How to choose? We elected to get each accessory that I thought I would use under different lifestyle situations, and change them out as needed.

This concept has since evolved into many different, and FUN, iterations, and has given us a tremendous amount of flexibility - which is THE keyword for my kitchen. Here are the elements we chose, and how they've been incorporated into our multi-functional kitchen:

Spice Rack - This accessory houses my most-used spices, kept conveniently at arms length for when I need them, literally, in a pinch! Positioned at the far end of the rail, it is situated a safe distance from the heat of the cooktop so as to not spoil the spices.

Multi-Purpose Shelf - Simply one, clean, stainless shelf. I use this to hold a few frequently used oils, or a decorative plate and ceramic bowl.

Wine Rack - Holds up to 3 wine bottles. We don't keep this up all the time, but trot it out when we're entertaining and want to take the kitchen from "cook's kitchen" to "Napa dining room" as it lends a very chic, festive feel to the unit.

Cookbook/iPad holder - Utilizing a second simple shelf on the rail for another use, I love this accessory purely for its functionality as previously noted. Having previously cracked my iPad screen with a falling spice jar (true story), this piece keeps your cookbook or ipad out of harm's reach. And, it's an excellent conversation piece as well - guests love it!

Kelly's using the ipad just before a dinner party

Single Utensil Jar - Raise your hand if your counters are currently housing the ubiquitous, cumbersome jar of utensils? Not mine! Previously the bane of my existence, my utensil jar is now conveniently suspended along my backsplash in close proximity to my cooktop for a quick grab of a wooden spoon or pasta ladle. More space to spread out the pizza dough on the countertop.

Knife block - It was, perhaps, most satisfying to rid our counters of the clunky, ill-shaped knife block that came with our knife set. This sleek element keeps knives safely shielded in a natural wood sheath, and behind a pane of glass. What I love most about this is the ability to quickly grab your exact intended knife, instead of playing a guessing game with knife handles.

Utensil Hooks - This is a beautifully simplistic row of 6 hooks intended for hanging utensils. Of course, I ran out and purchased a crisp, matching set of Chrome utensils with holes in the handles, but the collection has evolved into an eclectic hodge-podge of trinkets (such as my beloved Danish bottle opener) and novelty utensils from Anthropologie. And I quite like it that way.

Three-Cup Utensil Holder - This is another accessory that we don't keep out every day, but when we're expecting guests, I'll fill it with fresh flowers, or other decorative objects.

Paper-Towel Holder - My husband has an unearthly affinity for paper towels. This storage solution is much more favorable than an on-counter dispenser. We positioned it as the solo attachment on a short rail alongside the sink for quick, easy access.

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from renovating my kitchen speaks to the benefits of having an open mind. Many elements that were designed and decided upon were based more on trusting my designer and a "sure, let's do it" attitude than an actual previously recorded need or desire. For example, I didn't truly know to what extent the Linero rail system would solve multiple cooking and lifestyle issues in the kitchen until it was installed, and as soon as I hung up those attachments, I knew there was no going back. The convenience and efficiency is remarkable, and the flexibility adds an exciting element of evolution and versatility to our kitchen.

 

Stay tuned for a later post where we show you a few different "outfits" for our Linero system. Linero does holidays, it does dinner parties, and most importantly, it puts the "fun" in function!

Thank you to partners: Kohler, Silestone, Bosch, Hafele, Kessebohmer, autokitchen and Kravet who donated products or services and who had the vision to know this renovation would use their products in interesting and creative ways!

Wood Texture Kitchen Trend - IMM Cologne LivingKitchen 2013

Texture, designed into many of the kitchen displays I saw at LivingKitchen two weeks ago in Cologne, Germany, was front and center as a trend. It showed itself in various forms, but the movement was clear - Europeans clearly want warmth in the form of wood grain, whether real or faux wood.

This specific type of texture was shown in walls, backsplashes, cabinet doors and countertops. It was also seen in flooring, which I will be covering separately.

