There has never been a more amazing time to dress up your walls with tile.

The days of plain, single tile backsplash are long gone and we are floating in a sea of delightful marble, glass and porcelain. Nothing is too imaginative for the tile of today!

Every tile can be installed on the wall regardless of shape or size and it can be customized to adorn any vertical (and horizontal) surface of your home.

From the most delicate, glittery glass to oversized slabs of marble and onyx there is no end to the creative combinations using tile.

Far beyond a useful waterproof liner for your shower, this product is now being employed as part of even the most avant-garde feature walls in many homes. If you have a space in your home that seems to need some architectural upgrading, you can add tile which replicates brick, cork and even wood. Imagine a walk in shower with a stunning WOOD look barn board and smooth pebble stones underfoot that is also waterproof! It will be like showering in a rain forest.

If you go home everyday and stare woefully at your dated 70s inspired brick fireplace don’t despair, a large format tile easily covers even the ugliest facade.

I have worked on many homes where we did not have to remove the existing. Often tile can go over existing product or a facade can be built giving a new face for the tile to adhere to.

I had a client who lived near Markerville who had a large pedestal hearth and wall behind the wood burner which was made out of what looked like large chunks of rock set into concrete.

It was truly hideous but she had lived with it for years as she couldn’t imagine the mess and work to remove the beastly rocks. I worked with her and a carpenter to build a shell around the entire mess and we applied new and modern tile to the space – instant and amazing change in her living room!

The versatility and longevity of tile makes it such an appealing design tool – sometimes I see samples come into our store and will begin to day dream about where I could install it in my home.

Some of the glass samples I have seen actually resemble candy and it is like an instant craving in my design sweet tooth! The ways tile can be used are endless and the best news of all is that it is a perfect conductor for heat.

You can add the warmth of electric heat under any tile and in any space – even in your shower. Add warmth to those delightful pebbles or onto your shower bench and you may have a reason to never leave your bathroom space.

It may be time to tile! There might be places in your home that could use a little refresh, a part in your life that could use a little luxury and tile may be the exact thing you need!

The initial output of cost can be a bit intimidating but when you calculate the longevity of any tile product it will become apparent that this is an investment over the long term which will give you decades of pleasure and style.

Kim Wyse is an interior designer with Carpet Colour Centre.