So… where to start? First, have an open mind and ask yourself a few questions.  How long have you dreamed about that inspiration tile?  Does it fit the style of your home?  Does it fit you?  Does it fit in your budget?  If the answers are yes, then don’t drive yourself crazy, just pick your favorite and go with it!  You will LOVE it!

If the doubts continue to creep in your mind, maybe it is time to ask for help.  Show us your pictures, pictures of the space and pictures of the exterior of your home.  Even better, show us a picture of your favorite room or nook in your home.   We love advising homeowners on tile selections.  We can answer the questions you have about care and suitability for your space.  Is this too modern for my home?  Is the tile too big for my area?  Should I use Natural Stone, Porcelain or Ceramic?  Is this Floor Rated?  And all the other questions you have about the selecting process.  Of course if you would like help with the entire selection process, cabinets, lighting, and more, we can help with that too.  The Design Team at Tile Sensations is ready to help you figure it all out.

Our goal is to help you choose products you will be happy with for decades.  There is nothing better than running into a client who purchased at Tile Sensations 10+ years ago and hear them say “I STILL Love it!!”

Jennifer – #tileanddesignaddict  #TheDesignTeamatTileSensations  #ResisttheOrdinary  #notjusttile

The post Choosing a tile, not as easy as you think or is it?? appeared first on Tile Sensations.

However, there is so much more to choose from when you are Resisting the Ordinary.  Consider this beautiful handmade vessel sink, there was only one of these made, so you might want this handcrafted piece to be the focal point of your bathroom.  Or, Kohler offers colors like Cashmere, Mexican Sand and Black,  just to name a few.  American Standard also offers Linen and Bone.  Choosing a color will bring attention to that item and the items surrounding it.  So before you settle on white or biscuit consider stepping outside your comfort zone and choosing a color that makes you smile.

If you choose a copper tub like the one pictured here, you can pair it with a copper sink and neutral commode.  Or add a stoneware sink that has an organic feel.  The combinations are endless with a beautiful tub like this.

And, believe it or not we can order commodes in patterns.   Beautiful patterns!  They can be hand painted to coordinate with your design plan.  Hand painted commodes almost always come with a coordinating sink creating a beautiful and unique addition to your bathroom.  Imagine your friends response if they walked in to your powder room and saw this fantastic commode!

Commodes are also available with custom features. They can have a heated seat, automatic close feature and can be lit in various colors!

All this being said, before you choose one of these extraordinary pieces, be sure you work through all the other choices in the room.  Your home should be a reflection of yourself, not your neighbor, so have fun choosing and Resist the Ordinary!

Jennifer – #tileanddesignaddict  #TheDesignTeamatTileSensations  #Resist the Ordinary

The post White or Biscuit? That is the question. . . appeared first on Tile Sensations.

In fact, more and more of our clients are foregoing the large master bath and spoiling themselves with separate his and her bathrooms.  Sometimes they share the shower, but more often than not they are two separate rooms, allowing two distinct design styles.  This allows everyone’s needs to be met.  Often in “His Bathroom” there will be a steam shower, lots of body jets and an elongated commode.  In “Her Bathroom” you may  find a soaking tub, make up table and great jewelry storage.  Close attention to the details in each room allow our clients to utilize their space to meet their specific needs.

           →  Note, if you look closely at the picture on the right, there is a shaving mirror on the left wall of Alan’s shower.  It looks like a cubby in the picture, but the mosaic you are seeing is a reflection of the feature wall in his mirror.

Guys also make their opinion clear regarding the areas in their homes they use  for fun and relaxation.  We are redesigning “Rec Rooms” into “Play Rooms for Big Kids”.  They often include steam rooms, second kitchens, theater rooms and pool tables, with the big screen nearby . Our clients want to spend more time at home and they want their friends to be comfortable when watching the their favorite team!

← The steam shower pictured on the left has room for all the guys after 18 holes.

