Styleture

Are you a fan of Styleture on Facebook? If not, what are you waiting for?! Go to facebook.com/styleture and “Like” us!

Starting in October we’ll be starting a new feature on our page called Fan of the Month. What this means is any Facebook fan that uploads a photo to our Wall of an interesting interior design has a chance to be featured on our page with their very own tab. If you’re fortunate enough to have your submission chosen we will profile you or your company on our page for an entire month. It’s a great chance for everyone to learn a little bit more about the design aficionados that make up the Styleture community.

Styleture Fan of the Month

Viva La Ceramica!

If you’ve been under the impression that mouth-watering high-design tiles are out of your reach – you’ve been missing what can only be called a “Tile Revolution!” For those of us in the industry who have been watching the evolution (or revolution) – it does seem as though tile is certainly having its day – and really its year. Having just spent an afternoon at the New York showroom of Hastings Tile & Bath (in the Architects and Designers Building), I had a first-hand look at where the industry is headed. And if I were forced to choose just one style, I’d be in serious trouble!

Bland porcelain tile? It has its uses – but today’s tiles have grown up a quite a bit. New technologies have given birth to a plethora of options. Tiles from Spain and Italy seem to be leading the way as far as design and innovation, and we are happy to present some here.

Exotic animal textures, metallic finishes (shimmering and distressed), raised panel/wood-look, fabric, stone, textured….if anyone thought they were relegated to ‘just’ any one style….it’s time to be amazed.

Certainly there are tiles whose technical make-up is better suited to walls than floors; all you need do is ask your local tile showroom what the tiles PEI Class Rating is. This rating classifies the various uses of tiles, from Class 1 (no foot traffic), to Class 5 (appropriate for use in heavily trafficked areas.) That’s the easy part. The hard part is choosing from the wealth of gorgeous tiles available.

Thinking contemporary? How about these masculine and very contemporary exotic-look animal skin tiles? These ivory crocodile tiles could not be more sophisticated and visually interesting. Available in four colors and four different textures, you have the ability to choose between more subtle or more intense textures.

Hastings RMA Series Exotic Animal Skin Tile

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When designing bathrooms – there are many objects that take center stage: tubs, toilets, sinks, faucets, lighting. Do people put as much thought into their choice of mirror? They should, and here’s why – try shaving or putting on make-up without one and you could end up looking like The Joker. More seriously, your choice of bathroom mirror should not be an afterthought. Homeowners are no longer relegated to whatever comes with their medicine cabinet. Mirrors now are graceful, elegant, interesting, well-lit and even fog-free. Take a look at some mirrors that caught our eye and decide for yourself which is the fairest.

Marathi Mirror
A part of the Marathi Collection from Hastings Tile & Bath, of vanities with coordinating mirrors, this illuminated mirror and cabinet is doubly useful. The sleek white interior includes two glass shelves, light, and round mirror. The door is cleverly cut to reveal the mirror inside for a solid contemporary look.

Hastings Marathi Mirror

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After reading the title of this post you might be asking yourself, “Get with the times, buddy – I just bought an iPad. Why on earth would I need something as antiquated as a book library in my home?” Well this post will attempt to answer that question for you and give you some reasons why a home book library can be a rewarding design choice.

Home library

1. An expression of one’s personality: This aspect is completely lost with the digitalization of books and music. With the advancements in technology most evident in such devices as the iPod, Kindle and now the iPad, we are losing the ability to learn about a person just by observing a record on their shelf or a novel in a bookcase. It used to be that you could learn an awful lot about a person’s interests just by taking a brief glance at what was sitting on their shelf; this is not the case anymore with e-readers that have reduced books to a collection of 1’s and 0’s.

2. A great way to impress guests: What better to show guests that you’re cultured and intellectual than some strategically placed Marcel Proust or 19th century Russian literature on your shelves? The best part is you don’t actually have to read them. They serve their purpose just sitting their collecting dust while you watch your favorite MTV reality shows.

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