The kitchens were warmer in their overall feel than the last time I was at this show, yet, interestingly, and here is an important point - European cabinet manufacturers show texture in a very modern way as opposed to designing in heavily textured wood with more of a country feeling which we are familiar with here in the U.S.

The new European kitchen designs are using textured wood in a straightforward way - plain (mostly flat, sometimes raised small squares in a modern pattern) and simple. When you add flat, simple, doors, modern accessories and appliances, no amount of heavy texture will move the design toward the next level of warm and fuzzy that we are used to seeing in the U.S. - you need paneled doors and other design elements to go down that road.

Nonetheless, the added texture seen in the kitchen displays does contribute to a sense of comfort, warmth, and a casual nature to the design.

Below are images which illustrate the various ways texture was used at the LivingKitchen show. I've turned the color saturation down quite a bit to more clearly show these textured areas. This was a mainstream trend!

What do you think of this trend and how it's used? 

Tile Trends - A Brief History Of The Kitchen Backsplash

Everywhere I look, I see small rectangular tile used on backsplashes and upper walls in the kitchen. It's getting a little bit worrisome to me. It's worrisome because, having been a kitchen designer since the very late 80s, I have perspective. Perspective helps my clients, and I hope it helps you too.

It started (my professional association with tile) with 4x4 ceramic glazed tiles and pretty fruit and vegetable or flower designs, often seen with corner motifs, sort of that Country Floors look. Definitely gorgeous. Funny, I'm seeing it more and more frequently again and it's still every bit as beautiful. Like Terracotta flooring, it was very popular, then went away. Now it is returning, at least on the periphery, to fashion again.

Then came 4x4 tumbled marble tile or matte, earthy, or light shades with fancy border tile. Tile was laid on the diagonal as a lower border against the countertop with a thin border tile above with square 4x4s above that (not on the diagonal), all over the backsplash on the diagonal with a square border at the countertop level, or maybe just in the cooktop area.

Later, probably near the start of the 2000s or a bit later, we began seeing 3x5 subway tile, which we still see, although not nearly as often as a few years back in terms of the "big trend". A very popular trend, subway tile harkened back to a more simple time, a period look, yet removed from the olde world look of tumbled marble 4x4s from the 90s and early 2000s. Mosaic tile in every possible color and material came on the scene first as an accent, then later on the entire backsplash.

Glass tile, too, in aqua/blue shades, emerged as a very popular option some years back for the modern kitchen, especially in the mosaic form but was/is also seen in subway sizes large and small.

In the past couple of years, maybe a year earlier, we saw a strong trend toward very small rectangular, then longer rectangular subway tile shapes. These shapes are seen in matte finishes, iridescent and/or glass finishes and in typical glazed ceramics, and of course, marble, travertine, etc. It seems that at this moment, everyone LOVES small rectangular tile.

It occurs to me that I should not show full kitchen shots of my clients' kitchens to emphasize my point because in a sense, it certainly could be construed that I am encouraging the point of view that their kitchens be perceived as dated or "in waiting" to become dated. Classic or dated? That seems to be the question. 

The inspiration of this post came to me as Kelly and I recently looked at images of my work going back close to 20 years. When I viewed simple kitchen cabinetry, meaning UNadorned with the old world moldings, etc. of the 90s/early 2000s, which usually included a 4x4 tumbled marble backsplash, the kitchen looks dated due to the tile backsplash, and the cabinetry does not. That holds true for other tile motifs that I mentioned above, seen in other kitchens. Granite countertops? Yes, they played a role to a certain point, but this post is about tile.

These tile images except for the top image, are from Home Depot....probably a pretty good barometer for what is on trend for the unwashed masses. I shop at Home Depot too on a (rare) occasion, or in a pinch but hopefully with a designer's eye, so put me in that category too.

We all think that a tile type or shape is classic and in one sense, it is. When you see that particular shape nearly everywhere you look, especially in a very high end kitchen in a crazy expensive home, it may be amazingly beautiful, both dream worthy and swoon worthy, but it's still a trend. Possibly, it is a huge trend and from my perspective, probably a tile trend that will last 10 years or less (kitchen trends last much longer than fashion, but alas, they then trend downward fast.) Therefore, your kitchen will look dated to most of the world at large as a new shape and material has made its debut to the masses, washed and unwashed.

