Design & Décor – Ideas & Inspiration – From Minoli

With a host of interior design, home decoration and property improvement events in the calendar, there’s a heightened focus on starting projects to refurbish living areas and guest accommodation. As autumn draws in and we spend more time indoors, now’s a great time to plan a renovation of the spaces in which we refuel and refresh, so we thought we’d provide some ideas and inspiration.

For kitchens and bathrooms, the location and installation of units, appliances, sinks, baths, toilets and showers are relatively fixed, so making the right choice of floor and wall covering a more important part of the refurbishment planning process. Unlike in bedrooms and lounges, where furniture can be moved and décor refreshed more easily, investments in kitchens and bathrooms need careful consideration as are likely to be lived with for some time to come.

Whether you’re looking to just refresh certain surfaces or conducting a complete room redesign and refit, to provide inspiration, today we’re featuring some ideas and suggestions for incorporating porcelain or ceramic tiles from Minoli into your next kitchen or bathroom renovation project.

Creating Contemporary Kitchens

Whether part of an open plan living and entertaining space or a dedicated room for culinary creativity, more so than ever, our kitchens represent the heart of our homes. From high-tech appliances and designer electricals, through to bespoke units and tailor-made work surfaces, there’s an unprecedented array of elements and materials to consider when planning a kitchen refurbishment project.

In kitchens, porcelain and ceramic tiles provide a durable and desirable surface solution. For floors, over natural stone, porcelain tiles are less prone to wear, are stain and fade resistant, easier to mop and maintain, do not require sealing, are more uniform in production and so easier to install. With crisp rectified edges and exact calibrated sizes, porcelain products can be fitted with greater precision allowing for highly technical designs to be realised.

In comparison to real wood flooring, porcelain tiles have practical advantages in that they will not shrink, split or splinter, warp or show wear, and they are ultimately easier to keep clean. Being almost impervious to moisture and dirt, they are more hygienic, better suited for use in humid and wet areas, are highly resistant to extreme temperatures and are excellent conductors of underfloor heating.

On walls, to create splashbacks and cooker surrounds, larger format tiles can be fitted as one piece, so doing away with grout lines and making surfaces easy to wipe down. Décor and mosaic tiles can be used to create feature areas to draw the eye and create borders or bands of colour and texture. As both porcelain and ceramic tiles are non-porous, they are resistant to chemicals, oil and dirt, so withstanding spills and food stains.

To demonstrate how the latest Minoli ranges have been used to fulfil forward thinking design directions in kitchens, here are a few examples for inspiration, but you can explore all the ranges on our website and filter by colour, finish, size, look, material or use, to find your perfect product.

Building Beautiful Bathrooms

The smaller spaces in our homes deserve the same level of design detailing to make the right impression and create environments in which to refresh or relax. Tiles have long been the finish of choice for the wet rooms of residences, but the latest designs and surface treatments make porcelain tiles even more appropriate for use in family bathrooms, ensuites and cloakrooms. New tints and textures in ceramic tiling also provide silky-smooth or 3D relief formats to enhance walls around vanity units and in shower enclosures.

Given that we are often barefoot in bathrooms, comfort and slip-resistance are key qualities. For floors, porcelain tiles with matt finishes provide a level of grip suitable for the main areas, but for wet zones, textured tiles and mosaics have improved anti-slip surfaces. Many Minoli ranges come with a choice coordinated finishes so near seamless designs can be achieved throughout.

Because porcelain and ceramic tiles have near zero porosity, they will not absorb water or become discoloured by limescale and soap. They are easy to clean, hygienic, can be precisely cut to accommodate brassware and pipes, with a wide array of trims and edges available to complement other fixtures and fittings. With the latest large format tiles that come in 120–160 widths and lengths of 240, 278 or even 360 cm, uninterrupted floor to ceiling coverage can be achieved, for the ultimate look of luxury.

Here are some examples of how different designs and finishes have been used to create beautiful bathrooms with different tones and textures.

We hope this provides some creative ideas and inspiration for your next project and you can explore more of our porcelain and ceramic ranges using the product search function on our website here.

If you would like to see any of our extensive kitchen or bathroom ranges in person, discuss design requirements or request samples, please don’t hesitate to contact our London or Oxford showroom teams:

Minoli Oxford – 01865 778225 / showroom@minoli.co.uk
Minoli London – 020 7474 2934 / thesurfacewithin@minoli.co.uk
Existing Corporate Clients – Please contact your account manager directly.