Top tile advice for your bathroom.

Categories: Bathrooms

BATHROOMS and tiles go hand in hand. Even though we don't sell tiles here at SONAS Bathrooms, we realise how important they are when you're thinking about a bathroom makeover or a new build. We want to get the best tile advice we can for you so we've picked the brains of one of the leading experts. Luke Sweeney, director at Italian Tile and Stone in Terenure in Dublin had loads of great advice. And we spoke to him ahead of the opening of their new showroom in the Town Centre Mall in Swords on December 8th.

Luke said: "Things that are definitely in fashion at the moment are vintage patterns, 1920s style tiles, subway tiles and patterned floor tiles. Shabby chic has been a strong look for the past few years and I suppose during the recession it was good because mixing old with new meant that people didn't have to spend a lot of money to achieve the look."

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Now, according to Luke, people are going back to a more polished look. He said: "A lot of the Italian factories are now going back to a more glamorous look, materials like marble are making a comeback and there's been a move back to more luxury hotel-style bathrooms.

"People come into us and say that this is the one room that's their sanctuary: the place where they can totally unwind and switch off and get some time to properly relax. Traditionally, there's always been a higher spend on kitchens but more and more people are investing in their bathrooms now. They're taking it a lot more seriously as a room."

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As for big trends for next year? Luke reckons that texture, patterns, concrete tiles and parchment and plaster will be big. Colours will be brighter and bolder. He explained: "Beige was big 10 years ago, it's been grey for the past three, four or five years. Colour is coming back now and people are putting personal touches and their own stamp on things."

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His advice for anyone doing up their bathroom? Keep it simple. He said: "Some things can date quite quickly but simple tiles - for example the subway look ones - they'll still look well in 15-20 years. The subway tiles have been selling well for 20 years and they'll still look good in 20 more. They're timeless. Wet rooms are also huge nowadays and mosaic tiles are always popular."

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As for anyone who wants to replace their old tiles for a bathroom makeover, it can seem a bit daunting because they're probably stuck to plasterboard walls. Removing them often means you're taking chunks of the wall down with you. "It's just hassle more than anything, and it's not as big of a deal as people think. It's something that a tiler will be able to work with you on very easily," Luke explained.

And bathrooms on a budget, is it possible to get a gorgeous room on a shoestring? Of course. He said: "People think they have to tile a bathroom from floor to ceiling but that's not the case. You can tile the wet areas and paint or panel others, so it's definitely doable."

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For anyone deciding to take the plunge and renovate their bathroom, tiles and all, it won't be out of action for long. Advances in technology mean that tile adhesives and grouts are usually good to go the following day. Choosing a good adhesive is as important as choosing the right tile, and Tiles.ie stocks a variety of different brands.

And of course there's SONAS Bathrooms for everything else you need to finish off what will hopefully become the most relaxing and zen room of our house.

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