Posts tagged ‘glass mosaic tile’
Tile Design vs. Electrical Outlets & Switches
We get asked this great question quite regularly:
“I LOVE my new tile, but I need some advice…What should I do with the electrical outlets that fall within the kitchen backsplash area?”
Good news! We’ve got several creative solutions for you – yay!!!
These little necessary items can possibly ruin your beautiful, and often pricey backsplash! We are confident that if you consider the locations ahead of time, you will improve the finished look of your kitchen or bathroom. 
Details on outlets…
It’s required by law that you have electrical outlets within your kitchen – which is a good thing!
Your kitchen has many electrical needs: major appliances, small appliances, built-in appliances, lighting, exhaust fans, and basically anything you might want to plug in or switch on while you’re in there.
In regards to your kitchen or bathroom, the National Electric Code requires:
- Small appliance circuits feeding countertop receptacle outlets are required to be Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protected
- Any countertop wider than one foot requires a receptacle outlet
- Receptacle outlets must be installed every four linear feet at minimum – more is totally fine too
- Countertops separated by range cook top, refrigerators, or sinks are considered separate countertop spaces
Examples of kitchen appliances in need of electrical outlets.
Are you in the planning phase of your new kitchen or bath remodel?
If you are planning your kitchen or bath remodel, congrats(!), you are thinking ahead! Here are some helpful questions you can ask yourself and discuss with your electrician regarding your kitchen or bath’s electrical needs:
- What fixed/portable appliances do you plan to install/have in your kitchen? What are the locations and their power requirements?
- What kind of lighting do you want/need: Ceiling? Under cabinet? Toe kick? Pendant or chandelier? Recessed? Surface Mount? Ceiling fan?
- What kind of lighting controls do you need?
- Where do you want your light switches and appliance outlets?
- What materials/installation practices do you need to comply with National Electric Code requirements? Hint: ask your electrician
- Do you have special requirements due to disabilities and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act?
- What are the brand specification of all fixtures you want? Have your electrician check these out too.
After you discuss your electrical needs with your electrician and have a final layout in mind, the electrical outlets and switches can be located and installed. Don’t worry if you already have your outlets in place, it’s really easy to move them around and make adjustments before the installation of your backsplash.
There are several different ways to approach this without ruining your backsplash with a bunch of ugly, poorly placed outlets and switches. Here are some creative solutions as to how you can address the outlets & switches within your backsplash.
Implementing Creative Solutions…
#1 - Flip your outlets horizontally to coordinate with the pattern of your backsplash (but if your backsplash has a vertical pattern to it, keep you outlets vertical too)
#2 - Install a power strip under your upper cabinets
#3 – Install the outlets or switches on or within your cabinets…(some additional planning involved).
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#4 - Install your outlets where you know you’ll need them!
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#5 - Install custom pop-up grommet outlets where you know you’ll need them!
Find these at www.mockett.com
Find these at www.mockett.com
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#6 – Specify outlet and switch plate covers to coordinate with your material selections: making them a design element instead of an eyesore!
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#7 – [Bathroom specific] – Install the outlets or switches within your bathroom mirror and trim with a mirrored cover…some additional planning involved. Look closely for them!
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Q: Have some other creative outlet and switch solutions? Share them with us and we’ll add it to this blog!
Modwalls® is making tile modern™ with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com
New Lush 1/2″x 2″ Blends: Carmelita & Chelsea!!!
Happy to announce that we have some new mouth watering Lush 1/2″x2″ Blends, Carmelita and Chelsea!! Both are available for purchase at modwalls.com for $19.95 per sheet.
The new Lush® Carmelita is a mod color combination of Creamy Cameo, Poppy orange, Tomato red, Chocolate brown, Merlot, and Reef. We love it in this size and we think you will too!
Lush 1/2″x 2″ Blend Carmelita
Lush 1/2″x 2″ Blend Carmelita
The new Lush® Chelsea Blend is a metropolitan color combination of Cloud white, plum, Fog Bank gray, Tomato red, merlot, and darker Storm gray. Super chic!!
