I Love Tile
I am becoming a true tile lover. In his business, Shelter Construction, my husband specializes in fine carpentry and tile work. I get to see some very beautiful and artistic layouts. I’ve seen walk-in showers fit for a queen and custom tub surrounds that make me feel like I am in the Caribbean. Tile, in and of itself, is a pretty “green” option for floors, counter-tops, back-splashes and walls because it is almost always made out of natural materials, and there are very little, if any, chemicals used in the installation of it. Of course, there is always a threshold on how green you can go with building materials. This article is a great reference for truly eco-friendly tile options.
We recently finished our master bathroom addition in our own home. It is comprised of Slate, Glass and Porcelain, all natural materials. We didn’t use reclaimed tile in our bathroom, but there are several nearby rebuild centers over in Portland, Oregon that offer leftover and reclaimed materials that we have shopped at in the past. The ReBuilding Center is the biggest one that we have found. Shopping at rebuild and recycle centers is not only affordable, but these places also offer unique options that can’t be found anywhere else.
Glass and Slate bathtub surround and back splash.
Glass sink back splash.
Porcelain counter tops.
Porcelain floors with glass and slate surround detail.
Kyle also just recently finished a bathroom remodel for a client who lost her husband to cancer two years ago. He was a beloved local artist; a potter. When he was alive, he handmade a tile mosaic of Haystack Rock – a large rock that protrudes out of the ocean on one of our local beaches. The mosaic was installed as an entryway into his original storefront. When they moved locations years ago, he pried it up and saved it. A few months ago Kyle was able to shave all the tiles down and reinstall them into his client’s new shower. It is absolutely beautiful. In this case, the tiles were, of course, reclaimed, but more significantly, they were re-installed as a beautiful tribute to an artist who is so deeply missed by his family and his community. Kyle was blessed to be a part of this project.
Haystack Rock mosaic, with Marble shower walls and River Rock floor.
Mosaic. So beautiful.
Marble sink with handmade tile detail.
photo credit for above three photos: Rebecca Stewart-Johnson
As I said above, I love tile. With Kyle around, how could I not?