What is the answer then to deal with trend cycles? Next post, I will share my thoughts on how to think through the backsplash tile issue. I will talk about what is classic, what is trendy, if you should or shouldn't care about all this because "I love my kitchen anyway", and we will figure it out. I have several solutions for you to deal with this issue.

I already knew my responses to much of my work in terms of what is dated and what isn't, but when Kelly sat with me and said, as only a family member or very close friend would say: "that's dated, this is dated, that's dated too, you can't add that/submit that/show that" it told me what a young, design savvy woman thinks and sees right away, NOT being fully immersed in the kitchen world as I am-she is more general interior design focused. She knew immediately from her perspective what "felt" dated as I knew from my different perspective. I thought that was interesting, which was the inspiration for this post. Talk soon....

Kitchen Backsplash Height

The height of the backsplash, the space between the countertop and the bottom of the wall cabinets, is often left as an afterthought by many kitchen designers and homeowners. It's rare in my experience that the client expresses an opinion about the backsplash height. However, If the height of the backsplash is not considered carefully, comfort and function could very well be at risk and affect one's lifestyle in the kitchen - for a very long time.

Below, a backsplash height calculated for a variety of issues: a concealed microwave, height of the client, function and display.

Just this morning, I received a question from a fellow kitchen designer. I wrote back an answer and realized that the answer was good information for a blog post. 

Hi Susan,

In discussions with my design team I am questioning the distance between the counter top and the bottom of the wall cabinets.  Two of my designers, who have over 75 + years of experience feel strongly that “custom design” should be a distance of 15” to maybe 16.5” 

I, on the other hand , being 6’3” tall feel that anything less than 18” (or with a molding applied to hide lighting) 17.5” is too tight a space.  I’m not asking for a definitive answer, but I thought with all of your travels and experience in the marketplace you might be kind enough to share your design thoughts with me about this.

I wish you and yours a very safe and enjoyable Holiday Season, and I very much enjoy reading your blog. Thank you for your time.

My answer:

Sure, I'm very happy to weigh in on this issue. However, you answered your own question! Where possible, which is nearly always the case, one should attempt to customize the height of the backsplash depending on the height of the homeowners and/or primary chef/bottle washer. It's a nuance, actually.

Below, calculations based on multiple criteria as above: client height, storage needs, display.

Two tall homeowners? Increase the height.

Two short homeowners? Shorten the height but beware of countertop appliance heights since that must be dealt with.

Two homeowners, one short/one tall, both helping out? That's a negotiation that might take a little more time and is a personal decision between the homeowners. In that case, the proposed/negotiated backsplash height really must be mocked up so each can experience the height and decide what works and what does not work.

Perhaps, then, tall pantry storage can come into play where access is more "democratic." Or, one area may have a lower backsplash and another could have a higher backsplash if designed to make sense visually. A countertop wall cabinet will help too.

The other issue, of course, is if trim is added below the wall cabinets, potentially shrinking an already short backsplash or not allowing countertop appliances to fit.

Then, you have children. Do the homeowners wish children to take an active role in the work within the kitchen? If so, storage should be planned to be at lower levels via base cabinets (dish drawers) or a pantry with better access.

Below: Kitchen of Cynthia Bogart, editor of The Daily Basics

I'm always compelled to note that there is a 15+" wide cabinet to the left of the range :)

For my clients of typical height, I usually opted for a 17" backsplash and ran it past them to verify that worked for their lifestyle and did not interfere with countertop appliances. I was taught way back that the average backsplash height could be from 15-18". That, however, is like saying "I'd like a brown stained cabinet" ... it's only a starting point.

I hope that helps!!
Regards, 
Susan

What I did not add into this note (and should have) was the issue of physical abilities of the homeowners. Having a family member (in my own home) whose reach and bending ability has changed dramatically, the physical ability of family members is a critical question to ask as well.