Spotlight On: Mosaic Tiles
Mosaic tiles are moving beyond bathrooms into kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms too – here's what you need to know
In this new series, we put key home-design elements under the spotlight, exploring everything from the latest innovations and arrangement ideas to practical tips on making them work in your space. Here, we take a closer look at mosaic tiles.
How are they delivered?
They come mounted onto backing for easy installation. There are three main types:
They come mounted onto backing for easy installation. There are three main types:
- Mesh-mounted mosaics: Tiles are pre-mounted onto a piece of plastic, paper or rubber mesh for easy application.
- Dot-mounted mosaics: Tiles have a couple of adhesive dots on the back, which you simply attach to the chosen surface. A smart choice if you need to install mosaics in tricky spots, such as around columns.
- Face-mounted mosaics: Tiles are finished on both sides and sit on a tacky sheet of plastic or wax paper. Tiles are removed from the paper one by one, allowing the tiler to install them in challenging spots, such as around shelving, hooks or power points. Face-mounted mosaics tend to be delicate, and installing them can be a time-consuming process, so they can end up costing you more than the other two types.
Why is there so much chatter about them now?
“Fifty years ago, mosaics would never have been seen anywhere other than bathroom floors,” says Wood. “But that’s all changed – innovations in manufacturing techniques and grout mean you can now use them just about anywhere in the home.”
“Fifty years ago, mosaics would never have been seen anywhere other than bathroom floors,” says Wood. “But that’s all changed – innovations in manufacturing techniques and grout mean you can now use them just about anywhere in the home.”
Where are they being used?
According to Wood:
According to Wood:
- feature walls in the living room, hallway, dining room and bedrooms,
- kitchen benchtops,
- feature flooring,
- bedheads,
- everywhere in the bathroom – even the basin!
- fireplaces, and
- flooring in open-plan rooms to zone off spaces such as living and dining areas.
Where else can I use them?
Some other application suggestions from Wood include:
Some other application suggestions from Wood include:
- Cover the whole kitchen island with your favourite mosaic tile. Be sure to use epoxy grout in this spot, rather than cement grout, as it’s more water resistant.
- Rather than applying mosaics to just one surface, create impact in the kitchen or bathroom by running them all the way from floor to ceiling.
- Visually warm up your outdoor entertaining area by using them on floors, walls or a fireplace surround.
Some of Le Roy’s favourite spots include:
- on the face of stair treads,
- on the back of a shower wall,
- behind a floating vanity,
- as a splashback in the kitchen or laundry,
- on the floor and walls in a small powder room (great for adding drama), and
- in patterned layouts on the bottom of the swimming pool.
Which shapes and colours are trending?
According to Woods:
According to Woods:
- delicate bronze mosaics (great for creating a luxe feature wall in the living room or hallway),
- timber-, stone- and concrete-look mosaics,
- mosaics with interesting shade and finish variations,
- mosaics with a green-patina appearance (give your home a vintage or urban industrial flavour),
- fan shapes,
- herringbone shapes, and
- mixed shape and size layouts.
Some notable styles according to Le Roy include:
- penny round mosaics,
- hexagonal mosaics,
- marble mosaics,
- miniature subway mosaic tiles (ideal for a kitchen, bathroom or laundry splashback), and
- mixing gloss- and matt-finish mosaics in the one application for a textured look.
Meanwhile, Carole Whiting, director at Carole Whiting Interior and Design, is loving:
- small, textural Japanese mosaics in natural tones (ideal for use around a fireplace or on a kitchen island), and
- mosaics that can be carried through from inside to out for a seamless sense of flow between the two areas.
Photo: Leeza Egan featuring Beaumont Tiles
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“Mosaic tiles are always in fashion – the shapes and styles just change over time,” says Clare Le Roy, interior designer, decorator, and director of The Little Design Corner. “They’re also great for tricky spots that couldn’t otherwise be tiled, such as curved walls.
“Small squares, penny rounds and hexagonal marble mosaics are timeless shapes that are trending now.”