01
Begin With the Room's Anchor
Cabinetry, the vanity, flooring, countertops, and any finishes that are staying establish the color temperature and movement the tile must respect.
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My Showroom & Support
THE EMERALD FERN TILE & STONE GUIDE
The Composed Surface
Begin with the room, not a single sample. Build the field tile, floor, accent, grout, and finishing details as one composition that looks beautiful and performs where it is installed.
ONE MATERIAL STORY. EVERY SURFACE RESOLVED.
Tile is not one sample. It is the whole installation.
SHOP TILE & STONE
Start with where it is going.
Floor Tile
Explore floor tile →
Wall Tile
Explore wall tile →
Shower Tile
Explore shower tile →
Backsplash Tile
Explore backsplash tile →
Mosaic Tile
Explore mosaic tile →
Porcelain Tile
Explore porcelain tile →
Ceramic Tile
Explore ceramic tile →
Natural Stone
Explore natural stone →
Outdoor Tile
Explore outdoor tile →
Tile Accessories
Explore tile accessories →
Shop All Tile
Browse all tile →
THE ORDER WE USE IN A REAL SHOWROOM
Compose the surfaces. Then resolve the details.
Tile carries color, scale, texture, movement, and technical requirements at the same time. The right order keeps the design cohesive and the installation buildable.
Planning a whole room?
02
Choose the Largest Surface First
Select the field tile covering the most square footage before adding a mosaic, pattern, or feature material. The largest surface sets the visual volume.
03
Resolve the Floor Relationship
Decide whether the floor should continue the room quietly, create contrast, or pull one undertone from the cabinetry and wall tile.
04
Place the Accent With Purpose
A niche, backsplash, shower floor, or feature wall should have one clear role. Repeating every interesting tile in the same room weakens all of them.
05
Choose Grout, Edges & Layout
Grout color, joint width, trim profiles, finished edges, orientation, pattern, and transitions are part of the design—not decisions to leave for installation day.
06
Verify the Specification
Confirm wet-area approval, floor rating, slip performance, thickness, shade variation, installation method, lead time, overage, and dye-lot availability.
THE ORDER WE USE IN A REAL SHOWROOM
Know what comes before. See what comes next.
Shopping one category? Carry on. Planning a whole room? Use the same order our showroom uses so one decision can guide the next.
Kitchen selection order
01Cabinets
02Flooring
03Backsplash & Tile
04Cabinet Hardware
05Lighting
06Plumbing Fixtures
Bathroom selection order
01Vanity
02Flooring
03Shower, Wall & Backsplash Tile
04Hardware & Finish Direction
05Lighting & Mirrors
06Plumbing Fixtures
THREE WAYS TO BEGIN
Start with what you already know.
You do not need to know every tile term to begin. Start with the surface, the material, or the complete room you are trying to resolve.
01
I KNOW THE SURFACE
Shop by application
Go directly to backsplash, shower wall, shower floor, bathroom floor, feature wall, outdoor, or another specific installation.
02
I KNOW THE MATERIAL
Shop by material
Compare porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, glass, cement-look options, and mosaics before narrowing the finish.
03
I AM DESIGNING A ROOM
Build the room
Start with Kitchen or Bathroom and keep tile connected to the cabinets, vanity, floor, plumbing, lighting, and hardware.
START WITH THE APPLICATION
Where it goes determines what it must do.
A beautiful backsplash, shower floor, exterior surface, and feature wall do not share the same technical requirements. Begin with the installation, then narrow the look.
KITCHENShop backsplash tileWET AREAShop shower tileWET FLOORExplore mosaicsBATHROOMShop floor tileFOCAL POINTExplore wall tileWORKING SPACEShop floor tileEXTERIORShop outdoor tileWHOLE ROOMOpen the bathroom
Backsplash
Coordinate undertone, movement, scale, grout, outlet placement, range-wall focal points, and countertop variation.
Shower Tile
Balance field-tile scale, niches, benches, plumbing penetrations, maintenance, trim, and the wall layout visible through the glass.
Shower Floors
Prioritize slip performance, drain geometry, slope, mosaic scale, grout density, comfort underfoot, and cleaning.
Bathroom Floors
Confirm floor rating, moisture performance, scale at the doorway, transitions, grout maintenance, and optional radiant heat.
Fireplace & Feature Walls
Plan viewing distance, material weight, heat requirements, corners, termination points, pattern repetition, and lighting.
Laundry & Mudroom
Choose for water, tracked-in grit, cleaning, rolling appliances, floor height, thresholds, and a pattern that can live with daily use.
Outdoor
Verify freeze-thaw suitability, water absorption, slip performance, substrate, drainage, sun exposure, and regional installation requirements.
