The Grout Route
When you think of grout—well, you probably don’t think about grout all that much. “In the past, we wanted the grout to blend with the tiles,” says Rene Gracia, principal at residential design group RGB+D. “But now we are seeing products that create more contrast than standard grout.” Gracia’s talking about the latest trends in tile work: grout in colors like blues and greens and grout that contains elements that give it a sheen.
Bostik’s Dimension StarGlass Grout has tiny glass beads and a translucent binder that allow light to pass through it and give tile work a 3D appearance, which can be especially dramatic with glass tile. “On polished tiles you may want a crystalized grout that emphasizes the lines,” Gracia says. For example, if you use gray grout with gray tile, the grout fades away, “but if you use a cream grout or a crystalized grout, it becomes three-dimensional. You are able to create a completely different mood.”
Pattern Play: It’s all in how you lay the tile
Straight Lay
Brick Lay
Herringbone
Basketweave
