While there are plenty of projects you can tackle yourself, if you are a little less than mechanically inclined, you may want to hire a contractor to do the job for you. When interviewing contractors, you will want to question them thoroughly, ask for references, and compare estimates. If you work with a professional that guarantees his work, it will save you a lot of time and stress. Talk with a contractor who is familiar with the local building codes to make sure your home remodeling is done correctly. You will also want to work with a contractor who can provide you with a well-written contract, which will prevent mistakes or additions to your project.

Prior to starting your remodeling, you may save yourself some money by finding products that you like that are less expensive. When shopping for products, make your decisions based on the total value of the item and the quality of the item, not just the price.

Besides putting your own personal stamp on your home, remodeling can also increase the value of the home. For instance: if you own an older home and only have one bathroom in it, it can make your house a little more attractive if you were to put in another bathroom. . . not to mention make your time in your home a little more comfortable!  Additionally, if you were to turn your basement space or attic space into actual living spaces by remodeling them, you can help to increase the value of your home.

Another way to increase the value of your home is to put in some high end appliances. If you opt to include some stainless steel appliances, dual-flush toilets, whirlpool tubs, and heated floors, you will attract more buyers. . . and buyers who are apt to spend more.

To speak with one of our design consultants, please call us at 1-800-764-1633.

For those of you who are looking for an interesting touch to your bathroom, kitchen, or other room in your home, consider the products from Metal Border. Metal Borders tiles are made from aluminum, which is lightweight but resilient. It finishes with a gray/silver appearance.

When synthesized with other metals, the result is an alloy that resists corrosion and has a long life span, which means it would work well in a bathroom or kitchen. Aluminum only weighs about a third of steel or copper, so you can get the good look of metal, but without all the added weight and necessary fasteners to keep it in place.

Their Peraluman tiles a square tile comes in the following sizes, 20 cm x 20 cm, 30 x 30, 40 x 40, and 50 x 50. The tiles are brushed to a smooth finish, and is made with magnesium, which is also resistant to corrosion.

Metal Border’s Anticorodal alloy is used for their mosaics, bars, and listellos. They are available in satin, smooth, and brushed finishes. And their alloy is best suited for internal architectural applications, because the level of corrosion resistance varies.
This means it may not be ideally suited for bathrooms or kitchens.

Finally, Metal Border wants to help preserve the environment as much as they can, and are working to reduce their waste to help. They recycle all of their scrap and byproducts, and they have a standard minimum 30% recycled aluminum in all their aluminum tiles.

To learn more about Metal Border, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.

Franco Pecchioli was founded in 1897 by the Chini family (pronounced “Keeney”) and the Pecchioli family. Galileo Chini, a master ceramicist and partner of this fledgling firm, opened the original formace (or ceramics factory) and called it LArte della Ceramica in the small village of Borgo San Lorenzo. Chini first worked with decorative stoneware vases, making his work stand out from the rest with intricate glazes and bright colors.

Later, he became one of the influencers of Italian ceramics throughout the early 1900s and 1920s; this daring artist was commissioned by the king of Siam to create large-scale frescos all around the royal palace. Unfortunately, the ceramics factory was bombed in World War II by U.S. bombing raids. This lead to a merging with Pecchioli, who financed the rebuilding and expansion of the company. Today, the Pecchiolis controls the business side of the company, with the Chinis controlling the artistic side.

Pecchioli distributes their products to not just Europe and Asia, but to the U.S., the Carribean, Bahamas, and Bermuda through the forged relationship with Una Terra, Inc. Pecchioli has already started to leave its mark on the United States businesses. Some commercial work that Pecchioli has done include: a Buffalo subway station, the Buell Theater in Denver, The Renaissance Center subway station in Detroit, and a Thai and a Burger restaurant in Las Vegas. Many residential bathrooms, kitchen floors, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, foyers, and sun rooms have also experienced the artistic touch of Pecchioli through Una Terra.

