Saturday 26 July 2008

Update Your Kitchen With Handmade Tiles

Outfitting your kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and custom cabinets is all the rage nowadays. A significant percent of a home's value can be based on the kitchen and keeping it up to date can mean money in your pocket. But kitchen remodeling trends come and go and we often get into a rut where all kitchens start looking alike. Remember avocado green refrigerators? The key is to balance the trends with your personal style and tastes. Don't go too far in either direction and you should have a kitchen you can enjoy for years to come and when the time comes it should help sell your home. One extra special personal touch you can add relatively easily is pottery tile on your backsplash.

With so many options from stainless steel to glass tiles available off the shelf for backsplashes now why go through the effort to design and create tiles? There are several reasons a unique backsplash makes sense. First, it allows for your creative side to come through and add a truly unique personal touch to your kitchen. There is no better way to make your house a home. It also brings a customized element into your kitchen which has the potential to increase its value if done well. Finally, it presents a conversation piece that is sure to be discussed for years to come as people gather in your kitchen.

To start your creative process you can either purchase pre-made blank tiles from companies such as American Art Clay or for the more ambitious and skilled you can mold and kiln fire the tiles from scratch. Whichever route you chose making custom tiles allows you to express yourself and have a design after your heart's desires. So design something your and your family can relate to. A family memory, a special place, a favorite food are all possible sources of inspiration. Keep in mind that something universal may be more appreciated by future home owners, but do not let that limit you.

It is almost a requirement that multi-million dollar homes have a completely customized kitchen. For those of us outside of the millionaire world customization is still an option with something like a tile backsplash you created. Although it may not make you a millionaire, tiles with bright ceramic colors and a well thought out pattern have the potential to give your kitchen that extra something that may make the next buyer willing to add on that extra zero to the price.

Don't let future value be your motivating factor for taking on a project such as this however. Do it for yourself and for your family so that every time in the kitchen has the ability to spark a conversation or bring up a cherished family memory either represented by the tiles or of when you worked together to make and install them. If your kitchen in not the main gathering space in your home now, it surely will be after you update it.

The modern and expensive kitchen remodeling options available today are sure to increase your home value and make your kitchen a beautiful room. But consider personal touches such as pottery tile like those that can be bought through the website of American Art Clay Company (AMACO). A unique pattern and beautiful ceramic colors can go a long way to brighten and refresh the dullest most out-of-date kitchen around. Express yourself starting with your kitchen.

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