Bathroom renovations: Tile style

S@H: How is tile being used differently in the bath?
LS: More people are now doing the entire bathroom in tile. Instead of just doing around the tub, they're carrying it across a whole wall, or they're applying it from a chair rail and below, all around the backsplashes is overwhelming -- from tumbled stone to glass subway tile, in virtually any size.

S@H: What's the distinction between floor tiles and wall tiles?
LS: It's pretty simple. If it can go on the floor, it can go on the wall, but not the other way around. Wall tiles do not have the strength to be walked on. What's popular, then, is doing a bathroom floor tile, and carrying that up the bathroom wall into the tub surround rather than bringing in a wall tile, or using that same tile in a different size.

S@H: Any last tips you offer customers to ensure they're making the right decision when selecting tile?
LS: Tile's not like paint -- you can't just spend $40 and undo what you've done like you can with repainting. At Olympia, we encourage people to take samples home. The colour at home is totally different than it appears here in the showroom because of the different lighting conditions. I even tell people sometimes to take construction paper, trace the tile, and literally lay it out so they can see how many joints there are, how it's going to look, and so they can show their contractor how it's going to work. Keep in mind that a lot of tile products really are timeless. People will still accessorize with furniture, art and linens, but tiles can carry a space. They make a real statement.

Read more in Kitchen & Bath and Bathroom