Lush 1/2″x2″ Chelsea
Lush 1/2″x2″ Chelsea
Modwalls® is making tile modern™ with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com
On a Budget? Meet Brio Custom Blends!!!
Brio® Custom Blends Fit Every Budget!
Customizing your kitchen or bathroom gets extremely pricey! Especially if you’re working within a specific color scheme.
Meet our Brio® Custom Blend Program! With literally millions of possible glass mosaic color combinations right at your fingertips, you can easily create the right tile blend for your project…Plus, it’s totally budget-friendly and fun to do!!!
How-to Create Your Custom Blend Recipe:
Step 1) Access the blender at: http://www.modwallsblender.com/
Step 2) Select the colors that you’d like to blend by clicking on the Brio® ¾” glass tile images.
The colors will automatically move into the blender after 2 colors have been selected. Remove any color by dragging it away from the blending area.
If you wish to start over, just click RESET.
Step 3) Feel free to adjust the color percentage by moving the arrows up and down on each color. (Note: your design must add up to 100%)
Step 4) Think you reached your desired colored combination? Click on REMIX to randomly remix the colors. (Note that all of our custom blends are random, not patterned)
Step 5) Optional, but highly recommended: Select grout colors to see how this changes the effect of your blend. The grout colors shown are part of modwalls® StarGlass/ Dimension Urethane Grout collection. Grout is sold separately, but we believe this is the best choice available for any glass tile installation.
Step 6) Order Your Custom Blend Sample here. Be sure to enter your blend recipe on the Customer Comments area – including color names and percentages. Note: you will be prompted to enter your recipe on page 2 of checkout.
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Why should I order a sample?
We strongly encourage creative customers like yourself to order samples of your custom blend – which eliminates any online purchasing woes. Each computer monitor may slightly distort the true colors and it’s always good to have a sample in-hand. Btw, samples are about 5″ x 5″ and are not refundable.
Once you have received your sample and are ready to order your Brio® custom blend, simply call us toll-free @ 877-439-9734. We have real people ready to take your order Monday-Friday from 9am – 5pm Pacific Time. Please note that there is a 20 sq.ft. minimum order per custom blend.
How is my custom blend assembled?
Since 2005, we proudly and locally outsource our modwalls® custom blend production to the wonderful people at HOPE Services. HOPE Services is a non-profit organization which employs developmentally and physically disabled adults to do a variety of production work. Their mission is to assist individuals with disabilities to live and participate in their communities – and we LOVE this.
HOPE’s clients are responsible for making each sheet of your custom blend – a true work of art – made with pride and love! There are currently over 30 HOPE clients dedicated to the modwalls® custom blend production.
Here are some photos of HOPE’s client’s in action:
HOPE Services receives our customer’s custom blend recipes on a weekly basis. Each individual Brio® Mosaic Color comes with a paper facing that HOPE soaks off prior to mounting and assembling each blend. Tiles are then set individually onto plastic grids in a random pattern according to your recipe. Each completed grid (or 1.15 sq.ft. sheet) is then reviewed for quality control. Once approved, a plastic film is placed over the top or “face” of the tiles to hold it in place for installation.
This entire process generally takes about 1 week to complete. Once your blend is complete, we’ll ship it via UPS and email you the tracking number.
Real Customer Satisfaction!
Here’s a recent client review we received about their custom blend experience:
Brio Custom Blend
Rating: 
Installation Location: OUTDOOR SHOWER (see below)
“We created an outdoor shower using a custom blend. It turned out really great. It was so easy to work with ModWalls.”
-Keith (of Palm Springs, CA)
Be Inspired: Some of our favorite Brio® Custom Blends to date…
Brio custom blend inspired by Reggie the Cockatiel
Want to see more? Check out more custom glass tile blends created and installed by our customers here.
Modwalls® is making tile modern™ with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com
Inspired by…Brio SUNDAE!!!
Life’s too short…eat dessert first!! Here’s a special & delicious treat just for YOU!
Introducing, our newest Brio Blend – Sundae!!!
This cheerful, fun, mouth-watering color palette will be sure to remind you of the good old days and the great days to come!
