Porcelain Tile Gives a Home a Spacious Look

Tesoro 20"X20" Porcelain Tiles in Dorato

A few weeks ago I received a phone call from my neighbor, Cathy, who wanted to replace her ceramic tile floor and carpeting  with porcelain tile in her great room, kitchen, foyer, hall closet, guest bedroom and dining room.   I know what you are thinking, “Oh, the dust!!!”.  My sentiments exactly.  However, Cathy was determined to have a more durable floor which would be resistant to chipping and easy to maintain. She wanted the larger 20"X20" floor tiles to give a more spacious look.  Her idea was to lay the tile on a diagonal which would open up the entire space and avoid the grid marks. Need I tell you that this talented pastry chef has an eye for design!

Removing the Carpeting and Padding

As we rode to the Pro Source Flooring Store here in Jacksonville, she told me about what sold her on porcelain tile. Porcelain tile is made at a much higher temperature than ceramic tile making it much more durable.  It’s also denser and therefore more resistant to moisture.  Additionally, her research revealed that porcelain is harder than granite, frost resistant/proof (can be used on a lanai), easy to maintain, available in matte, unglazed, and highly polished finishes.  It can be used in high-traffic flooring areas, bathroom walls, shower stalls, countertops and backsplashes. 

The New Porcelain Tile in the Dining Room

Cathy’s wall color was a Sherwin-Williams color called Ivoire, SW 6127, which has yellow/green undertones and a fairly good light reflective value. Her kitchen cabinets were dark cherry-colored and her Corian countertop was a very dark charcoal gray color with tiny speckles of white, peach, and black in it called Maui . We needed to find a tile that would enhance the openness of the area being addressed but would be neutral enough to blend in with her cabinetry, countertops and wall color. 

Notice  How the Grout Lines Disappear

We looked at many samples in the store and selected two which we thought might work.  Kathy brought both tile samples home to examine them in the natural and artificial lighting of her home as well as to see the effects of the paint color, etc. upon it. One of the tiles that looked like it had yellow undertones in the store actually had more pink in Cathy’s home.  That’s why it’s so important to bring the samples into your home to get a better idea of how they will look. She finally settled on a porcelain tile by a company named Tesoro in the Castello series in a color called Dorato.

A Closer Look at the Porcelain Tile by Tesoro

Below is a picture of the tile installation. The installer did an excellent job and  tried very diligently to minimize the dust as much as he could as you can see in the picture.  When you lay tile on the diagonal, there are more cuts and you need to order a bit more tile.  However, what a beautiful look it gives. Cathy’s only advice is to go on vacation when you are having this done!  However, even after enduring the installation process, Cathy and her husband Harry are very happy with the outcome.  Cathy said, "It was well worth it because it's the look we wanted and we will have it for years to come." 



Porcelain Tile Installed on the Diagonal

Would porcelain be a type of flooring you might want to investigate for your home?  Would you like to explore some different flooring options, contact me.  Many of my vendors offer discounts and my installers "aim to please"!