Reinvent your apartment with textured tiles

It seems a shame to put tiles with these tactile pleasures on the floor or on your wall.

When it comes to pleasing our sense of touch in our homes, we often think first of textiles: the upholstery on our couches, the linens of our beds, maybe even luscious rugs and carpet to comfort our toes. Rarely does any turn an eye to solid flooring such as tiles. Cold and hard, it seems like they’ve been spoken for, right?

A few designers aim to augment our flooring lexicon to include more colorful adjectives. Beyond color, pattern and natural texture attention has turned to designers that are creating tiles that give our feet something interesting to walk on. Decorative tiles come in a variety of sizes and finishes to complement any room of your rental. Use these tiles in DIY projects and art pieces – attach them to a square of plywood and hang from your wall. Before permanently adding them to any surface in your apartment check with your landlord first!

Italian company Eturia Design has a line of textured tiles in fun geometric patterns that will certainly catch the attention of guests. The pallet and forms are influenced by different decades within the last century. While the porcelain tiles pull from old world inspiration (such as the metro stations of Paris at the turn of the 20^th century) they are the leaders in fashion forward design.

Refin’s textured tiles are a hot commodity, particularly the dreamy swirled Circus line. In its muted colors and soft sheens it’s a grown up take on fun and whimsical decir. Refin also has a line of ultra slim tiles called Skin that are recommended for homes undergoing renovation. The lighter tiles work well within existing frameworks without the need for large scale demolition and building, perfect for upgrading your apartment.

Etsy artists are all over the trend as well. American artist Heather Knight markets a line of textured tiles that are much more affordable for young renters without skimping on style. Many are presented as single tiles that you can cluster yourself rather than an endless supply of tiles for entire walls and rooms.

Looking for affordable yet unique tile? Skip the big box home supplies stores and search for locally-owned flooring suppliers. They will likely be more aware of the latest trends, hold a larger inventory of selection, and carry a few styles that look like designer-brand goods with more reasonable prices.