No Man’s home is complete without a wet bar ready for spontaneous entertaining. Many wet bars include ice makers, wine fridge’s, microwaves and so much more!  The possibilities are endless! The questions to ask yourself when planning a wet bar is to include: How many types of beverages do I plan to serve here? Is there room for a keg? How important is a chilled glass for your beer? Is there plenty of storage for each type of glassware needed?  We don’t recommend adding a wet bar unless you have thought through the answers to these questions and more.  If you have to run back and forth to the kitchen for the things you need, your money might be better spent elsewhere.

Check out this wet bar we have designed and are excited to see come to life in Greg’s playroom!

 If you are thinking about designing a “Man-Space”,  I would love to help!  Obviously I am not a man, but I do think logically about these things 🙂

Happy Fathers Day!

Jennifer – #tileanddesignaddict

The post A Man’s Home is His Castle appeared first on Tile Sensations.

We are free to worship as we please.  Free to be who we are.  Free to strive to be our best.  Free to choose our own path.  Free to speak up when we disagree.  We are Blessed to live in the United States.  Despite our growing pains we are a great nation with a proud history.

Our blessings have been and continue to be protected by our military, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.   These men and women are our neighbors, our families, our friends.  We are grateful for their service and their sacrifices.

“No one has greater love than this,^j to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13

On this Memorial Day I ask you to stop for at least a few moments and say a prayer for our service men and women.  A prayer of thanks for their willingess to protect our freedoms.  A prayer for all those who gave their lives to protect us.  A prayer for their families and friends who miss them and whose lives have ever been changed because of their willingness to serve.  A prayer of thankfulness and remembrance.

Tile Sensations will be closed Saturday, May 26th thru Monday, May 29th to observe Memorial Day.  We know we could be open, offer a sale and capitilize on the hype.  However we choose, out of respect, to honor the men and women who have fallen.  Some things are more important than selling tile.

Jennifer – #tileanddesignaddict

The post Some things are more important than selling tile….. or wallpaper :) appeared first on Tile Sensations.

Years ago when, a design degree was unheard of, design information and pictures were not so easily found and many people relied on their own instincts to create their space.  If they didn’t have confidence in their own choices they would involve family members or friends to help choose just the right sofa or dining set.  In the world of tile there weren’t many readily available options to choose from.

In the US you may remember the era of the Pink or Blue bathroom tile.  Just about everyone during that time frame picked one of these colors because it was the hip thing to do.  Here and there you might find a yellow or green bathroom, but the pink and blue were predominant.  Tile was definitely the product of choice for ease of care and the clean look it provided both in the kitchen and bathroom.  The choices were limited, so many people had duplicate bathrooms, often neatly coordinated with the sink, tub and commode in the same color as the tile.   If I run across one of these bathrooms today, they make me smile.  The bold colors, usually paired with a fantastic wallpaper was, in its day, true style.

Today our choices in design are practically unlimited.  With top notch designers leading the way we can create a space with any feel we want.
Do you love the look of homes in Bali ? You can have that!  Or do you like a Hacienda style??  You can have that too! Or any style for that matter.  Your influence might be Asian or Adirondack or. . . ?

There is no reason to not design your home in a style that you enjoy.  In fact, if you want different styles throughout your home, we will just call you Eclectic.

Rather than Pink or Blue 4″ x 4″ tile, today’s common tile of choice is the 3″ x 6″ Subway tile.  Subway tile sales in the US have skyrocketed in the last few years.  There will likely be a time, years from now, when many bathrooms and backsplashes tiled with subway tile are pinpointed to the 2010’s.  The subway tile, which is not square, is a nice choice for many homes.  But with all the fantastic options available is subway tile right for your home? A better question might be, is it right for your personality?

Before jumping on the subway tile bandwagon ask yourself a few questions.  Is it my favorite color?  Will I smile every time I walk in the room?  Will I be glad I chose it?  Does it reflect my personality?  Will it be money well spent? If the answers are yes, go for it.  If the answer is no or maybe, DON’T SETTLE!  It is time to explore the options.  There are so many to choose from! Stop by or call Tile Sensations soon for ideas.  Our staff, who are not square, would LOVE to help you on your way to a space that is truly yours.

It is time to step out of the box. . .  Don’t be square.

