How Cement Tiles Can Transform Your Home

It’s time for The Bold & The Beautiful folks, and I don’t mean the 1980s soap opera—I mean cement tiles (also known as encaustic tiles). Open any interior design magazine and you’ll find big, eye-catching patterns being incorporated into both modern and traditional homes. But what you see may not come only from fabrics or carpets, but cement tiles as well. Wonderfully graphic, cement tiles can bring bold design and memorable zest to your space in a variety of ways. I’m super intrigued in bringing this look into my home—check out all the places designers are using them:

Fireplaces

Think SHOWSTOPPER (Adele, Beyoncé, you know—a diva). Every room needs that star to stop you in your tracks and with cement tiles that could be your fireplace.

In an otherwise neutral room, cement tiles on a fireplace surround makes a statement, turning the hearth of the home into a work of art. And yet in the image (above), these tiles mix beautifully with even the most traditional ingredients.

The image below makes use of Moorish-inspired cement tiles, suggesting a worldly, Yeah,-I’ve-been-to-Marrakech kind of look, a pretty floral pattern framed within the strong lines of both mantel and moulding.

Accent Walls

The wonderful thing about cement tiles is that you don’t have to stick with neutrals like blacks, grays, and whites—although this is a great way to go for those who aren’t ready for punch of both pattern and vibrant. But for those looking for some adventure, these tiles do come in a variety of colors which in this beautiful design in teal and turquoise (below), creates an impact from floor to ceiling.

Bathrooms

Tired of marble or penny tile? Cement tiles featuring subtle geometric pentagons in a soft gray and white enliven the narrow bath in this example (below). How cool is that geometric light fixture to match?

In this example (above), the bold black and white pattern of cement tiles on the floor is evocative of being cast adrift in a boat (bathtub), perhaps in the middle of a field of abstract flowers. Below, a more colorful use of cement tiles help curb the almost anticeptic leanings of a too-white bathroom.

Kitchens

Tile in the kitchen? Well, that’s not new. But look at the transformation cement tiles make on the floor of this example (not your mother’s linoleum):

I’m also crushing on the use of cement tiles in this linear pattern on an emerald green field design that really makes that island pop, as well as the rainbow of color making up this charming backsplash (below).