Our Favorite Decorating Trends in Tile, Stone & Wood

This post is brought to you by Floor & Decor.  All opinions are 100% mine.

We get to do some really fun stuff sometimes–and this is definitely one of those times!  There’s a new store opening here in Savannah, and not only did I get to take a behind-the-scenes-tour, but I get to share some amazing inspiration with all of you.

Local DIY’ers, take note:  Floor & Decor is opening their Savannah branch on February 28th, 2015.  Located at 1800 E. Victory Drive (across the street from Whole Foods), this is going to be your new go-to store for all of your hard surface needs.  {That means tile, wood, stone, related tools, and flooring accessories.}  You can go crazy in this place–I did!  And if you’re not local, then just click {here} to find a store near you.

Today I’m going to show you 15 of my favorite picks from their store, and please believe me when I tell you it was nearly impossible to narrow that list down to 15!  I’ve found some gorgeous inspiration photos that will show you how you can use these products in your own home.  They also offer complimentary design services in every store, so if you’re just not sure where to start, they can help.

I spent the most time in this section because the possibilities are endless.  There are so many applications for tile–backsplashes, floors, fireplace and shower surrounds, and decorative inlays, to name a few.  As I show you my favorites below, clicking on the underlined product will take you directly to the exact item on the Floor & Decor website, and clicking on the source link under each photo will take you to the original photo source.

1.  White Penny Porcelain Mosaic Tile

A little bit goes a long way when you’re using this on a wall, but Melissa at A Prudent Life gave her walk-in pantry a serious dose of retro elegance using penny porcelain mosaic tile, didn’t she?

2.  Carrara White Polished Marble Tile

I still love the shape of subway tile in a traditional kitchen backsplash, but look how beautiful it is when you use it on a fireplace surround.  It makes the entire room look cool and glamorous.

3.  Pure Spa Blue Shiny Glass Tile

Glass tile is so pretty, but BLUE glass tile is just amazing.  I’ve seen quite a few kitchen backsplashes with beautiful blue glass tiles lately, but I really love the larger subway tiles in a shower surround, because it creates a peaceful, spa-like atmosphere.  If you’d prefer the more traditional size or the mosaic style, well, those are available, too.  For a more neutral color in glass tiles, take a look at the Pure Snow or Pure Shadow glass tile.

 {in blue}

 {in grey}

4. Bianco Carrara Herringbone Mosaic Tile

This is at the top of my list for the kitchen in my “forever” house.  The grey cabinets are beautiful, and look at how beautiful a backsplash that combines marble AND herringbone is:

I could probably force myself to fold a load (or ten) of laundry in here!

5.  Quatrefoil/Arabesque Fleur Snow Water Jet Cut Glass Mosaic Tile

Quatrefoil (also called arabesque) tiles never go out of style.  I know this because my bathroom floor was tiled in them when I was growing up, and that was quite awhile ago!

It’s timeless as a backsplash, too.

I love vessel sinks…they make it so easy to convert a piece of furniture into a vanity.  They also work with a variety of styles.

6.  Aqua Glass Sink

If you think that vessel sinks make a room look too “modern,” here’s a beautiful vintage bathroom, and this vessel sink is an absolute bargain at only $89!

7.  Carrara White Polished Marble Sink

This bathroom is much more sophisticated, with a marble vessel sink {that mosaic marble backsplash is really pretty, too}.

Floor & Decor has some beautiful farmhouse sinks, too, but it’s time to move on to…

I adore kitchens; they’re always my favorite room in the house, probably because we spend most of our time in them.   I always choose white cabinets (when I have a choice), but I love to combine them with the richness of wood and a variety of finishes.  White kitchens shouldn’t look cold or sterile if they’re designed properly, so my first countertop pick is wood– butcher block.

8.  Walnut Butcher Block Countertop

Available in a variety of sizes so you can top an island or your main counter areas, butcher block is beautiful and functional.  I love it on an island with marble counters for contrast (see the photo below as well as my next pick!).

Did you see the marble subway tile backsplash in ^that^ photo?  Here’s another beautiful butcher block countertop by Marian at Miss Mustard Seed, and she pairs it with the herringbone marble backsplash that’s #4 on my list.