Experience Pecchioli for yourself! They have a wide variety of tile available. Check out their standard tile collections, such as Water & Sky, Blacks & Whites, Violets & Roses, and more. Each of their standard tile collections are glazed using machine-made Italian terra cotta biscuits in different sizes, thicknesses, and shapes. Pecchioli also sells beautiful plumbing fixtures that will make you (and your guests) gasp with surprise and pleasure. What better way to make a unique statement than to order a vessel sink, shower base, and toilet in matching colors? If you want to make a statement at your dinner party, consider a dinnerware set in rich colors, dipped and fused together with gold, silver, and platinum. The guests wont want to put food on the plates and cover up the glinting beauty winking back at them!

To learn more about Pecchioli, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.

Mixed-Up Mosaics is a New York City company that is the standard for handmade mosaic stained glass tiles. They’ve got some of the fastest turnaround times in the industry, and they strive to keep on the cusp of the latest trends in interior design and tile work.

The sets of tiles you order from Mixed-Up Mosaics are as unique as you and your business. Each job is custom-ordered and handmade with the exact design specifications laid out from the beginning of the project. You can provide the company with a template and measurements for your space, and they can create a design for you, or you could start with the beautiful templates they already have set up and then tweak the design to meet your needs and taste.

The versatility of the tiled creations from Mixed-Up Mosaics is incredible. You can use their tiles in any number of residential, commercial, or aesthetic settings. You could design a stunning backsplash for the kitchen or bar area, tile the area around a pool or sauna, create unique and dramatic tops for counters, tables, or bar tops, or even add a beautiful wall design to your church or synagogue. The possibilities truly are endless.

You’ve just got to take a look at this company’s collections, especially in the What’s New Section as of the posting of this article. You can view samples such as their Vanishing Point pattern, that is a wonder of linear “motion.” You can also see the Tiki design with its out-of-square squares and boxes, or the Circles pattern that each throws convention to the wind. Or check out their Plaid or Leopard designs — all made simply with custom cut and colored glass tiles.

So if you have a space that’s screaming for vibrant, unique treatment that will make your home or business stand out in a beautiful, exciting way, you have to consider Mixed-Up Mosaics.

To learn more about Mixed-Up Mosaics, please contact one of our design consultants at 1-800-764-1633.

The artisans at Listone Giordano have successfully embraced the challenge of taking the benefits of traditional hardwood flooring and creating for us their unique engineered hardwood flooring. It takes the best of nature and technology and produces a product unmatched in looks and use.

Listone Giordano, a company located in Umbria, Italy, with offices all over the world, including Boston, not only provides a functional and beautiful product, but at the heart of their mission is the protection and sustainability of the natural resources they use.

With multiple thousands of acres in areas in Italy, France, and South America, Listone Giordano prides itself on its commitment to replenishing and managing their forests properly to make certain the forests that have painted the beautiful landscape in the respective countries for centuries continue to thrive and produce raw materials for responsible human consumption, the harmonious relationship we should have with our environment. In basic terms, when a tree is taken, one is planted. And the methods and timing of their forestry also protects the ecosystems involved, for a product you can be proud of and confident didn’t come at too high a cost.

For quality and versatility, you don’t need to look further than Listone Giordano. They offer their top of the line hardwood flooring in innumerable combinations of species, finishes, colors and textures, and widths. Most people prefer the durable, highly resistant varnish finish because wood, by nature, is a soft material, and Listone Giordano provides just that. But they are also sensitive to the desires of some to have a more traditional approach and offer some of their products with a simple oil treatment, which can bring out the wood’s amazing, natural beauty unlike any other treatment, but the trade-off is a floor you have to patiently protect day to day.

That’s what’s great about Listone Giordano…they give their customers the options they want. And with the strength of their design and cutting-edge sealants, you can even install a Listone Giordano hardwood floor in a bathroom. Bringing technology and beauty together in a tremendous product you can be proud of for years is what they do.

The company is based in Aurora, New York, and has stores in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida, as well as at their plantation in Aurora. Their unique workspace is mirrored in their superb, one-of-a-kind creations.

