Are you bored of the same old paint and wallpaper in your home? Do you get tired of seeing your bathroom or kitchen floor because they are so boring to look at? Well, have you ever considered making some changes, and adding mosaic art to your home?
This is a great way to make any room in your home look fantastic, and there are many ways that you can use mosaic art on floors, walls, and even countertops. You can find inspiration for tile projects using these materials on sites such as Mozaico Blog.
Types of Materials Used
First, let’s discuss the various materials used to create tiles for mosaics. The most common is ceramic tile, which you can even find in craft stores for your home improvement projects. This tile is easy to cut, and the least expensive. Next, there is vitreous glass tile, which is also inexpensive, and easy to cut. Smalti glass tile is much thicker, and much more expensive. Organic tile is made from such materials as marble, basalt, granite, and limestone. Then, there is creative tile, which is made from a variety of things, including broken bottles, broken china, marbles, jewelry, and more.
Types of Mosaic Art
There are five basic types of mosaic art: classical, pebble, industrial, hand-cut and custom ceramic inserts. Let’s learn more about each type, and how you can incorporate them into your home.
Classical Mosaic Art
Anything that is made the old-fashioned way takes longer, and that includes mosaic art. But, it is also often the most beautiful, and well worth the effort and cost. In most cases, classical mosaic art is made on a commission basis, using such stones as granite and marble. A thick, Italian glass is also often used, and it looks wonderful when combined with the stone. In some cases, the work is not grouted, giving it an interesting appearance.
Pebble Mosaic Art
If you prefer a more rustic look, pebble mosaic art may be the thing for you. This is a type of mosaic art that is faster to create than other types, although it can take a lot of time to pick just the right pebbles to create various effects. This is also a costly type of mosaic art when done using the traditional method, because of the amount of work that does go into it. As the designs become more intricate, the cost goes up.
Hand-Cut Mosaic Art
This is another time consuming form of mosaic art, but it is faster than the classical method. This type of mosaic art is usually done with ceramic and glass tiles. These tiles are cut thinly and shaped by hand with glass cutters and tile nippers. You can get some beautiful and complex designs in a variety of colors, and there are also a variety of material options available.
Industrial Mosaic Art
The fastest and least expensive type of mosaic art is the industrial style. The tiles are cut with a tool called a small scale tile cutter, and very little work is done by hand. Tile pieces are arranged into simple types of patterns, with various effects that can be created. It takes a lot less time to create a mosaic with this method than the rest, and if you aren’t particular about having the absolute best, it looks just as good for a lot less money.
Custom Ceramic Inserts
You don’t necessarily have to get a whole floor or wall done in tiles. It may be that an insert is all that you need to really jazz up a room. These inserts will give you texture, and create effects that can’t be done with other types of mosaic art, such as lettering and other fine detail work. You can also use this method in combination with other types of mosaic art for something truly unique in your home.
Featured photo credit: Mozaico via mozaico.com
