“Tile Idea Book”, by Andrew Wormer.

Wormer, Andrew. Tile Idea Book. Newtown, CT: Taunton, 2005. Print.

Continuing on my run of Taunton Press’s “Idea” books, this tile book seemed like the ideal way to get some stylish (but hopefully not too trendy) tips on bathrooms.  I was surprised by how many pages they devote to kitchens, but of course between back splashes, floor tiles, and the trend of “feature” tiles between the stove and range hood, I should have expected it.

As usual from Taunton, we have tons of pictures of various rooms in the house, including patios and outside stairs.  It goes beyond inspiration with, for example, historical detail, like the tiled risers on Spanish Revival villas. They point out the use of tile in period bathrooms, like the hexagonal tiles traditional in a 1910s-era “sanitary” bathroom, but also show how to update it (not that I would) with small inset tiles or a border.  Finally, they give tips on laying out tiles, which is very useful to me – I tend to start small with the individual tiles, and forget that establishing an overall pattern is important.  They recommend, for instance, a trim line of accent tiles that lines up with the window head casing, and another line that runs just below the window trim, creating a horizontal line that also ties together the room, makes it appear bigger, and acts as a back splash for the sink.

I’ll definitely put this on hold again when I’m planning our bathroom reno.