Complete Bathroom
Coordinate the vanity, bathroom floor, shower walls, shower floor, niche, grout, plumbing, lighting, mirror, and accessories in one path.
COMPARE TILE MATERIALS
The finish is visible. The specification is what makes it last.
Use this as a starting point, then confirm the manufacturer data, application approval, maintenance, installation method, and exact variation of the product you choose.
| Material | Best for | Why people choose it | Plan around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porcelain | Floors, showers, walls, high-use areas, many exterior-rated applications | Dense, durable, low water absorption, and available in convincing stone, concrete, and wood looks | Slip rating, finish, rectified edges, thickness, shade variation, cutting, and exact application approval |
| Ceramic | Backsplashes, walls, decorative surfaces, and approved light-duty floors | Broad color and shape range, approachable price points, and easier cutting for many installations | Not every ceramic tile is floor- or wet-area-rated; confirm water absorption, edge finish, and use classification |
| Natural Stone | Elevated floors, walls, showers, fireplaces, and one-of-a-kind feature moments | Authentic veining, depth, tonal variation, and a material character manufactured surfaces cannot repeat | Sealing, maintenance, staining or etching risk, lot blending, substrate, weight, variation, and stone-specific installation |
| Glass | Backsplashes, shower walls, niches, and luminous accent areas | Reflects light, adds depth, and introduces color without visual heaviness | Substrate color, adhesive, cutting, edge exposure, scratching, thermal conditions, and floor-use restrictions |
| Cement & Encaustic | Statement floors, backsplashes, powder rooms, fireplaces, and patterned focal areas | Rich pattern, matte character, and artisanal variation that can define an otherwise quiet room | Sealing, thickness, staining, moisture, maintenance, installation labor, variation, and pattern layout |
| Mosaic | Shower floors, curved surfaces, niches, borders, backsplashes, and detailed accents | Small scale follows slopes and curves while grout joints can add traction and visual texture | Sheet lines, grout quantity and cleaning, drain layout, edge cuts, mounting quality, and wet-floor approval |
BEFORE THE TILE ORDER
Will the tile finish cleanly at every edge?
Grout color and type can make the pattern recede or take over. Joint width, trim profiles, bullnose availability, exposed edges, outside corners, niches, thresholds, and transitions can change both the material order and the labor. Resolve them before installation day.
DIRECT ACCESS. REAL SPECIFICATION GUIDANCE.
The beautiful tile is only half the decision.
Our direct vendor relationships and renovation experience connect product choice to the room around it, the conditions beneath it, and the details required to install it well.
Direct access to Daltile, MSI, Emser & more
Source broad residential and commercial tile programs through established manufacturer relationships rather than an anonymous marketplace.
Guidance grounded in real renovations
We consider the substrate, transitions, fixture locations, cabinet finishes, installation sequence, and the way the completed room must function.
Nationally certified MBE distributor
Homeowners and professionals can move purchasing through an independently owned, Black- and woman-owned product source with competitive dealer access.
MATERIAL DIRECTIONS WE ARE WATCHING
Current without becoming disposable.
QUIET CONTINUITY
Large-Format Stone Looks
Explore porcelain tileMOVEMENT WITHOUT NOISE
Handmade-Look Backsplash Tile
Explore backsplash tileTHE SMALL-SCALE DETAIL
Layered Mosaics
Explore mosaic tileREAL MATERIAL CHARACTER
Warm Natural Stone
Explore natural stoneTHE FINISHING DETAILS
Tile Accessories
Explore grout, trim & sundries
SHOP REAL ROOMS
See the room. Shop the details.
Discover how cabinets, flooring, tile, hardware, lighting, and plumbing fixtures come together in a finished space. Explore complete rooms, then shop the products that bring each look to life.
Featured room: Modern Onyx + White Kitchen
KEEP THE PROJECT CONNECTED
Keep shopping with a clear next step.
Follow the next decision in the room’s design order, or use My Showroom to keep every room and selection connected.
04 · HARDWARE
Set the room’s metal language.
Bring cabinet pulls, knobs, and functional hardware into the palette before carrying that direction into lighting and plumbing.
Explore hardware
MY SHOWROOM
Keep every room and selection together.
Organize the project room by room, in the order a real showroom works, with every decision connected.
Open My ShowroomPLAN WITH MORE CONFIDENCE
Know what the installation needs before you order.
PUT THE TILE BACK INTO THE ROOM
The surface should support what comes before and after it.
Return to the complete Kitchen or Bathroom path to coordinate the tile with cabinetry, flooring, plumbing, lighting, hardware, mirrors, and every finish sharing the room.
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