As one of the oldest forms of decoration, tile has been a favorite across the centuries because of its durability and beauty. With endless combinations of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, tile fosters our ability to create whatever our imagination can dream up. Here are 13 of our favorite creative innovators and their tile inspirations.
Emily Henderson
Emily Henderson is a home style expert and the New York Times best-selling author of STYLED. Emily’s blog, stylebyemilyhenderson.com, showcases her vintage-inspired style and interior design approach to create spaces that reflect her clients’ personalities. She believes that everyone can have a beautiful, personalized home, no matter the budget.
In her Instagram feed, you can see the bright, light-filled spaces that inspire @em_henderson. For example, in this eye-popping bathroom, the shower and tub occupy the same enclosure, saving space and showing off the blue geometric ceramic tile that enhances the floor. Bright white wall tiles reflect the natural light that streams in, giving the compact space an expansive feel.
For more style inspiration, and to follow the progress of Emily’s mountain home, check out her #ehdmountainfixer posts on Instagram.
Camryn Rabideau
Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer with a love of plants, pets, and all things pink. Camryn’s work has appeared in such publications as InStyle and Martha Stewart Living, covering many topics, including style and tips for aspiring freelancers like herself.
The pink ceramic subway tiles in this cute bathroom are one of the style inspirations that caught the eye of @camryn_rabideau. Fun wallpaper with blooming cacti is the perfect finish to the half-height tiled wall, making it truly unique. Tile’s waterproof assembly and slip-resistant options combine to make the perfect choice for bathrooms. Available in any color, including Camryn’s favorite (pink), ceramic tile will suit any style.
Check out #tileinspo to see what inspires Camryn; from playful pink subway tiles to elegant, stone-look tile, there’s something for everyone!
Camila Pavone
Camila Pavone of Effortless Style is a New York-based interior decorator who loves bright colors and patterns. She believes that style should be effortless, personal, and accessible to everyone. Friends and family know that Camila always has her eye on design and expect that one day, they may be the lucky recipient of her design finds.
A friend’s bathroom seemed to be begging for Camila’s colorful style and she found just the right touch. We think the tile floor lays the groundwork here, with a fresh black and white design that doesn’t follow the expected checkerboard pattern. A bold, black tile border gives rise to crisp, clean-looking white subway tiled walls. The mermaid wallpaper exudes an art-deco vibe that suits this bathroom brilliantly, adding color without seeming out of place.
For more colorful eye candy decor, check out @camilapavone on Instagram, and be prepared to be inspired.
Anne Sage
L.A.-based interior designer and author of Sage Living, Anne Sage favors a smart and stylish approach to design. Anne believes that everyone deserves a beautiful life, and she has made it her life’s work to make that happen. Keeping busy with her art direction, photo styling, interior design, and social media expertise, Anne still finds time to renovate her own home.
Favoring tones of black and white, @citysage finds starry inspiration in this beautiful tile. Her stylish mother has always inspired Anne, and tile shopping with her has provided lots of ideas for future projects. You can see the renovation of Anne’s home — and inspiration to explore the endless varieties of ceramic tile — on her Instagram feed.
Stacey Sheppard
Writer and blogger, Stacey Sheppard first fell in love with design and architecture while writing for an interior design magazine and ever since, she has immersed herself in the design world. Stacey shares her design inspirations on her top-ranked blog, The Design Sheppard, and she has recently been nominated for the 2018 Amara Interior Blog Awards shortlist.
Perusing the feed at @staceyjsheppard, you will find inspiration for everything design, from colorful kitchens to the beautiful shade of blue that Stacey seems to be fond of.
This bathroom that has inspired Stacey is a lovely example of the versatility of tile. These porcelain ceramic tiles feature broad white stripes that line up in a large diamond pattern, suiting the spare design of the bathtub perfectly.
Florence Kelly
Florence “Floss” Kelly is the creative director at the online tile source, Tile Cloud. Floss started out by studying design with a major in ceramics in Sydney, Australia and has been involved with ceramic tile ever since. When on the hunt for her tiles, Floss keeps up with what’s hot in the design world so that she can provide the best tiles for her customers.
Pretty in pink, this bathroom inspires @tilecloud and puts a smile on her face. Making a statement with tile is a hot trend for design and this bathroom is a great example. Moreover, ceramic tile is water-, mold-, mildew-, and bacteria-resistant, making it ideal for bathroom surfaces.