Think soda fountain fun…think gigantic ice-cream sundaes that are delicious year-round! Let’s dig in!!!
This fun mosaic blend is ideal for walls, floors, backsplashs, shower tile, and even pool tile. Each tile measures 3/4” square x 4mm thick and comes mesh-backed for easy installation. Did I mention this is only $5.95 per 1.15sf sheet?!! Order your sample today online or call us at 877-439-9734.
Modwalls® is making tile modern™ with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com
Modwalls Press: Dwell Magazine – Bath & Spa Special Issue
“Our first ever Bath & Spa special issue is filled with the latest in bathroom design, from outdoor showers to luxurious personal saunas. Dwell’s editors bring the latest and hottest products for any lavatory and any budget.” -Dwell Magazine
“Capturing San Diego’s beachy, laid-back vibe with just a handful of sun-shining-on-the-Pacific tile colors was Public Architecture and Planning‘s real trick in this charming bathroom. By relying on a multihued array of small tiles, Public’s principal James Brown credits his clients, Kim and Torrey Lee, with selecting a ‘seamless palette that brought the color and feel of the ocean’ into the home.”
“The clients requested an open shower with a large tub. But they asked to be surprised with the design of the entire house. I hope they jumped!” -Architect James Brown
Feeling inspired? Create your own Brio® Custom Blend using our modwalls® Tile Blender 24/7!! With over 80 Brio® colors to chose from, the possibilities are basically endless!
Modwalls® is making tile modern™ with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com
Introducing New Products In-Stock NOW!!!
We seriously couldn’t be happier to spread the news about our latest additions to modwalls®!!!
Take a few minutes to check them out, order samples, or make a mental note for later.
We know you’ll love them as much as we do!!!
New ModDotz™ Colors!!
From top left: Spa Blue, Sherbet, Lemon, and Key Lime
Find all these mouthwatering colors here for only $7.95 per sheet!
New Lush® 3×6 Colors!!
From top left: Poppy, Blue Bell, Storm, and Inkwell
Find these colors as well as many other Lush® colors for only $19.95 per sheet!
ALL New Lush® Weave™ Subway Tile!!
From top left: Cloud, Vapor, and Fog Bank
All 3 of these Lush® Weave™ colors are available for only $19.95 per sheet.
ALL New Harvest Bamboo Mosaics™!!!
This gorgeous collection is made entirely from eco-friendly and sustainable bamboo.
Find all mosaic patterns here for only $14.95 per sheet.
The one and only…Real Penny Mosaic™!!!
Now available for custom order in 3 ways: ALL HEADS, ALL TAILS,
or the most popular MIX.
Click here for more Real Penny Mosaic™ info.
Modwalls® is making tile modern™ with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com
modwalls® Lush® Weave Patterns, “Ready for my close-up!!!!!”
(**Okay, so we cannot exactly interview our lastest and greatest Lush® patterns per se, but if we did, they would be more than thrilled to be in the center of the spotlight**)
Modwalls WEAVE patterns were created by modwalls one and only in-house Interior Designer, Katelyn Bowman. When developing this simple, but intriguing pattern for modwalls, Katelyn wanted to create a fresh twist on a tried and true version of an herringbone and chevron pattern using our modern 8mm thick Lush® 1×4 glass tile in our top selling Cloud, Vapor, and Fog Bank colors.
“Geometric patterns are an ever-constant design element – past and present – and there’s beauty in the repetition. I think this new pattern I designed for modwalls will be a seemless addition to an already fantastic line of products. Although the pattern is relatively simple, you can install this in many different ways which I’m sure will please many different design aesthetics.”
Installing your backsplash tile in this pattern would typically be more labor-intensive and therefore more expensive since your installer would have placed each tile individually (not fun!).
Modwalls addresses this issue by sheeting the pattern in a way that makes installation MUCH easier. The pattern is pre-set and mesh-mounted with 1/16″ grout joints with interlocking sides. This tile is ideal for any wall applications including kitchen backsplash tile, bathroom tile, fireplace tile and pool tile. The tile is sold in sheets that measure 0.93 square feet each (just less than one square foot) for $19.95. It can be laid either vertically, horizontally, 45 degree angle, etc.
