Image: 3D White Ribbon Matte Ceramic Bathroom Wall Tile from Arizona Tile
Creating accents in a room is a fun way to add depth, texture, or an interesting focal point. In doing so, there’s no need to make a grand statement, but by accenting certain areas, depth can be added to a room that truly changes the overall feel. While changing color schemes is a good way to accentuate, it is not the only way. Textured tile can add dimension to a bathroom, living room, or kitchen and brings a distinct character that combines with any style.
Textured Tile
Textured tile is simply tile with a textured surface rather than a smooth surface. Often, tile is not textured, but who said it can’t be? Perhaps you’ve made a focal wall with wainscoting or patterned wallpaper or painted one wall with a deep hue sitting adjacent to a light-colored wall as an attempt to add depth and dimension. While these are all great ways to add aesthetic attributes, textured wall tile is another option and has a more permanent presence. Whether you gravitate toward subtle texture for a gentle aesthetic or a more pronounced texture for an intense statement, our collections of textured tile offer a diverse selection for any artistic preference.
Image: 3D White Wave Matte Ceramic Bathroom Shower Wall Tile from Arizona Tile
Bathroom
Textured bathroom tile adds distinct characteristics to any bathroom by joining practicality with style.
S-Series Scallop Mesh adds detail to a wall that your eye will gravitate toward, but it is still soft and versatile. Try choosing multiple styles of tile from the S-Series to pair together and create a seamless blend of color. Perhaps use 2” x 6” Staggered Mesh in a slightly different color along the side wall that leads to the grand display of Scallop Mesh on the back wall—this would be a unique option for a bathroom, where you can often have a little more fun with your tile choices.
Also great for a bathroom: the horizontal lines of our 3D series wall tile create a feel of expansiveness. These lines are free-flowing, like water, making another perfect wall tile – possibly along the wall of a soaking tub or the wall guiding you to your oasis-inspired shower room.
Don’t hesitate to mix series’ either! Styles from S-Series would be stunning with 3D series tile.
Image: S-Series Textured Wall Tile Available in Ceramic & Porcelain from Arizona Tile
Aside from an aesthetic angle, there is safety to keep in mind when using textured tile in bathrooms. Tile doesn’t necessarily have to be raised to be considered textured. Small tile can also add texture and depth through design, but it also adds an element of safety with its extra grip to a bathroom floor—especially in the shower—given the additional grout lines. The less surface area of each tile, the reduced chance of slipping. While still looking within the S-Series, it’s easy to continue this tile throughout the entire bathroom from wall to floor to shower (even a steam shower). 1” Hex Mesh and Penny Round Mesh are both stylish options for the shower floor.
Image: Flash Ivory 3 x 12 Ceramic Kitchen Tile Backsplash from Arizona Tile
Kitchen
Kitchens are perhaps the most used room and can get very messy if you enjoy cooking or have young children. Given these considerations, steering clear of textured tile might be what you feel is best from a maintenance standpoint, but it sure doesn’t have to be that way.
Flash ceramic tile is only lightly textured, but that, along with its glossy finish, gives this tile lots of dimensional movement. Designed to feature characteristics of hand-crafted tile, Flash tile boasts a range of textures and slight glaze variation from piece to piece. With eight delightful color options ranging from white to pink and gray to blue, this elegant tile adds desired visual interest in any setting on interior walls, showers, and around fireplaces. In your kitchen, Flash tile would make a wonderful backsplash or accent wall. When it comes to cleaning and maintenance, its glossy finish and smooth surface easily wipe clean with a damp cloth. It’s super simple to clean after any mess!
While Flash has a modest texture, our Dunes series has a Flat option that is similar in its smoothness but has more sizes to create with. Plus, it is also available in a Wave option that offers more texture. This versatile glass tile, has a pillowed effect that leaves the tile slightly raised, which is created during the firing process as the cut edges soften. This varied surface provides a dimensional design to feature on interior walls, like a backsplash or an entire wall that sits behind your dining table (even mixing and matching different sizes or colors).
Another option for a slight visual texture is the beveled 3” x 6” or 4” x 12” tile that is part of our Paloma series. If you desire the simplicity of a subway tile but want it to have a little something extra, the beveled edge adds an element of depth. It is available in two colors, in a glossy finish.
Image: 3-D Mesh Mount Ivory Honed Travertine Fireplace Surround Tile from Arizona Tile
Living Room
Tile can adorn your living room just as it can your bathroom and kitchen. An excellent way to incorporate tile in your living space is around a fireplace. Not only does the tile accent the fireplace nicely, but it really pulls the room together around a warm, cozy feature that emphasizes quality time and comfort.
3D Mesh Mount Stack tile consists of natural stone rectangular pieces stacked unevenly, adding texture and dimension to a wall, definitely making a statement around a fireplace. Available in 21 color varieties in marble and travertine natural stones, designing a stone wall can range from white to black, modern to traditional, and elaborate to minimal, yet all add a focal point to any room.
With similar uses as the 3D Mesh Mount Stack tile, especially around a fireplace, Classic Limestone Combed tile provides a softer texture but still creates a notably different surface to highlight an area. Very neutral in color and easy to pair with other décor, Classic Limestone Combed would work well in a commercial setting on a vertical surface where you want to add some dimension but nothing excessive.
All Texture, Some Texture, No Texture…
This is a decision only you can make based on your aesthetic preferences and the overall feel you want a room to have. Fortunately, we have many versatile tile options with varying levels of texture.
With textured tile, perhaps more than other tile-types, we invite you to visit an Arizona Tile location to see and feel the options in person. It’s also helpful to use our Just Imagine Tile Visualizer to develop a clearer visual of your favorite products and how you may choose to integrate them.
If you ever have questions for us, our helpful and knowledgeable staff are here and happy to help!
