We have now arrived at part four of our in-depth series on our custom tile process! We don’t like to play favorites, but we think part four might be our most exciting custom tile option because it puts you in the designer’s seat. Today we are going to show you how you can create your very own custom tile from start to finish. You can choose the color, shapes, scale, design….everything! To help walk you through the simple yet exciting process of creating a custom tile, we had our social media manager, Hilary, design her own tile for a kitchen backsplash and document the process along the way.
Step One: Create Design
Hilary first started the custom process by doing some free-hand sketching and color-mixing. She knew that she liked shapes and contemporary patterns, so she experimented with combining various shapes and bold colors. Eventually she settled on forest green and black, and the overlap of a circle and a square. “Starting the design process feels a little overwhelming at first, but once I took a more relaxed and experimental approach, the patterns just started flowing.” Tip from Hilary: Start off broad, don’t put pressure on yourself, and play around with a variety of colors- don’t get caught up in creating the perfect pattern right away–it takes time and practice.
Other helpful tips when designing your tile:
-Use whatever medium you would like; paint, colored pencils, charcoal, sharpie, watercolors- because our custom design process is done through a graphic design program, we are able to pick up small details.
-Make sure to send a high-resolution image for us to use
Initial Rough Sketch
Step Two: Choose Stone and Scale
After about 5 rough sketches, Hilary narrowed it down to one design, and then began to play around with different stone options and scale. Hilary ended up with two final layout options, but decided that she loved how her design looked as one continuous pattern. “I have an app called Layout on my iPhone, and used that to help me see what the pattern would look like in different positions and crops. As soon as I saw my design as one continuous, connected pattern, I could finally picture it on a specific stone type.” Tip: Make sure you see your potential design in different angles, sizes, and combinations before you make a decision. The layout and stone choice will make a big impact on the tone and style of your custom tile.
First Layout Option
Second Layout Option- Hilary’s Final Choice
Step Three: Receive Samples and Approve
Once Hilary finalized the the layout, she waited to receive the samples for approval. She wasn’t sure if she was going to like the design more on limestone in a larger scale, or on a white thassos in a smaller scale. After receiving the samples, she was able to make the decision that was right for her dream backsplash. “Seeing the tile in person really helped me make my final decision. I thought I would love it on a more on a modern white thassos, but ended up falling in love with the design on a piece of 12×12 limestone.” Tip: Don’t hesitate to sample a broad array of stone types and sizes, your final selection may end up being completely different than what you expected.
Custom Design shown on a Limestone and a Thassos
Step Four: Install and Enjoy!
And now we’ve reached the final-and most exciting step! Once you’ve approved your sample, simply place your order and wait for your custom tile to arrive. Our graphic designer, Eli, created a digital rendering of Hilary’s tile into a modern kitchen backsplash to help her envision the finished look. Tip: If you want to see what your potential custom tile would look like installed, send a photo of your space to one of our graphic designers, who can add in your design.
Rendering of Hilary’s Custom Tile on 12×12 Limestone in Kitchen
Close-up of Hilary’s Custom Tile
So now that we’ve showed you how fun and easy it is to create your very own custom tile for your home, it’s time to start designing! If you have any questions about designing a custom tile, give us a call at (858) 274-3400 or email hilary@stoneimpressions.com for more information.
Thanks so much for sharing, very inspiring!