Summer has arrived and with it our thoughts of relaxing on the coast. But if you wish you had relaxed coastal living all year round, here’s some tips from The Tile Depot on how to make that a reality with tiles. Summer has arrived and with it our thoughts of relaxing on the coast. But if you wish you had relaxed coastal living all year round, here’s some tips from The Tile Depot on how to make that a reality with tiles.
One of the best things about living in NZ is that no matter where you live, you are never very far from the coast. We are an island nation, blessed with ample coastline and natural beauty that is the envy the world over. There would be very few of us indeed who don’t regularly spend time in, on or near the coastal environment and have it play a massive part in our lives. Thus it is not surprising that many of us draw inspiration from the coastal environment when designing our home interiors, whether we live within a few hundred meters of the shore or many kilometres inland.
The coastline around NZ is incredibly varied both in terms of its morphology, and ever changing moods. As such we all take different inspiration from its many and varied characters when drawing on these for our architectural and interior designs. No matter what your coastal influences are, there is a tile product that will draw those connections into your home.
Woodgrain porcelain – imbued with nature and coastal character.
Timber is an invaluable product for capturing the character of nature and coastal influence in our interiors. Unfortunately timber does wear and is not always sustainably sourced. This is where woodgrain porcelain has the edge. Not only is it generally sustainably produced, but it will never fade, scratch, wear, need sanding or re-varnishing and can be used in wet areas where traditionally wood was not a great option. Not only are they the ideal product for your floors if you actually live on the coast and could be traipsing highly abrasive sand into your home, but they capture the essence of nature, relaxation and calm in a stunning and diverse product.
Whether you like the lighter sandy tones, or the greys and dull browns akin to dried driftwood, or in fact the darker hues of wet wood and rocky shorelines, there is a timber tile product to suit. Timber tiles offer a timeless look, with a relaxed and natural character that looks and feels amazing. Cool in summer, they are great for passive solar heating in winter. They are truly luxurious and warm through those winter months with the addition of underfloor heating. If you’re looking for timeless coastal cool, then timber porcelain tiles are a must.
The timeless style and elegance of stone.
As a consequence of modern digital printing technologies, porcelain stoneware can replicate natural products in incredibly convincing ways. Texture, visual appearance and light reflection qualities are amazingly reproduced in porcelain tiles. If you draw your strongest coastal influences from the composition of the shoreline, be it sandy, pebbly or rocky, there is a huge range of stone inspired tiles that will really bring that relaxed coastal feel to your home interior and exterior areas.
Large format 20mm thick porcelain pavers are a fantastic option for creating your own exterior oasis. Able to be dry laid onto grass or gravel, adhered to concrete surfaces or installed on deck jacks. There is a wide range of simple designs and soft tones with sand-like flecks and grains to draw that shoreline in. Incredibly durable and practical they are a stylish and exciting option for the creation of that soothing and relaxing outdoor space.
Natural stone inspired tiles, are also an industry favourite for interior areas. Although available in a wide range of shades and styles, they almost unanimously offer a soft and soothing character that is inherent in nature. From the limestone inspired whites and greys to the warmer beiges of sandstone, there are uniform designs to those with a range of grains and veins reminiscent of coastal cliffs and retreating shorelines. If you are seeking to really open up a space and give a spa-like feel, the vast range of stone inspired tiles are a timeless and elegant option. Many of these also come with a matching exterior option for those who like to blur the boundaries between interior and exterior areas.
The cool colours of the coast.
While most people think of light, white and soft neutral tones when visualizing coastal inspired interiors, there is a much more exciting array of colours that really draw upon the moods and character of your favourite coastline. Nothing says water and nature quite like bright blues and oceanic greens, marry these with the woodgrain porcelain or stone inspired tiles described above, to really add that wow factor to your space.
Increasingly ceramic wall tiles are drawing upon the depth and reflectivity of glass to create some truly stunning tile options. The depth and vibrancy of colour has to be seen to be believed. Some of these are available in a matt finish for a more subdued effect whilst others can be found with a high gloss and wavy surface which reflect light and give the appearance of movement, reminiscent of water and deep ocean seas.
From subway formats to hexagonal mosaics, from glass to ceramic and even porcelain, there is an increasingly exciting range of cool coastal colour options available, with more arriving all the time.