Jennifer – Tile and Design Addict

The post We’re not square… appeared first on Tile Sensations.

In November 1996, I embarked upon a journey I would never have imagined.  As a former banker, office manager, airline employee and waitress, owning and running a small business was not in my plan. But here I am in 2017, just that, the owner of Tile Sensations in Knoxville, Tn.  2016 was a milestone for me, it marked 20 years working and serving the Knoxville area and beyond.  Cliché, this may sound, but in some ways it seems a blink of an eye, in another view, a lifetime of lessons.                    FYI – In addition to Knoxville we have clients in Florida, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Missouri and California. We would love to add a few more states to our list in 2017!

Over the last 20 years, I have been challenged with finding the right path for not only my family, but for Tile Sensations as well.  While Tile Sensations is not the biggest tile store in town we offer the most complete tile selection, in all price categories from spec to boutique, and it is a place I am proud to call my own. We serve clients from all walks of life and thoroughly enjoy our interactions with each of them. My staff and I face the small business challenges of each new day as a team using the Kaizen Theory* as our guide.  My goal is to provide learning and service opportunities as a regular course of business.  At all times the question of what is good for the staff is as important as what is good for business, so yes we will be closed on holidays including Good Friday, we allow our staff a week off between Christmas and New Years to recharge and of course we are closed most UT Home Football game days. We will always be closed Sundays regardless of what our competition is doing.

We as a team provide the best and most heartfelt customer service we can.  Eat, Sleep, Design describes   the showroom team, we lean upon one another to create unique and appropriate design for each of our clients, always keeping the budget in mind.  Eat, Sleep, Track describes our office team. Where is that tile order? Is it the right color lot? They need it WHEN? We do everything in our power to meet a client’s time schedule too.  Sometimes it simply isn’t possible, but rest assured we have done everything in our power to meet those needs and we will keep you updated with any changes that affect your order.

 We offer Made in the USA as often as possible, we love the selection of handcrafted tiles we offer.  If you can imagine it, we will find a tile artist to make it!
Handcrafted One-of-a-Kind Art Tile Pieces and Sinks is one of our specialties.  We also offer a huge selection of Natural Stone and Porcelain Tiles for every tile need and style and our degreed designers love to help choose combinations that will make you smile for years to come.  Don’t want help with your selections? That’s ok too, come in a browse and let us know if you have questions, we understand the creative process is different for each person so we can stay out of your way if you prefer.  Are you one of those people that cannot imagine a room unless you see it?  We offer 3D Modeling and Rendering services to help you with your final decision.

Simply put, we strive to provide service second to none, just let us know how we can help and we will do our best.

Tile Sensations is also a place of service.

•  We wholeheartedly support the mission of the Haiti Outreach Program and will continue to support their good works. Visit www.haitioutreachprogram.com for more information.
• We support the design community by offering a drop off location for samples no longer needed. Fabric, granite, cabinet, books and samples of all kinds are recycled in our student library.  These samples provide inspiration and are given to students free of charge for their design projects.
• We recycle everything we possibly can. We offer excess packing materials to Etsy and EBay sellers at no charge, we recycle pallet wood into wall coverings and all excess cardboard and paper is recycled locally.
• Recently Tile Sensations has become a spot for local artists and artisans to sell their wares. Beginning in December 2016 we offered a Pop-Up Holiday Shop, emptying our store of tile and replacing it with some of the finest local jewelry, soaps, vintage items and art for our clients and friends to shop. We plan to offer this no charge event to local small businesses several times a year.

Over the next months and years I plan to share my favorite stories and insights into the world of tile and small business through this blog. If there is a topic you would like covered just send me an email Jennifer@tilesensations.net and I will see what I can do.  2017 will also be bringing other changes to Tile Sensations which we will announce as we unveil these exciting new changes!

May your 2017 be joyful, prosperous and fulfilling; May your good spirits influence those around you; May you find yourself in a position to share your blessings and may you act when opportunities are offered to you.

Jennifer – Tile and Design Addict

*Kaizen Theory – Ever Changing, Ever Improving

The post The Tile Sensations Story appeared first on Tile Sensations.