Ceramic vs. Porcelain: What's The Difference?

When I am designing a bathroom or kitchen for a client, I naturally specify tile as a finish material and clients often speak about ceramic or porcelain tiles. Many people use those words interchangeably but the truth is there is a difference.
  

For this transitional guest bathroom, I used Strands porcelain tiles
by Emser in a vertical orientation for the shower walls and a
Crossville Cotto Americana stone-look porcelain tile in black
for the floor.  Photo by Bernardo Grijalva

Ceramic is a name for any material that is made from either white or red clay, then fired in a kiln and glazed. Porcelain tiles fall under the ceramic category but are generally more dense, harder, and most important, impervious to water. Therefore, all porcelain tiles are ceramic but ceramic tiles are not necessarily porcelain.

Although it may look like aged, patinated metal panels, these shower walls
are actually covered in a grey shimmery field tile by Porcelanosa.

Because of its water-resistant nature, porcelain tiles are used in wet areas like bathrooms and areas that are prone to liquid spills like kitchens. And tile applications in outdoor areas certainly need the extra protection of porcelain tiles considering the constant exposure to the elements. In fact, to be called a porcelain tile, the body must not absorb more than 0.5% of moisture. This makes porcelain tiles virtually impervious to water. And what makes porcelain such a durable, hard material is that the clay is compressed and compacted under tremendous pressure and then fired at a higher temperature than ceramic (between 1,200 and 1,400 Celsius, or 2,100 to 2,500 Fahrenheit).

This modern master bathroom features shower walls clad entirely in a very large format
porcelain tile which replicates the look of a light Calacatta Gold marble, giving the room
the elegant feel which comes from natural stone without the porosity or tiresome upkeep.
Photo by Bernardo Grijalva

The strength of porcelain tiles also make it a good choice for kitchens--I tell clients if they drop a plate or glass, the chances of denting a wood floor or cracking a ceramic floor is greater than if they have a porcelain material. Porcelain is naturally tougher, more scratch resistant, more durable, and more resistant to stains. And if you choose what is called a through-colored porcelain tile--a tile whose body matches the color of the glaze on top--any small chips or nicks will be unnoticeable!

Happy designing!

Sconces: Your Second And Third Layer of Lighting

If you look to the right, I have an ever-growing list of what I like to call my "Design Mantras," things I find myself saying often to clients...or to anyone nearby! And #4 deals with a subject I covered in a past post here called "Lighting Basics: How To Illuminate A Space."

For a successfully illuminated room, there are three basic layers of light: ambient, task, and accent. Ambient light generally means a light that will blanket a space, brightening the room. This layer includes recessed ceiling lights placed so that a room receives an even wash of light.

For the remaining two layers, task and accent, sconces can be a marvelously versatile lighting fixture. When used in a bathroom, and placed so the lighting source falls evenly at face level, they can function as task lighting, illuminating your face and eliminating shadows so tasks light applying make-up and shaving are made much easier. I am always irked when, for example, I'm staying at a hotel, and the bathroom only has an overhead light so that my brow, nose, and jaw cast heavy shadows on my face and neck! And a simple, well-placed sconce can erase those shadows.

I love to use sconces for that reason. Take a look at some bathrooms I've designed which incorporate the versatile and decorative sconce:

For maximum impact both in terms of light and style, I often like to use a very large scale mirror in a bathroom and mount the sconce on the surface, doubling the amount of light!

Sconces can be excellent task lighting for the bedside. Because there is no need for the foot of a table lamp to take up valuable real estate, a wall mounted fixture allows the entire surface of a night table to be used.

Sconces on a fireplace breast add an extra, alluring layer of glow and warmth!

And dinner parties in well-appointed dining rooms always benefit from an additional source of sparkling, accent light...

And most importantly, remember to put all of your lights on dimmers for flexibility.
Happy designing!

Clean and Modern: A Fresh Bathroom Remodel by Fiorito Interior Design

When my client purchased his circa 1980s home several years ago, it came with this guest bathroom, seen below. He was eager to swap his brass accented shower doors, counter "bridge" spanning the toilet, wall-to-wall mirror, and terra cotta tiled floor for a sleeker, more contemporary looking room.

We gutted the entire space except for the tub which was in perfect condition and replaced the boring, square beige tiles with large format tiles of a subtle, threaded pattern. A decorative, highly textured band of stainless steel, stone, and glass runs through the shower and defines the counter of the new dark vanity which is now in scale with the room. New sconces in matte opal glass are twined with ribbons of forged iron. Walls are in a chic hue called Thunder Grey.

The modern sink hardware features a chrome trough spout and stylized square handles. The counter top, with its soft grey and blue-green clouds, is fabricated from a single piece of Sea Pearl quartzite.

The shower edges and niche are lined in a polished chrome detail for a clean, minimalist look.