Crystal Palecek
Bay Area interior designer, Crystal Palecek has always loved design, but it wasn’t until after college that her interests and her career all fell into place. She believes that creating beautiful spaces brings happiness, productivity, and a sense of empowerment that has caused her to dedicate her life to sharing those benefits with us all. The result of her passion is the online magazine Rue, which Crystal started in 2010 and now boasts over one million followers.
Bright, open spaces with lots of natural light fill @crystalpalecek’s Instagram feed. This entryway has inspired Crystal, and it’s not hard to see why. The gleaming tile floors reflect simple lines that immediately welcome you in. Ceramic tile makes a great first impression for your home, and with durability that withstands years of wear, tile is always a smart choice.
Dara Shashoua
We recently caught up with Dara Shashoua, founder and curator at Byzantine Design, and asked her what inspires her tile style. “When choosing tiles, trust your gut instinct,” Dara explained. “From almost 20 years in the industry, I find that people always come back to the first tile that made them have an emotional reaction. If you love it, buy it.” Dara focuses on tiles with custom finishes and unique patterns.
This tile inspiration that we found on @byzantine_design has just the type of unique style that Dara falls in love with. The chevron pattern of small tiles resembles knitting so much that we did a double take. This fun pattern has the style all stitched up, and the cool shades of green and blue will give any room a tranquil feeling.
Kate Riley
Kate Riley started out as a lawyer but found the pull of interior decorating so great that she quit her practice to focus on style. In her blog, Centsational Style, Kate shares her love of DIY projects with her followers. “I love using white tiles but in more contemporary modern shapes, for example, an elongated rectangle for a subway installation or a geometric pattern to give a transitional kitchen a modern edge,” says Kate.
A lover of world travel, @centsationalstyle finds inspiration in this custom tile with Moroccan style. Ceramic tile has a long history with designs influenced by many factors over the centuries. Whether you’re going for an old-world inspired kitchen or a sleek, modern bathroom, you can find a beautiful tile style to match.
Justina Blakeney
Justina Blakeney is no wallflower, and her bold, colorful style speaks to her personality. Author of the New York Times best-selling book The New Bohemians, Justina credits her multi-ethnic family and her love of world travel for her bohemian design style. In her blog, Jungalow, Justina’s inspogallery is filled with fun, floral designs and patterns that run to the bold side of style.
In this bathroom that @thejungalow shared with her one million followers, bold is definitely beautiful. The large, hexagon ceramic tiles in this shower are drenched with shades of blue that will transport your shower to a tropical beach, if only in your mind. You can find more of Justina’s out-loud style at @justinablakeney on Instagram.
Liz Foster
L.A.-based interior designer Liz Foster founded her eponymous design firm to blend East Coast aesthetics with a relaxed California ethos. Her blog, Sutherland Avenue, is filled with images of clean, white interiors that pop with color.
With delicate shades of mossy green, this penny tile floor in a kids’ bathroom inspires @lizfosterinteriors. Small tiles such as these are a great choice for bathroom floors, providing long-lasting beauty and options for slip-resistance. Penny tiles have been a popular choice since the Victorian era, and are now making a big splash in contemporary designs.
Sarah Gibson
Sarah Gibson’s award-winning blog, Room for Tuesday, was started as a creative outlet for the Salt Lake City designer. It is filled with images of her two gorgeous home remodels and loads of DIY projects. Sarah loves to share her design inspirations and to help her clients dream big.
In her blog, @roomfortuesday, Sarah talks about how she finally decided on this unique patterned floor tile that she installed with her husband. The blog is filled with images of all the tile that has inspired Sarah. She loves her new kitchen (and so do we).
Laura Jackson
One half of Jackson & Levine and also the food editor for Marie Claire magazine, Laura Jackson is a busy woman. While travelling the globe cooking, @iamlaurajackson shares her experiences, inspiring her followers.
One such find that she shared is this fun and wonderfully unique bathroom with hand-painted ceramic tiles depicting different flora and fauna. If your bathroom has been bugging you for a face lift, go ahead and explore all the choices that tile offers.
Get Inspired
Lucky for you, these 13 style mavens make it their business to share what inspires them and — in turn — inspire others. Now that your imagination has been sparked, what’s your tile style? Effortless and clean lines? Bold and colorful? Unpredictably unique? Follow these style leaders for their motivating messages and also explore our inspirational gallery for s-tile-ish ideas that fulfill every design vision!
