Outdoor living spaces continue to be a strong trend – and with greater emphasis on exterior areas, the design market offers something for every taste and budget. This month’s Home Advice expert, Peggy Stafford of Stafford Tile & Stone, gives us a look at a few of the exciting options in tile and stone.
First, when designing an outdoor area, Stafford advises clients to understand their sense of style and taste.
“The environment naturally dictates some of your choices,” said Stafford.
Next, she emphasizes the importance of making sure the materials you select are appropriate for the outdoors. Considerations include durability, climate, sun exposure and slip resistance. Ratings range from exterior usage to indoor/outdoor usage (a good way to go if you’re trying to create continuity between inside and out), and materials that are submersible, which are suited to pools, fountains and showers, for example. Stafford says outdoor materials should be properly sealed for protection against the elements and wear and tear.
- Large format concrete or porcelain pavers are well-suited for exterior walkways, patios, pool decks and driveways.
- Patterned encaustic cement tiles work well for outdoor kitchens in both floor and wall applications.
- Select a water-submersible tile or glass tile for pool waterlines or outdoor showers.
Traditionally, most outdoor stone and tile have had an outdoorsy look – that is, they tend to look like natural stone. But since the 1990s, Stafford says there’s been an explosion in aesthetic and technological innovation. The wide array of solids, neutrals and natural looking materials are perennial sellers at Stafford Tile. Both natural products and an increasing number of manmade lookalikes designed to be affordable and durable are available. For example, there is natural Basalt (lava rock), but there is also a porcelain version, which is glazed and fired at a high temperature for strength. Stafford, who was ahead of the curve in color offerings, is also thrilled to report that color and pattern are important trends going forward.
“Color is making a firm footprint in design,” she said.
Stafford adds that designers are using color and pattern in new ways. Case in point: Stafford’s Magazine Street showroom includes a selection of graphic-mod tiles that harken back to mid-century modern design, a trend that began in the 1990s. But when applied underfoot to an expanse of outdoor patio – once the domain of slate or brick – they look completely fresh and unexpected. She also notes that collaborations between small mosaic companies and artists and large companies with wide distribution have resulted in some spectacular custom designs.
Another of Stafford’s favorite trends: botanicals. She recently completed a bathroom of her own featuring a shower with tile mosaics of hydrangeas and points to Winchester’s small format porcelain tiles with palm leaf motifs as an outdoor-friendly surface that’s beautifully in sync with our tropical surroundings.
About the Expert
Louisiana native Peggy Stafford began her love affair with stone and tile, growing up in a 1930s Mediterranean-style house with a tile room, then honed it working for a small design business in Colorado and later opened Stafford Tile & Stone in New Orleans. After 22 years in business, her passion and expertise for tile and stone — not to mention her extensive inventory — is as strong as ever.
