An appreciation for color and patterns allows for wise and noteworthy use of tile design. In a bathroom warm tiles can offer a contrast to the cool look of the metal hardware. Yet a wall of stone squares with a neutral tone can make a setting more relaxing. Accent pieces can be placed among the neutral squares.
Not every solid piece on the wall of a bath or kitchen is made of stone. Designers can work with glass, stone or mosaic tiles. A tile's position on a wall or floor also contributes the general design. That position represents the pattern chosen by the designer. A pattern can call for use of two, three or more different sized pieces. The largest variety of patterns can be found in the borders.
A border might contain a line of intersecting or zigzag units. It might contain a repetition of inserted shapes, such as found in the diamond. It might feature a simple T cross or perhaps a more complex pinwheel pattern.
The method used for making a tile's design can insure its unique character. Among the handcrafted and fired items from the Moravian works no two pieces were exactly alike. Some of those beautiful items were on display in 1903 at the World's Fair in Saint Louis.
Back in the middle of the 20th Century, an architect in Haifa, Israel wanted something seldom found among all of a tile's many possible shapes and sizesone made of gold. He did not want something painted gold, but something that had been gilded with that metal.
That architect eventually discovered a factory in the Netherlands. One man in that factory had been experimenting with various glazes. The same plant also had a new manager, one who liked to seek out new markets. That pairing allowed creation of the golden wonders that can be seen in Haifa today in one of the hilltop shrines.