Shades of Red, Cement Tiles Tie a Kitchen's Design Together
Posted by William Buyok on
Cement tile with a splash of red on this black and white pattern provides a designer's kitchen with color and a cohesive theme.
Homeowner and designer Suzanne Hassler told us that when she was designing the new mantle for her family room, she couldn't find a brick with the same proportions as the original Roman brick found in her front parlor, but she did find a mottled slate with a similar look. "I had my tile guy cut it in 1-3/4"-thick pieces. The design turned out so well I knew I would use the slate for part of the backsplash, but I really wanted something with more of a wow factor."
That's when she noticed our Neiba cement tile.
"When I saw the Neiba cement tile I knew it would work with other elements in the house, which has some Spanish/Moorish style influences, as do some of my furnishings. I wanted to border it somehow and considered just a 2" black crown type tile, but really wanted to play with the proportions. I found a few variations of that and ordered two kinds: one that included some glass and natural stone; and the one which was ultimately installed, which features several variations of porcelain tile in different textures. When I put them all together, it worked, although I was a bit nervous about it being too busy. I actually drew a mock-up and water colored it to make sure it would work!
Upon completion, Suzanne mentioned with the variations in lighting and depth, Neiba's touch of red carried her favorite color through.
Tip: Designing with Color
A big concern that the designer had for this projects was the difference in red hues. The apple red stove and red cushioned stool is different from the fire brick red in the Neiba pattern. Typically, the colors don't have to match exactly especially if their is space between the application.
Just like using different patterns in the same space, you can use different hues of the same color just don't place them next to each other.