November 17, 2022
Freshen up drab walls and floors with pastel tiles in your home décor and add a note of optimism.
Pastel shades are popular in bathrooms and kitchens, but they also look great in other areas around the home, such as outdoors. This article will show you how to use pastel tiles to create an eye-catching effect anywhere you wish.
Product: Nazari Fes 11.5X11.5 (Available in-store)
Colour has the capacity to influence our emotions and state of mind. Pastels are considered to be whimsical, optimistic and light-hearted. It’s no surprise, then, that pastel colours are associated with historical periods of great innovation that broke with the past, like the 1950s (during the economic boom after WWII) and the 80s (coinciding with the post-modernist aesthetic, after the economic downturn of the 70s).
Pastel colours evoke light and happiness, which is reason enough to use these shades in our home décor. The science of colour defines a pastel shade as being a lighter version of primary and secondary colours. Pastel tones have high colour value but low saturation and are easy on the eye. The word pastel reflects their painterly origins, a sort of crayon with a chalky coverage used on paper. Popular pastel colours are baby blue, bubblegum pink, mint green, peach and lavender.
Textiles, paints and materials like laminates, wallpapers, etc. are familiar ways to feature pastel shades. Pastel wall tiles, however, are a growing trend, which represents an outstanding way of exploiting these colours.
Pair pastel shades with textures (including high gloss) and different shape tiles and materials for a fresh and contemporary way to incorporate these colours into home decor. The following examples are an easy way to transform bathroom and kitchen spaces. They feature familiar shades but are treated in highly original ways.
A more contemporary approach to pastel tiles is to combine them with textures, in a three-dimensional effect. Bevelled edges, and textured relief alternated with plain surfaces in pastel shades like light green and grey-blue.
Add a geometric feature panel to a bathroom wall or kitchen backsplash. This stylised tear-drop shape forms an octagonal figure in a faceted spiral pattern in a glass pastel shade. The reflective finish with the softer colour palette provides a totally different take on these softer shades.
These pattern tiles evoke the natural world, still-life abstract floral patterns that add visual interest. These wall tiles can be perceived as a motif but can also take on a more background visual effect where the muted shades blend into a pastel colour surface.
Recreate classic patterns, such as the stretch bond or stack bond, and experiment with non-standard shapes, like the rhombus. The pairing of soft colours with more daring laying patterns can look revolutionary.
You can make a feature of pastel floor tiles in home décor, pastel colours are not just for walls. In fact pastel floor tiles hide a multitude of sins and are less likely to show up dirt and other imperfections. These floors make the best of pastel shades in an updated, contemporary way:
These pastel floor tiles feature different colours within the same area of the colour chart to create a mosaic effect flooring pattern. Up to six tonal variations add visual interest to the floor without overpowering the space. The khaki sandy tones or the aquamarine and turquoise mixture are great for combining with bathroom artefacts.
Add patterns in washed-out tones that look almost vintage to create a hyper-modern way to showcase pastels. The floral motifs are kept in check by the pastel colour which makes them suitable for an entire floor for bathrooms or kitchens.
To get the best from pastel tiles in bathrooms and kitchens we recommend choosing one or two different pastel shades. These colours are less likely to date and look dated when coordinated with the overall décor. This is relatively straightforward in the bathroom, where sanitaryware is dominant. However, in kitchens, a little more thought is required. Read on to get some tips and helpful advice.
Floor tiles, backsplash and feature panels are all suitable areas for pastel tiles in kitchens. As the modern kitchen typically doubles as a space for entertaining, nowadays the inclusion of pastel tiles adds friendliness and a sense of welcome.
These soft, neutral grey pastel wall tiles with a floral motif, compliment the overall kitchen décor perfectly. The backsplash adds a texture and a pattern to a plain cabinet style in the same colour family. The breakfast bar picks up on the decorative feature of the backsplash but in a more plain, rustic tile.
The bathroom is a space defined by water and light, pastel shades represent the combination of both. The softness of the colours look like they are being seen under the light of a watery haze. These examples illustrate how texture, pattern and laying pattern bring new life to pastels in bathrooms.
This pastel pink and peach wall tile’s gloss finish and hand-made quality create both texture and subtle colour variations. The square pastel tiles are simply laid to cover an entire feature wall forming a shower cubicle. The mirror creates an illusion of more tiles than there actually are. The gloss finish and simplicity of the pattern make an eye-catching space.
The stack-bond pattern hand-made effect pastel wall tile in a stylish pink hue is the very essence of contemporary chic. The mixture of blurry and glossy finishes adds intrigue and visual interest. The simplicity of the tile gets transformed by the colour, its mix of textures and the stack-bond laying pattern. This treatment is the essence of stylish simplicity.
Pastel tiles don’t have to mean understated. This dramatic bathroom in ultra-marine blue contrasts a bevelled edge glossy wall tile and a geometric feature wall that mixes matt and gloss tiles. The glass doors and statement sanitary ware stand out even more against the pastel blue.
Pastel tiles are not just for indoor use. The low saturation of pastel hues makes them particularly suited to the outdoors with their sun-washed colour palette. Pastel tiles look like they belong under a summer sky and help to brighten up the winter months.
The combination of a pastel hexagonal floor tile and the feature wall in green mosaic brings this terrace to life. The sandy khaki colour scheme creates an outdoor/indoor décor, like a living room. The white water pool feature and green mosaic convert this terrace into another habitable room.
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