Here are some more eye-catching images of the Lush® 1×4 Weave! Enjoy!!!
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Modwalls is making tile modern with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com.
Need Some Eichler Inspiration?
Eichler Homes are distinctively known for their amazing Mid-Century modern style (which is probably why we and so many others still love them so much)!!!
Little Eichler history (per Wikipedia): Between 1950 and 1974, Joseph Eichler’s company, Eichler Homes, built over 11,000 homes in nine communities in Northern and Southern California. They all came to be known as Eichlers or an Eichler. During this period, Eichler became one of the nation’s most influential builders of modern homes. The largest contiguous Eichler Homes development is ‘The Highlands’ in San Mateo, built between 1956 and 1964. Basically, Eichler defined what “California Modern” really is or what it’s perceived to be. Read more Eichler history here.
On a recent browsing sesh on Pinterest, we found a link to a great site featuring our Brio tile in one of our customers’ gorgeous Eichler residence. All photos are courtesy of Hunter Lewis Wimmer of redneckmodern.com. We hope you are inspired as much as we are by this stunning post-mod home!
This is what the homeowner Mary-Peyton said:
“We spent HOURS on the custom mix configurator (Modwalls Tile Blender). The floors in the kitchen are black and in the dining area they are grey. There is a ton of wood in the house so we wanted to include all those colors to tie it together. Throw in some mid-century orange, turquoise and apple green and we were good to go. I wish we had more wall space to show off the tile!”
Because we love this Brio blend so much, we wanted to share Mary’s perfect custom blend recipe:
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25% Bright White
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20% Dry Ice
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9% Sleet
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9% Marigold
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9% Tarragon
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8% Teak
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7% Marina
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6% Black
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4% Cool Breeze
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3% Orange
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Modwalls is making tile modern with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com.
FB Quarterly Photo Contest Winners Announced!!!
Modwalls Facebook Quarterly Photo Contest WINNERS!!! These 3 lucky owners get $50 cash or $100 store credit – and all they had to do was show off their gorgeous tile!!!
Next quarterly contest has officially started!! Enter your pics now for a chance to be a future winner! Send your pics to service@modwalls.com and LIKE us on facebook to stay in the loop and place your votes (the most ‘likes’ per pic will win!).
HELPFUL TIPS FOR TAKING THE BEST PICS:
- Switch all your lights ON
- Clear your counters or area of distracting accessories and clutter
- Clean tile photographs the best – wink wink
- Take your pics when it’s daytime – you’ll get better lighting and won’t get any weird glare from dark windows
- Think like a photographer and ask yourself…what’s the best angle here?
- Avoid capturing yourself in the bathroom mirror
- Don’t rush it! Wait until your space is completely done so we can all enjoy the results
- Send us actual size /high resolution images – 300dpi is ideal
- Have fun with it!!!
Modwalls is making tile modern with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com.
Playhouse Design Group + Greenleaf Construction, could they be any cooler?!
We get totally BLOWN AWAY every time we are blessed with amazing install pics of our modwalls tile in such impressive spaces – especially when we get them from Playhouse Design Group & Greenleaf Construction!!! Seriously can’t get enough of them!!
We recently did a designer spotlight blog on Playhouse Design Group (find it here), a spectacular design firm making good design happen on a daily basis in the Pacific Northwest.
Had to share these pics since we feel truly honored to have our products installed in such amazing spaces! Enjoy!
Modwalls Corkdotz installation.
Gorgeous kitchen with our Brio Clear Red mosaic glass tile as the backsplash. Love how the lighter grout of the backsplash truly makes the red mosaic tile pop!
Another Brio Clear Red installation – notice the impact of a darker grout instead of the white grout. Love it!
Brio Tarragon mosaic glass tile flows over the vanity and around the tub area beautifully.
Have you installed or specified our modwalls tile? If so, we would love to see your best pics! Email them to us at service@modwalls.com and share the love.
Modwalls is making tile modern with colorful and unique designs that are in stock and available for purchase online 24/7 at modwalls.com.
