Shower Floor Tiles And The Hot New Trend For Transparent
Want to give your bathroom a new style shot? Get new tile for the shower floor! Right now, the most popular thing in bathroom tiles is glass. Glass tiles have become so versatile that you can use them for just about anything, not just flooring. In fact, except for the hardware and the toilet, you can use the material to finish your entire bathroom. But where does this trend for transparency come from?
The beginning
Tile vendors credit Denver artist Judy Collins. According to co-owner (and CEO) of Euro Bath & Tile in Denver, Colorado, Lori Greenstone, Collins inspired a penchant for glass thanks to her artful glass pulls.
Not long after Collins wowed people with her creations, the owner of Denver’s VitraForm followed suit, creating glass sinks…and that’s when the style took off.
Who wants glass sinks?
Over time, other tile manufacturers caught on and improvised. Suddenly the boundaries of style as far as material is concerned were pushed. Manufacturers came up with many ways to innovate. Glass shower floor tiles began to appear in different sizes, shapes, and edges. But forget about the floor; they are not using the material just for that purpose. VitraForm, for example, now manufactures glass sinks and countertops in 9 patterns, 11 colors and 2 shapes.
Glass that is not easy to break
But who is buying these sinks? The answer: high-end homeowners and international hotels.
Hotels like the Grand Hyatt Shanghai and the Grand Hyatt in Fukuoka in Japan use glass sinks. Is maintenance a problem for these hotels? Not at all, says Greenstone. To keep your sinks clean, all your staff has to do is spray them with Windex and then wipe them down with a soft cloth. Breakage is also not a problem, unless of course a guest deliberately drops a hammer into the sink. You see, sinks are made of a material that is equivalent to a car windshield in thickness. Can someone say strong?
So the next time you’re having a hard time deciding how to proceed with your mosaics, try glass. Not only will you get a very durable surface, but you can also turn it into a mirror.
