Pitch the floor.
Design a special area to bathe your pooch by placing an expanse of floor tile on a pitch so that the water flows easily into a drain—just like a shower. Porcelain tile is a good option. It’s maintenance-free and makes cleaning up pesky pet hair a snap!

Fido-friendly theme.
A vanity in your pet room is a great place to store toys, leashes and treats. Its backsplash should be stylish too. Play up a pet theme by incorporating decorative border tiles. Mirror the look on the floor to keep it consistent.

Size matters.
A variety of sizes creates interest on the floor. Pairing 3-inch by 6-inch tile with 6-inch by 6-inch and 3-inch by 3-inch tiles provides depth and drama. Go on a diagonal for dimension. And if you’re working with stone, opt for the textured side of the tile for visual interest.

Counter offer.
Durability is key when selecting countertops. CaesarStone is a stainresistant material with the look and feel of limestone but without the daunting cost. Concrete is another fitting choice. A natural material that’s kind to the environment, it exhibits subtle variations in color and texture. Because each slab is handcast, no two are identical.

Accessories count.
From sinks to faucets, be sure to keep your pet in mind when selecting the room’s accessories. Special touches, like paw-print hardware and fabric, complete the look.

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Personalize your new abode. You might have been bound by a landlord’s rules and regulations before, but now is your opportunity to inject individual style into your home. From sleek to subdued, today’s array of tile, stone and fixtures offers options tailored to almost any taste.

Get more molding for less. Rather than using large, expensive moldings, consider purchasing narrower sections that can stack together to create the illusion of pieces that are bigger and more ornate.

Resurface kitchen and bathroom countertops. If the counters in your home need to be changed, use tile for the top and a chair rail for the front detail. Basic plywood can be laid as a cost-effective base underneath a tile covering. Taking this step also helps to update the room without major reconstruction.

Add instant pizzazz with new grout options. Now available in almost any color under the sun, new grout can refresh a tired tiled area while keeping expenses and labor to a minimum.

Focus on illuminating fixtures. Decorative lighting can make a big difference in any kitchen or bathroom makeover. Whether your taste runs more traditional or contemporary, be sure to choose pieces that complement the tile and stonework for a cohesive look.

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Give it time.
Turnaround is affected by many factors: the size of the project, the intricateness of any hand painting, the amount of time it takes to finalize plans and the artist’s workload. Once the design is approved, production generally lasts six to eight weeks, depending on the complexity of the project.

Expect some fees up front.
It’s common to charge for the design plans. And you’ll be billed for a glaze sample for any custom color requests. If you’re working with a mosaic medallion or border, expect to pay a template charge. Samples are always an additional fee.

Work with a reputable tile studio.
While many “artists” are willing to do custom projects, a studio that has established a good business relationship with an artisan will be able to provide you with references and examples of past work.

Express Yourself .
Meet with the tile designer to brainstorm ideas and discuss your hopes and goals for your home. A trained professional will be able to translate your vision into tile and give you a briefing on what is possible with today’s techniques.

Approve The Final Design .
When your one-of-a-kind piece is complete, it’s yours to keep—in other words, no returns. To ensure you get what you want, it’s essential to sign off on the final design.

The post Made To Order appeared first on Anna Marie Fanelli.

Go natural.
Draw inspiration from the natural color palette of the vineyard with patterned slate or distressed stones. If budget or maintenance is an issue, distressed patterned porcelain achieves a similar look.

Layer.
Like a fine wine infused with complex flavors, layers of texture add dimension. Consider incorporating elements like decorative hand-painted borders or decos. For a distinctive look with a nod to wine making, consider cork tiles.

Add detail.
Mosaic medallions with leaves or grapevine patterns are the perfect accent for a welcoming wine cellar. For a focal point underfoot, opt for a stone-etched insert.

Deck the walls.
As an extension of your entertaining space, create an authentic backdrop in which to taste wine with stone cladding reminiscent of a vintner’s vault.

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Invest in the kitchen and master bath.
These two rooms have the most potential to seal the deal when it comes time to sell. Buyers will be wooed by granite countertops, but you might also try eco-friendly CaesarStone or go high-end with honed stone and Calcutta gold marble for the floor, backsplash or shower.

Be wary of expensive layouts.
Intricate borders and tile patterns may be visually appealing but can pack a punch budgetwise with expensive labor charges. If you’re flipping a home for profit, stick to simple but stylish layouts.

Keep it neutral.
Bold may be beautiful, but individual tastes can vary widely. Play it safe with shades of white or beige for field tiles. To spice it up, add colorful details and accessories.

Know your segment of the market.
Don’t indulge in the highest-price products if you plan on selling a midrange home—most likely you won’t be able to get a favorable return on your investment.

The post Ripe For Resale appeared first on Anna Marie Fanelli.

Coordinate colors
For a customized look, match flooring to the hue of your car. Try RaceDeck, a modular tile system, available in an array of patterns and colors, which can be selfinstalled. No surface prep is required; just snap tiles in place over any existing solid-surface floor. Resistant to oil, antifreeze and most household chemicals, it can be hosed off for easy maintenance.

