Hearth Mosaic - Feel the Colors!
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Last spring the architecture firm I work for called for a serious clean out of our materials library! I was able to snag a bunch of books of porcelain and glass tile samples that I knew I’d use for something at some point in our tiny house project.
I was experiencing a serious creative block and my sister, Nannette, had recently completed some beautifully painted mandalas, so I called in the troops! None of us had ever done a tile project before, so this was yet another first time experience.
She pulled out all of the recycled tile samples and came up with a color wave, using mostly cool colors to match our intended color scheme, moving around the wood stove. She used some thicker, stone tiles underneath the wood stove in a star pattern, so that the stove would sit proud of the rest of the tiles.
Since none of us are experienced masons, we decided to take it easy and use SimpleMat, a self-adhesive sheet that can be used in horizontal (or some vertical) applications. Nannette was able to cut the sheets and stick the tiles on in the pattern she wanted in no time!
We bought a premixed grout from the same company that makes the adhesive. We chose a dark color of SimpleGrout because we did not want any ash or soot to dirty up a lighter grout when we clean out the wood stove from time to time. One quart was barely enough to do the whole hearth. Nannette used a cheap set of plastic putty knives to spread the grout over the whole composition and worked it in between the tiles with her gloved fingers.
Once she felt she was done with the grouting process, she washed away the excess grout with water and microfiber cloths. The only thing left to do is add a curved metal edge to seal the deal!
The fun part about using the recycled tile samples is that all of the tiles are different - different colors, shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. My favorite feature is the large tiles, where I rest my coffee mug as I’m enjoying a nice fire. Yay for sisters and for fun projects that add life to our tiny house!
