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 Glass Tile – one of the hottest trends in tile for artistic and creative expression. It’s design capabilities are endless and can bring unique personalization to your tile project. If you are not familiar with the types, sizes and applications, read on.
Glass Tile can be sold by the piece, sheet or square foot. Be careful when pricing to know if the price is by the piece or by the square foot. Finishes are typically either gloss or matte and are sometimes etched. Because there are so many handmade products, there are endless options of sizes, shapes and designs.
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Common sizes:
1×1 (typically sold on 12×12 sheets)
1×2
2×2 (typically sold on 12×12 sheets)
3×3
4×4
5×5
6×6
3×6 (popularly called “subway” tile)
4×8
12×12
Geometrics
Opacity
Glass tile comes in a variety of opacities. The transparent glass can range from clear like a window to green like a Coke bottle to vibrant colors like deep sea blue, emerald green or cherry red. The thicker the transparent tile, the more intense the color. Tiles can be full of color even adding a metallic or iridescent effect.
Texture
Flat – completely smooth
Rippled – textured variation
Low – small continuous dimples
Random – irregular ruts and peaks
Relief – molded into shapes
Custom sizes and patterns
Anything you can think of. A picture, a painting, a logo, a name, multiple colors, no limit on size – the only design limitations are the ones you set!
Flexibility
Another benefit of glass tile other than its design capabilities is its flexibility. Glass tile can be installed on curved walls, round columns, curved tub fronts, mirror frames, countertops, table tops and other furniture in various shapes and sizes. It is even being made into jewelry!
Glass tile can be installed:
Inside
Outside
Floors (not all glass tile can be installed on walking surfaces)
Walls
Pools (not all glass tile can be installed outside)
Curves
Showers
Backsplashes
Sink splashes
Tub fronts
Accents with natural stone or ceramic tile
Design ideas
Since glass tile can be expensive, it can be very effective in small quantities. Some ideas are:
Instead of the whole floor, use glass tile for borders, dots in intersections or create an area rug and use glass tile in the center. Powder room floors are typically small and it can be a huge impact to tile the whole floor. Instead of tiling all of the walls in a bathroom, tile just the area above the sink and behind the mirrors. Instead of tiling all of the walls in a shower, create a picture frame on the back wall and fill the center with glass or cut down sheets of mosaics to create stripes in between tiles. (horizontal or vertically)
For a more significant impact, glass tile is one of those products that can be used to cover floors, walls as well as objects all in the same room and still be stunning.
Whether you use a handful of glass tile or a room full of glass tile, their impact will be artful and expressive. Use these tiles to express your personal style in any space that calls to be covered. Have fun, use your imagination and enjoy the world of glass tile!
