The bathroom is our first stop in the morning, a frequent destination throughout the day and the last place we visit before we go to bed. It may be one the smaller rooms in our homes but stands high in importance as statement of the homes style and mood.
Bathrooms must fulfill a host of expectations. We demand that they be functional, hygienic, and safe, but we also expect them to serve as a place of ritual. A long soak in a bubble bath represents a retreat from the hectic world of work and responsibilities. Often the sole hideaway in the house, a bathroom must be attractive and serene.
Ceramic tiles are inherently an ideal material for a room with a high ambient humidity and the need for hygienic surfaces. Mould, mildew and bacteria cannot permeate a glazed ceramic or porcelain surface and can be removed quite easily with a regular wipe down.
The exposure to water, in particular the immersed areas of shower recesses requires exacting installation to prevent water ingress behind the tiles. High temperatures from hot water and steam showers put further demands on the bathroom installation.
More than any other room, the bathroom offers the opportunity to make the ceramic tile the dominant design element. While a bathroom primarily needs to be functional, with a bit of imagination and creativity you can make it a special feature of your home. Large format wall tiles give greater depth to the space, creating an ambience of elegance and opulence. A border adds personality and sets the tone of the theme of the bathroom. A bold border can become the focus of the bathroom with bold, brazen and stunning colour and texture. Small bathrooms, which need a space-creating monochromatic scheme, can benefit from having a textured border tile. The border tile should incorporate some of the floor tile colour in its pattern. Tiles by Kate are specialists in finding the right combination of style, colour and texture of tile to suit your bathroom tiling project.
Kitchens
Tiles are an integral and functional part of a kitchen. The Kitchen has been the traditional showcase for decorative tiles and styling personality. Kitchen tiles complement the style of the home and the colours and textures of the kitchen cupboards, benches and appliances. The backsplash can be subtle and neutral with a colourful border to give lift and style, or conversely, the backsplash can be vibrant and colourful providing energy and life to the kitchen. Special considerations must be given to the selection of an appropriate kitchen floor tile due to the nature of kitchen use.
Backsplash Area
As the first surface you see when you enter a kitchen the backsplash deserves special attention. This are defines the separation between the upper and lower cabinets and is usually 450 to 600mm in height.
A tiled Backsplash is a functional media that provides a number of duties, firstly it protects the wall from water ingress, secondly, behind the cooktop or range hood, it is a fire resistant surface, and thirdly, one that resists the build up of grease.
Along with practicality a backsplash provides a superb canvas for decoration and creativity. If you have a large tiled between the bench top and cupboards a small change, such as a shift in shape, a border tile or an inset will add interest and personality to the space.
Kitchen backsplash tiles are subject to chemical stress in the form of food acids, grease, oils and cleaning agents. An appropriate glazed tile must be selected to resist chemical stress.
Solid glass backsplashes are not recommended as they are very difficult to keep clean. Any individual stains that are cleaned require the whole backsplash to be cleaned.
Kitchen Floor
Tiles are a durable, long-lasting and practical flooring system for kitchen floors that are easy to maintain and water and stain resistant. On an aesthetic level floor tiles provide warmth and personality to the kitchen.
Kitchen floors are subjected to the highest wear and tear of all the floor spaces in a residential dwelling. Kitchen floors are subject high traffic, impacting kitchen utensils and spilling of various food and cleaning agents, therefore, it is very important to use an appropriate high quality tile for this type of mechanical stress and chemical attack.
Living Areas
The living room floors and feature walls can be tiled with beautiful and durable tiles to make your living areas a pleasure to live in.
Laundries
The Laundry is a practical room set aside in our homes for the cleaning and ironing of our clothes. It is a place of ritual and function.
Ceramic tiles are inherently an ideal material for a room with a high ambient humidity from clothes dryers and the need for hygienic surfaces. Mould, mildew and bacteria cannot permeate a glazed ceramic or porcelain surface and can be removed quite easily with a regular wipe down. This prevents exposure of clothes and soft articles to staining.
The exposure to water, in particular in the areas around the laundry tub and the washing machine requires exacting installation to prevent water ingress behind and under the tiles. The Laundry offers the opportunity to incorporate the theme of the bathrooms or the theme of the living areas to make the laundry space a pleasant environment for laundering needs
Outdoor Areas
At Tiles by Kate we have an extensive range of indoor and outdoor tiles that allow you to extend your living areas outside. Tiles are available in a range of finishes to suit different applications.We have a range of tiles suitable for exterior use with a variety of finishes including; glazed, honed, matt and rock faced textures all of which have varying surfaces for external use, dependant on slip resistance requirements.
Textured Porcelain or Vitrified tiles are a fantastic low maintenance option for outside areas and pool surrounds as they are slip and stain resistant in a practical entertaining area.
Commercial Applications
Tiles by Kate – Commercial. This includes the well regarded attributes Tiles by Kate has established in the retail industry, including great customer service and design ideas, with the expertise and resources of Interiors by Kate for large residential developments, commercial applications, and business to business assistance.
Our staff are readay to assit interior decorators, designers, architects, project managers and builders.Products include a vast and impressive range of floor and wall tiles to suit all applications and budgets.
Tiles by Kate has one of Sydney's best tile selections on display. The product lines include porcelain and ceramic floor and wall tiles, glass mosaics, mosaic tiles, floor and wall borders, natural stone tiles as well as bench tops in natural and man-made stone materials.
We have fully qualified staff to assist you in making design and technical decisions in our showroom, or if you are too busy, we can arrange for our Architectural Consultant to come to you.
This service is extended to you for all projects whether they are large or small. Please give us a call or send us an email so we can provide you with further information. We look forward to being of assistance to you.