And finally, the shower hardware with a bar and hand held shower head echoes the modernist approach to the space.

All after photos by Bernardo Grijalva

If you have a bathroom that could use a bit of updating, give me a call. I'd love to help!

Happy designing!

The Zen Bathroom by Fiorito Interior Design

As I have mentioned in past posts, inspiration can come from many sources. And sometimes the inspiration for a style direction is simply to move away from what is currently there!

After my clients purchased a new home, they came to me for help with a whole-house renovation in order to get rid of the style (and a few odd, ill-conceived choices) of the previous owners. In the renovation, we knocked down some walls to add another bedroom, an office, and a laundry room to the east wing of the house, and consequently we were able to completely re-think this guest bathroom. It suffered from a very 90s tan and brown faux-"Tuscan" facelift with heavy, thick tan granite counters, heavy brown cabinetry from a big box store, and tan walls. Oh, and did I mention everything was tan and brown? With so little definition, the room felt sort of invisible... and sad.

My clients did not like the window in the bathroom which was unfortunately placed, as seen from the outside of the home, next to the front door (Ding-dong! "Just a sec," your visitors hear you yell from right next to them, while seeing your shadow on the john). And they felt that a tub was not needed in the guest bathroom. We also took the opportunity to remove the large--and I mean very large--niche in the tub which literally pushed into a closet in the room on the other side. It was a very odd sight to open the closet doors in the next room and see a big looming box extending out from the back of the closet wall, effectively rendering any hanging space in that portion unusable.

In an effort to give my clients, who lean toward minimalism, something completely different, my vision for this room was light and fresh, streamlined but organic, with a Zen influence. During construction, we removed the large tub and very awkward niche to make room for a shower and enclosed water closet. Since we lost a window, we created privacy (much welcomed by my clients) but added light with a skylight placed over the new shower as well as a wonderful trough skylight placed over the length of the vanity. And we did all this without changing the footprint of the original space.

In the images below, you can see that the floor and shower enclosure are tiled in a weathered blue-grey porcelain that looks like patinated metal. A glass mosaic strip of blue, grey green, copper and bronze was placed as an accent in the shower and in a border to create a “rug” on the floor. A double sconce with a gentle, organic curve graces the mirror and doubles the light. The warm cherry tones of the wood on the custom vanity and mirror grounds the space while the simple brushed steel of the hardware and square shape of the faucets lends a tranquil, Zen feeling. Finally, the walls were painted a very light sky blue to finish off the organic, calm feeling.

If you have a bath that lacks style or definition, do not despair: please give me a call!
Happy designing!

An Island Bathroom by Fiorito Interior Design

People often ask how I, as a designer, choose materials/ colors/ finishes or a style for a particular job. While inspiration can come from anywhere, most often it comes from my clients themselves. I like to get to know my clients while developing a space for them. It helps to inform my choices and to tailor a personalized space that is sure to please my clients.

Such was the case with a recent guest bathroom remodel. My clients, a couple with grown children, love to vacation on Maui as often as their schedules will allow... and this sparked an idea. In my mind, I saw a bathroom that would pay homage to the idea of a tropical island getaway, and remind them when they are here on the mainland of why they love going to Hawaii. They loved the idea, so I chose materials that bring to mind volcanic rock and island stones, bamboo wood tones, and the warm blue of tropical waters.

But before we go any further, let's see what the bathroom looked like when I first saw it.

Stylistically, the bathroom was like an archeological dig. Their home was built in the 1950s (pink sinks and shower), but the bath had last had a facelift in the 70s (earth-toned foil wallpaper). While it was still functional, there were many things that made being in the bathroom subliminally uncomfortable such as the enclosed shower stall with a lowered ceiling height, and a heavy looking soffit threatening to drop on anyone standing at the vanity. These architectural elements only served to compartmentalize the space, making it appear smaller.

There was no choice but to gut it all and start from scratch. Since this is a guest bathroom, we chose to install a single sink which allowed us to buy more vanity storage and counter space. Keeping Maui in mind, the use of natural wood, Mother-of-Pearl shell mosaic sconces mounted on a framed mirror, sand-colored granite, water-y toned crackle glass tiles, and ocean-colored ceramic crackle glazed door and drawer hardware achieves the feeling of being at a spa resort in the tropics.

The new glass-enclosed shower was clad in a tile with a rock-like pattern reminiscent of split bamboo, while a crackle glass "waterfall" cascades down the hardware wall.

The shower floor is lined with pebbles from Island Stone; the same material is featured in a "rug" on the mossy green floor of the bathroom, which is now a constant comfortable temperature thanks to under-floor radiant heat.

Clean-lined shower and sink hardware give the space a tranquil sense so my clients can feel as if they are vacationing in paradise everyday.

Inspiration is never far away. Look at the things you love and you are bound to find a style direction!
Happy designing!