Southampton - The first tile was apparently a happy accident. Some anonymous but clever ancestor of ours noticed that water mixed with clay and dried by the sun would create a hard yet durable material.

Decide on what areas you want to cover.

Tiles have been used in construction since the time of the original Roman baths and even earlier in ancient Greece. Today we use tiles indoors and out for floors, walls, showers, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, walkways, pools and spas. Though practical, tiles are also like fine jewelry in their ability to define and elevate the level of your design scheme as well as create the ambiance you desire.

Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Shopping for tiles falls under the category of "an embarrassment of riches." The "Wonderworld" of beautiful colors, patterns and textures is delightfully mind-bending, but overwhelming. You had best arm yourself in advance with a loosely tailored, pre-edited mental description of what you're looking for before you go.

To begin, start a collection of tear sheets from magazines that have the style, color, texture, etc. that represent the look and mood you want to reproduce for yourself. Study these carefully to clearly define what you like or even more importantly, what you don't like. From an overall design standpoint, you want to arrive at solutions that will not only satisfy your preferences, but coordinate with the rest of your home. It's disorienting to feel as though you have stepped into either a foreign country or the Twilight Zone upon entering a different room.

Search for tiles that represent the look and mood you want to reproduce.

Where Does This Go?
Let's face it. Few people can overlook budget constraints these days. If you figure out the kind of tile, which finish(s) and what areas you want to cover, your tile installer can approximate how many square feet of tile you will need of each for all locations. This will help you keep it real in terms of dollars and common sense.

A traditional Roman bath has a tiled floor, walls and ceiling throughout, but also has drawbacks. It's harder to heat in the winter and can feel dank in the summer unless well ventilated.

For these practical reasons, it's more common to tile the wainscot and fully tile around the tub only. Should you tile the ceiling? Though a tiled ceiling will complete your "tile story" in the most stylish way, it's not done just as often as it is done. It's your call.

A tiled wainscot should be about four feet high. Use a cove base tile rather than the base molding you would use in the rest of the home at the bottom and bullnose tile at the upper edge and as edging around the tile walls in the tub area. If you are going to use a decorative pattern or border of different tiles than the ones you use for the field, be sure they are the same thickness.

Patterns and textures can be overwhelming.

Suitability
Scale is always a major consideration when weighing your options. The answer to the question of what size tile to use starts with the size of the area to be tiled. Logically speaking, larger tiles make sense in larger areas and accordingly, smaller tiles are for smaller spaces. But this is where it gets tricky.

Big spaces don't suffer the inferiority complex small spaces do. There's no concern about appearing "bigger." Sizable areas can benefit by using large tiles with highly contrasting grout colors to create an obvious pattern. In substantial scale, the pattern becomes a design element that will add another layer of interest to your aesthetic vision.

As for those smaller areas, while you want to pick a tile that's size appropriate, one thing to bear in mind is that the smaller the tile, the more of a graphic pattern it will produce. A tiny tile arranged in a dense, boldly colored pattern with highly contrasting grout could be headache inducing and thus not great to live with.

Every Change In Color And Material Will Stop Your Eye To Register The Difference
The key word for small space design is "seamless." Small is beautiful, if the tile color blends with the wall color and the ceiling matches the walls. The differences of materials and surfaces will be diminished. Where the walls end or the ceiling begins will be less noticeable. As such, the space will appear expanded. At the very least, limit your color palette. Use neutrals for the big areas and save the pops of color for the towels, accessories or art.

Pick a tile that's size appropriate.

One good trick when using actual stone or porcelain "stone" tiles is to use both honed and matte finishes of the same stone. You might try a matte finish for the floor, a polished finish for the counters and a combo of both finishes in the bath/shower area. The mix of textures adds character and interest in a subtly elegant way without the distraction of color changes.

Classics Are Timeless
Your tile selection could well be a lifetime commitment. It's not an easy or inexpensive task to rip out the tiles if you make a mistake. Neutral colors in solids or lightly patterned designs will not look dated over time, as trendier looks will. New on the scene are textured tiles mimicking fabrics such as linen, and weaves like damask and basket. Texture in subtle colors is a great way to go. You won't go wrong with "imitation" stone tiles either. They look real but are usually made of porcelain. Just don't go for a too rough "pre-dawn-of-time-cave" look with your tile selection. You will quickly tire of the novelty and it will be a hard sell to the next owner, as the case may be.

Service Check
Can we assume that Cinderella was so light on her feet that her glass slippers were not at risk for shattering? Maybe. She lived in a fairy tale.

Be careful with white grout as it really pops out.

Should you be as confident using glass tiles on the floor of a high traffic zone in your home? Maybe not. Glass tiles, though gorgeous, are also dainty and delicate. You can however, get away with them on shower floors if you are so inclined. Low traffic and bare feet aren't much of a risk.

Another consideration is maintenance. For your high traffic areas, wouldn't you benefit most with tiles that are easy to clean?

While solids are classic, very light colors like white and almond or very dark shades such as navy, black or chocolate brown will show any dirt or marks more easily. Watch where you use high-sheen tile, as it will show pet and people footprints in dulled relief.

Ask for tile and grout color samples to take home. You should always view any design element you are considering in the environment where it's intended for use. Light affects color perception radically. What looks great in a store could scare you at home as well as clash violently with the other design elements in the room.

Read Between The Lines
White grout really pops out. If you aren't very deliberate and mindful of the effect you want to produce, you will create a graphic design you didn't intend by default. Grout comes in every imaginable shade so you will not want for creative options. If you love the pristine elegance of white tile with white grout, remember this combo is very labor intensive to keep clean. Even just a little dirt or splash of a colored liquid will show up in high relief.

Ask for tile and grout color samples to take home.

Good design Is Not Accidental - It's Very Considered In Every Way
Imagine the following example: Let's say you are planning a kitchen and have found a beautiful stone (man-made or otherwise) that runs to shades of beige with flecks of pale grey and pale green for the counter. You also "lucked" into finding a great subway tile in the same pale green shade as found in the counter material. The counter and tiles look like they were made for each other. So far, it's great, but here's where perfection can go very wrong. Choose white grout and it will nag for attention by visually shouting louder than the tiles and the counter. Instead, choose a grout color that blends with the beige in the counter material and you will have a lovely and harmonious solution.

Speaking Of Grout
It's porous and prone to staining. Use a grout sealer for this reason. Sealers also help prevent mold and mildew growth. Sealers are to be used after the grout has cured, which takes roughly 48 to 72 hours.

Unless you are using sheeted tiles, in which case the tile has to be grouted as laid out by the vendor, ask your tile installer to set the tiles with the thinnest line of grout possible. You want to see beautiful tile without being distracted by the "filling."

Reconnaissance Mission
Trips to a variety of tile dealers and hardware stores in your area are essential to understanding what's available to suit your needs and preferences. Generally, you will find that the displayed options will be the same in some stores, but you might also see options that are unique to each store. There are also a few interesting on-line sites for tile that offer an unusually rich resource for modern and colorful alternatives. You can have samples sent upon request.

Scale is always a major consideration when weighing your options.

Of particular interest, are the astonishing new array of green materials used for tile, as well as textures and colors that were never before available. The recycled glass, pebble tiles, stainless steel and cork mosaic offerings are stunning and the greenest of green.

It's been said that creating great interior design is accomplished with roughly 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. When it comes to finding that perfect tile(s), the reward of practical beauty that makes your space Fabulous, is well worth the pursuit.