Bedrooms, however, are not the place most people think of using ceramic tile since these are spaces where warmth and softness are preferred. Tile is often viewed as a hard, cold, even sterile building material, and many people find it antithetical to the nature of a bedroom. But there are reasons to rethink this:
Radiant heating. Ceramic tile is the perfect surface for installing electric heating mats to make a floor that oozes warmth underfoot. New tile styles. New types of tile, especially porcelains, can create an amazingly warm and friendly tone in a bedroom. Some porcelain tiles, for example, can masterfully mimic the look of wood, cork, or bamboo. Low maintenance. Tile flooring is a good alternative to carpet or wood because it’s low maintenance and easy to clean.
Ceramic vs. Porcelain vs. Stone Tiles
Considerable confusion exists over what constitutes “ceramic” tile. Technically, the term refers to any type of tile made from clay shaped into thin tiles. By this definition, porcelains and terra cotta can be seen as types of ceramic tile, although there are some people who insist on viewing them as separate types of building materials. But ceramic tile retailers do not particularly distinguish between different types of tile, offering traditional ceramic tile, terra cotta, porcelains, and even natural stone tiles under the general title of “ceramic” tile. Therefore, all forms of clay and stone tile can be considered together when it comes to the use of these products in bedrooms. All have similar merits when it comes to using them as flooring materials for bedrooms. Here, we see Bedrosians’ Barrique Series (Vert) of glazed color full-body porcelain floor tiles. These come in 4 x 24-inch and 8 x 24-inch sizes. The two sizes are often mixed in the same flooring installation to increase visual interest. To warm up bedroom tile, consider installing electric radiant floor heating. Embedded below the tile surface, radiant heating takes the chill off a ceramic tile floor. Square tile has been overused for years. In the last few years, larger rectangular 12 x 24-inch ceramic tile, such as this one from Bedrosians (it’s called Infinite Brown), have exploded onto the marketplace, along with their elongated cousins, ceramic tile planks. This comes from Bedrosians, and it’s simply called Beige (TCRILL50C). It is designed to resemble the look of natural marble tiles but is far more affordable. Marble and other stone-look tiles are best suited for climates where a cool look and feel is desirable (such as the Southwest U.S.), but in northern climates, stone-look tiles can be wonderful if laid over underfloor radiant heating. The explosion of porcelain tiles is one of the biggest developments in flooring, as porcelain can be fabricated to resemble many different materials, including wood, natural stone, cork, bamboo, and even metal. However, the porous tiles shown here are not true terra cotta, but a ceramic tile that’s intended to look like classic terra cotta. The advantage is that these will be less porous and will hold up better than genuine terra cotta. Dal-Tile’s Terra Antica line is a perfect fit for the bedroom. Its classic simulated terra cotta look provides texture and comfort to any bedroom. This bedroom features Terra Antica in 12 x 12-inch Bruno tile. This installation also includes Bruno Deco Border and Corner tiles.