9. Arebescato Marble Countertop

This is my only “pick” that’s available in Floor & Decor stores, but not on their website.  It’s a beautiful marble countertop.  I’m sure you noticed that I’ve selected quite a few items in marble; I’m a huge fan of how lovely it looks in a variety of settings.

If you love to bake, then marble countertops are fabulous in the kitchen for rolling out pastry.  Here’s Amy’s previous kitchen, with tons of beautiful marble:

Marble is equally attractive in a bathroom.  Hopefully Amy will show us some pictures of her guest bathroom, complete with marble-topped vanity, soon, but in the meantime, our friend Roeshel at the DIY Showoff updated her bathroom with marble, and it’s simply beautiful:

Click {here} for a similar flooring option.

Marble is lovely, but as you probably know, it does require some care and maintenance because it is a porous natural stone.  If you just can’t handle that (and it’s OK if you can’t!), choose an option that doesn’t need as much TLC, like quartz.  Floor & Decor has an Ice White Quartz that you might want to check out.

10.  Black Galaxy Granite

I’ve lived in two kitchens now that featured black granite, and I loved them both.  In our North Carolina house, all of the countertops were black granite:

Our next house, in Nashville, had a black granite island and the rest of the countertops were a speckled grey solid surface.  Mixing two different materials on your kitchen counters is a great design choice (like the marble/butcherblock combination above).

I found our granite very easy to care for and would definitely use it again in another kitchen.

I have a single pick for you in the stone section; however, it’s SO versatile!

11.  Alpine Gray Split Face Quartzite Panel Ledger

Indoors, you can use this stacked stone for accent walls, in showers and bathrooms, or on fireplaces.

Outdoors, you can build fountains, chimneys, decorative planters, fire pits, pizza ovens, grills, and outdoor kitchens.  And I’m sure that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

I love the gray stone that I selected, but there are dozens of other color choices if you want something different.

12.  Rosa Mahogany Wood Plank Porcelain Tile

Tile that looks like wood is so popular right now, probably because quite a few of us learned the hard way that laminate (and even hardwood) isn’t the greatest choice for installation in wet rooms, like bathrooms and kitchens. This is the perfect alternative:  it looks like wood, but has the durability of tile, and it’s very cost-effective.

While I love a dark color to ground light cabinets, you might want something lighter if you’re going for a coastal look.  There are dozens of widths and colors to choose from {see them all here}.

13. San Juan Willow Hand Scraped Engineered Bamboo

Bamboo is a great choice for flooring, because it’s responsibly sourced, renewable, and sustainable.  It’s also durable, which is what you want to hear if you have kids, or pets, or both!  The red undertones in the shade I chose will make neutral colors really pop:

14. Prisma Gris Ceramic Tile

A large (24″ x 24″) square tile looks great in a variety of spaces, even small spaces like bathrooms.  The gray color I selected works with a variety of wall and finish colors.

Paired with a light colored grout, it gives a rustic look to this farmhouse kitchen, but it would work equally well in a coastal living room (sand sweeps up so easily off of tile!).

 15.  Solid Hardwood/Engineered Hardwood/Laminate

Obviously, these flooring picks aren’t made from the same materials, but they give a similar look.  The main differences are the look and feel, the price, the method of installation, durability, and maintenance–so there are quite a few factors to consider when choosing between solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, and laminate.  This is where it’s really helpful to talk to the design consultants at the store to determine which material is best for your needs.

I am still a fan of wider plank widths, so you’ll see that I chose those in each category, and I tried to select similar colors so you can get the same look in a variety of materials and price points.

Solid Hardwood:  Espresso Oak Hand Scraped Solid Hardwood or Timberclick® Coffee Oak Locking Solid Hardwood

Engineered Hardwood:  Rocky Mountain Hand Scraped Engineered Hardwood

Laminate:  Rustic Hickory Laminate

Here’s how these lovely medium to dark colors will look in your space:

I’d love to hear what your favorites are–did I miss any of them?

Don’t forget, if you’re local, the Grand Opening for the public is on Saturday, February 28th, 2015.  Oh, and here’s a fun tidbit:  Floor & Decor has a national presence, but their founder is a Savannahian.  Pretty cool for this little town that loves to shop local. 🙂

You can see more on my Floor & Decor Pinterest board {here}, and I’ll be continuing to add inspiring photos as I find them.  See Amy’s marble kitchen backsplash (from Floor & Decor) here and here.

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