Today we’re taking a look at a bathroom that has wall surfaces covered with a ledger rock type texture finished tile. This is a 12-inch x 24-inch format. That’s a medium large format, it’s not as large as some of the largest format sizes, but it’s definitely much bigger than subway tiles or even smaller mosaics. Some people might classify a 12-inch x 24-inch tile as the start or the beginning of the low end, the smallest of the large format tiles. This particular style has a moderately warm earthtone type color. It’s a bit on the lighter side, like a light beige.
If you stand back a bit, you might not notice the texture on the tile. Sometimes in kitchen and bath design, the details are not supposed to all visually jump right out at you. They have a more subtle effect of being something you take note of only subconsciously. You can think of this particular effect as a faux texture. It’s made to look like something that was a natural stone face, harvested from the wild and then only cut to fit in the rectilinear form before being installed. In reality though, most of these stone textures are faux applications.
As you look across the plane of the wall, you might notice that the tile has been set with a square bond. Square bonds have corners that meet each other. Essentially, the vertical joint between each tile lines up with the vertical joint of the course below and above continuously throughout the installation. The same joint alignment applies horizontally. In contrast, other bonds like the running bond are much more common than the square bond, shown here.
The picture below shows a wide area of this square bond installation. Looking at the tile directly, head on like this, the texture stands out the least. More than just positioning of the eye, the positioning of the lighting affects the amount by which the texture is apparent. In other words, even though the angle from where you’re viewing the tile is related to how much you notice the texture, the angle of the lighting makes it even more noticeable. For example, when a light source is shining directly on a wall or surface at roughly 90 degrees, the texture may be the least noticeable.
This applies as well if there are multiple light sources. Multiple light sources makes textures look a bit more muted. It could actually help hide subtle defects. Single source lighting, in contrast, makes texture stand out, sometimes dramatically. This accentuation of the details, at the texture of tile and walls and floors and surfaces in finished spaces, applies even more if there’s a single source of light at a low angle that washes across the surface of a floor wall. In those cases, the texture will stand out significantly.
In the picture below, you can see a bit of the texture that we’re referring to and talking about today. It might be a bit subtle, but it’s made this way so the time looks like something that’s natural stone. If you go anywhere outdoors and you look at a natural stone that hasn’t been polished or run through a process of manufacturing, you’ll generally notice a texture. Sometimes the texture might be subtle like this and other times it might be very jagged.
Another detail that we should just mention so we’re explaining more to people and teaching them how to look for aesthetic design and construction details in kitchen and bathrooms, is that the grout has been removed excessively, here in this example. If you look closely at the grout joint, you may notice there’s a recess. The grout line doesn’t come out all the way flush to the face of the tile. Not coming all the way out to the face of the tile is natural and normal. Specifically, here though, the grout has been removed excessively. That grout recess is too deep in relation to the face of the tile.
Roughly twice as much of the grout has been removed compared to the amount that should have been removed.
This coming week, we will take another look at these particular tiles and show additional examples of the texture of the tile. In some of those cases there will be lighting that’s a bit more directional and therefore accentuates the natural appearing inconsistencies in the tile surface.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project.
If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
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