Beyond the Kitchen & Bath

For decades, ceramic tile has found its home, within the home, limited to two utilitarian spaces: the kitchen and the bath. With its rugged durability, tile is certainly well-suited to these rooms. But from a design standpoint, grids of diminutive 4”x4” or 6”x6” tiles are often limited to functional applications such as a tub-surround or backsplash. Fortunately, convergent developments in both design and technology spell great news for homeowners, as decorative, artisan tiles are available in unprecedented large-scale sizes. This development instantly expands the possibilities for tile throughout the home, from sweeping entryways to bold new statements in many living spaces.

Jared Becker, executive creative director of Walker Zanger, one of the world’s preeminent purveyors of tile and stone, explains how these artistic and manufacturing developments coincided. “Utilizing a new, patent-pending technology, we were able to create the world’s largest artisan tiles that are up to 24 inches long, while maintaining their dimensional stability,” said Becker.

With the help this exclusive technology, Walker Zanger was able to mimic the lines of Zen-style bamboo with the all-new Mizu Umi Collection. Meaning “big wave” in Japanese, this new line of 24-inch long tiles creates a stunning home spa look that is difficult to create with smaller tiles.

Walker Zanger also called upon the inspiration of renowned designer Michael Berman to create a line of signature tiles, the Studio Moderne Collection by Michael Berman, to push the boundaries of the kitchen and bath and utilize the new patent-pending technology. “We are thrilled to team up with not only our internal design staff, but also renowned designer Michael Berman, to take advantage of these extraordinary sizes, and create an entirely new line of tiles for the home,” said Becker.

The Studio Moderne Collection by Michael Berman features both tile and stone, for a truly expanded visual vocabulary. Berman’s vision in creating all-over patterns would not be possible without Walker Zanger’s exclusive technology in manufacturing large-scale art tiles.

Another Walker Zanger collection that invites the homeowner to create all over patterns and venture out of the kitchen and bath category is the all-new Vibe Mosaics Collection. Crafted of ceramic and porcelain, these designs put a new spin on the geometries and colors that defined the 60s and 70s, in rugged tiles that can be used for both walls and flooring and are durable enough to grace virtually any room of the home.

Whether looking to achieve glamorous designs, retro motifs or Zen-inspired spaces—these new collections free the homeowner to achieve looks that were impossible before now.u

For more information on the Walker Zanger product line, call 704-583-7000 or visit www.walkerzanger.com or visit their Charlotte showroom — 11435 Granite Street, Suite M.

The Zen tranquility of bamboo is easily achievable with slender Mizu Umi tiles, which are available in four colors and in world-leading 24 inches long dimensions.

A sophisticated spin on the 60s and 70s. The Vibe Mosaics wall imparts a seamless “3 D wallpaper” look with bold geometrics inspired by the Flower Power generation.