Embellish a workshop with masculine countertops
Try CaesarStone, a solid-surface product composed of crushed quartz, for a luxurious look. Designed to hold up in even the messiest high-traffic counter areas, the Reflection Series lends a manly feel to workshops with a rich color palette of ruby red, pacific blue and ebony.

Consider medallions and mosaics
Personalize your garage by installing a stone waterjet medallion of your favorite car logo on the floor or wall. Or pay homage to your Ferrari with a glass mosaic in its image.

Add punch with porcelain
Maintenance-free, costeffective and eco-friendly to boot, porcelain tile works in a wide range of designs. Create an old-world aesthetic or a sleek modern space depending on the tile you select. Porcelain is also naturally slipresistant, making it ideal for preventing accidents in the garage.

Don’t forget the walls
Although most people focus on the functionality of the floor, if you wash your car in the garage, you’ll want to keep the walls dry. Halfwall tiling will protect them. For pizzazz, top off the design with glass or stone decorative trim.

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Take a cue from the Emerald Isle
Emulate the metalwork of the ancient Celts with cold-cast bronze, copper, nickel and brass field tiles, liners, decos and moldings. The sustainable cold-cast method uses 100 percent recycled “chop” metal that is first processed into powder and then molded into intricate tiles.

Achieve the look of limestone
Recycled porcelain tiles are not only eco-friendly and costeffective but maintenance-free to boot. Aesthetically similar to natural stone, porcelain is inherently slip-resistant; won’t scratch, stain or fade; never needs sealing or waxing; and cleans with just hot water.

Go for recycled glass
Using glass-fusing technology, 100 percent recycled glass tiles require less than half the energy it takes to produce a ceramic tile and less than one-quarter of the amount needed to create a cast-glass tile.

Create magic with cork
A rapidly renewable resource, cork forms tiles that are water-resistant, require minimal maintenance and are cost-effective. Perfect for noise control, the cellular structure of cork naturally absorbs sound waves.

Think composite chic
Products such as IceStone, which is made of 75 percent recycled glass mixed with concrete, offer eco-savvy options for both contemporary and traditional countertops. The color can be easily customized by adding pigment to the cement for any desired stone effect.

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Go “green”
Cement tiles are not only environmentfriendly,they’re also available in a rainbow of colors. Hues like sky blue, canary yellow and wintergreen are suited to a children’s bathroom while also having longlasting appeal.

Try a Middle Eastern flavor
The exotic culture of Morocco offers rich, colorful and unusual flooring. Draw inspiration from the famed tiled palaces of Marrakech for an Aladdin-like bathroom that will make brushing teeth and taking baths fun. Look for rhomboid mosaics and irregular patterns.

Create an animal theme
Forgo cartoon clichés and instead incorporate colorful aquatic fish mosaic inserts for a sophisticated sea look. An array of decos and details with dragonflies and forest animals also can add a sense of adventure. And snakeskin tiles and bamboo textures bring a dash of fun and excitement.

Consider comfort
Keep little toes warm with a heated floor. A thin electric cable system, controlled by a thermostat, can be installed under tile or stone. Like an electric blanket for the floor, it’s the ultimate in barefoot luxury.

Be safety-savvy
Avoid slips and falls with textured floor tiles. New techniques such as micro-etching now allow manufacturers to produce stylish slip-resistant tiles that appear to be smooth but have microscopic peaks and valleys that provide traction.

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Opt for travertine pavers.
Opt for travertine pavers. Ideal for driveways, patios, pool decking and walkways, they won’t degrade like many concrete products and require no sealing or maintenance. And the lack of metal content in bluestone, granite, slate and other similar materials allows travertine pavers to remain cool underfoot even on the hottest days.

Add dimension to a pool.
Whether you choose a terra-cotta look or an ancient mosaic pattern, edging the rim of a pool with stone coping designed to coordinate with the decking defines the area. A variety of options, like pencil-rounded, bull-nosed or rock-faced edging, allows for further styling.

Embellish with architectural accents.
Stone columns, fountains and balustrades can act as landscaping showpieces. Try re-creating an architectural period with multiple features, or select one outstanding piece like a cascading fountain.

Spice up the built-in barbecue.
Ditch the standard brick, and decorate with colorful textural tiles. Combined with tumbled-stone field tiles, an eye-catching barbecue backsplash is easy to achieve.

Get instant curb appeal.
Build in texture to a retaining wall or façade with split-face ultra-thin veneer dimensional stone. Choose either 1/2-inch-thick or 3-inchthick pieces for maximum pop.

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Build in texture
Try putting a basketweave pattern on the walls to create texture and excitement. The weave keeps the eye moving throughout the room.

Try translucency
Glass tiles in muted shades are soothing and create the illusion of a larger room. Go for a flowing water effect, like the ocean as it gets deeper, with colors that gradually fade into one another.

Be consistent
Don’t shy away from patterns, but keep colors light and similar to create more visual space. Think about height, angles and repetition, and be sure the tile helps the eye scan the entire room..

Make it even more memorable
Unusual decorative tiles such as leaves or flowers, perhaps positioned in an innovative way, will have guests remembering the cool details, not the small size of the room.

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