The Aurora plantation is a 64-acre farm that is home to a small herd of Scottish Highland cattle, many gardens, and hayfields. The old dairy barn was transformed into a studio and creation space for over 100 MacKenzie-Childs artisans to do their magic. The ceramics that are created by MacKenzie-Childs staff are handcrafted. They start as clay and are molded into the various sizes and shapes and designs needed and are then hand painted and fired to achieve that rustic, unique appeal.

MacKenzie-Childs also has a terrific website where you can view their items. Tile is just one of the many products their artisans develop and create, but their tile products are truly works of art with their bright yellows and oranges juxtaposed with vibrant blues and reds and greens in diamond and square patterns, stripes, and grid patterns to name a few. And their ability to marry different patterns and designs together to create such unique styles is fresh and exciting.

You can have MacKenzie-Childs ceramic tiles installed in several places in your home or office…countertops, backsplashes, bathrooms, showers, and so on. Basic installation for ceramic tiling is what’s called for, and you can install the tile yourself. Do consult a professional, though, if you’ve never installed tile. There are a few tricks, especially in dealing with placement and cutting of tiles that have design elements on the pieces. And realize that these tiles are handmade, so no two will be exactly alike.

MacKenzie-Childs is certainly not your ordinary, everyday tile. Their blend of fancy and fierce quality make the products they design stand out above the rest. And if your tastes slant toward fun, then you’re certain to find you in these farm-born ceramics!

Villi Glas, a premier manufacturer of glass tiles and mosaics, sets the bar for quality glass tile flooring products. Not only are Villi’s glass selections beautiful, but they are also durable and reliable.

A metallic coating is fused to Villi’s glass, which protects the tiles from corrosion, scratches, and color bleed and is one of the reasons Villi Glas tiles can be used indoor or outdoor and for flooring. The reverse side of the tiles are also given a coating, a white layer that gives the back of the glass tiles a rough surface that makes them adhere better to the surface they are attached to, as well as keeps a clean, precise look when you look through the glass. The tiles are also available with a choice of surfaces, from glossy to mat to fossilized, as well as a skid resistant.

What really makes Villi’s glass stand out is their innovation in style and beauty. They have standard tiles in several different sizes, but they also have created mosaic style tiles on mesh backing that are incomparable, some of which are reminiscent of river stone in glass form…gorgeous.

From muted, pastel hues to vibrant colors and metallics, the colors you can choose from are incredible. They also have some stunning glass tiles called Décor that have designs fused to the top of the glass—filigree, relief, and geometric designs. They even have a Spectral glass line that has a patented coating that oxidizes surface dirt, causing it to disappear. It’s actually self-cleaning!

So if glass tile is something you are considering for your next project, be sure to consider Villi Glas. You won’t be disappointed.

Dune doesn’t make that any easier by offering a huge array of tiles to choose from. Whether it’s for your bathroom or kitchen or breakfast nook, Dune’s ceramics can fill the spaces for you. The thing about Dune also is their versatility: they have everything from natural stone, to ceramic, to glass. And they don’t just provide your run-of-the-mill tan look. There are vibrant reds and yellows oranges and blues. Their ceramic borders really make a statement as well. You can mix and match the different styles and put together a look all your own.

Most tiles are easy to install for the do-it-yourselfer. If you are laying tile for flooring, you just need to make sure the subfloor is level and free of any dirt and debris and then apply thinset, and lay the tiles in the order and direction you have in your layout according to your product’s specifications.

If you are applying the tile to the wall as a backsplash or in a shower, make sure you have the appropriate underlayment in place, such greenboard sheetrock for backsplashes or cementitious ceramic tile backerboards for shower walls. Apply with thinset mortar or mastic (check your exact product installation guidelines to make this decision) in the pattern you have created or chosen.

Apply both types of adhesives with a notch trowel, making sure to back-butter your wall tiles to get a sure hold. Glass tiles are installed in a similar fashion. You just have to make certain any air pockets that might get between the glass tiles and the wall are eliminated because with transparency in some glass tiles, you might be able to see imperfections like that. The next step is to grout. Again, consult with your supplier and documentation for your particular product to see what kind of grout is recommended and follow directions on the grout packaging.

Take a few minutes and check out Dune’s selections online — you’ll be delightfully overwhelmed — and get to work designing your project with your own personal style.