Mosaic Tiles

Tips from an expert on hot coLor combos, accent ideas, and more

BOLD COLOR and style on a budget: Those were Rebecca Lonergan's goals in her search for mosaic tiles. A midcenturymodern design enthusiast and former head of staffing for eBay, Lonergan kept trolling the Web for her remodeling projects. "But I couldn't find tile at a good price point or with quick shipping," she says, recalling frustrating order delays of up to six months. So when Lonergan discovered that glass-tile manufacturer Kaleidoscope was looking for distributors, she called the company-and soon she was running Web-based Mosaic tile Market out of her backyard in Los Gatos, California. Two years later, she's outgrown her home office, opening a visitor-friendly warehouse nearby.

Now Lonergan offers close to 500 options, including glass, porcelain, stainless steel, and even cork tiles in myriad colors, patterns, and shapes. Her website (at right) lets you digitally alter the color spectrum until you find exactly what you're looking for. tiles start at $5.87 per square foot for blends; most are kept in stock and ready to ship, and special orders are typically fulfilled in one to two weeks.

Here are Lonergan's suggestions on ways to incorporate mosaic tile in your own home (visit her website for more tips and techniques).

Use as accents "One current trend is to use strips of glass tile among subway tiles in showers or sink backsplashes," Lonergan says. "If you're tiling exterior walkways or interior floors in ceramic or stone, you can also use glass tiles as corner accents."

Set off neutrals with pops of bright color "I like to combine oranges with blues or use greens to warm up whites or grays. Reds work well with beiges or browns."

Think of grout as the finishing touch For a. calm and cohesive look, match grout with the most prevalent color in your tiles. If you want a more graphic look, use a darker or brighter grout to frame each tile. "We recommend that you buy an extra sheet of tile and mock it up on a board with grout to see what you like," Lonergan says.

Think outside the square Hexagonal, round, and glass tiles offer new design opportunities for entire wall coverage or as accents.

INFO Mosaic tile Market (www.mosaictile. market.com or 831/439- 9734]

Copyright Sunset Publishing Corporation Nov 2006

(c) 2006 Sunset. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.