ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 3, 1996 TAG: 9603050009
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETH DAY PASHLEY STAFF WRITER
CHANGE the look and feel of a room with customized tiles. Both one-of-a kind art and commercial tiles transform settings into masterpieces of color, design and style.
Whether you buy them from a store or hire an artist to make them, tiles, stone, architectural detailing and mosaics create imaginative, unforgettable spaces in kitchens, baths and foyers - anywhere.
``If you don't have a budget to do the whole project, a few custom-designed tiles can give you a customized look,'' said Jennifer Willier Merritt, an architectural ceramic artist.
Merritt, owner of Blue Monkey Tile Company in Roanoke, creates hand-crafted architectural detailing and tiles for individuals and companies. All of Merritt's work is constructed of architectural-tile clay and fired to stoneware temperature, which increases durability. The products are suitable for interior and exterior installation.
Exterior tiles can withstand the freeze-thaw cycle of regional winters.
Tiles aren't just for floors. Tiles and architectural ceramics add life to existing fireplaces, moldings, foyers, doorways, kitchens, baths, backsplashes and countertops.
Installing glazed ceramic tile protects surfaces from dirt and water. Tile is easy to maintain - cleanup is simple - and looks new almost indefinitely. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns - subdued earth tones, bright pastels or with hand-painted figuring.
For an entrance-way floor, pick a color to match the foyer. A dark, slightly mottled surface texture with satin glaze looks unobtrusive and makes for a less slippery surface.
Tiles also can be used in place of paint and wallpaper. With field tiles covering most of the wall, smaller decorative tiles enhance the space. It is less expensive to blend custom-designed tiles with commercial field tiles.
``Ceramic molding can be placed below traditional wood molding to add details to a room,'' Merritt said.
Custom and commercial designs range from simple to complex. There's no limit to custom-designed tiles - each tile has its own character and charm.
Merritt has worked from the tiniest scale to the largest tile sizes. For a local business promotion, a clothing store commissioned her to design 11/2 by 11/2-inch tiles. They included - in relief - suns, moon, stars, fish, frogs and shells. Among her works is a 4 foot by 8 foot tile donor wall in the pediatrics ward of Community Hospital.
Commercial tile manufacturers offer new patterns, including colonial, early American, antebellum, Victorian, Arts and Crafts, contemporary, mosaic art, stone and antiquities, architectural tile and terra cotta.
The patterns are available in combinations of any sanded or unsanded glazes from the manufacturer's color palettes. The American-made products offer individuals and designers a chance to create designs by combining patterns and colors of their choice.
After tiles have been designed or bought, they must be installed. A tile designer can do it or you can do it yourself.
For more information about commercial tiles, call Epro at (614) 882-6990 or ANN SACKS Tile & Stone at (503) 281-7751. For custom-designed work, call Blue Monkey Tile Company at Studios on the Square, 345-5437.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ANN SACHS TILE & STONE. 1. Blonde antique terra cottaby CNBtiles with grape relief tiles (left), 2. colorful backsplash tiles
(top) and handmade timeless celtic designs from 11th century
artisans enhance homes 3. Contemporary tiles include a jumping fish
mosiac (above). 4. Stone tiles give an antique look to a bathroom
(right). color.