In the busy metropolitan hub of New York City, urban practicality melds with creative artistry; their fusion gives way to a design style like none other. Named for the city's Soho Design District, this distinctive style, which features creative twists on clean, geometric lines, is known as Soho.
To get a feel for Soho styles, watch the video below:
Then scroll through this list of ideas for Soho tile designs to get a feel for how mosaic tiles can achieve for you that perfect blend of classic and contemporary styling.
#1 Pair Stripes with Curves
When it comes to tiles, Soho styles feature clean lines with clean angles. In other words, you can expect the tiles to be rectangular. The design is a spinoff of the basic tiles that often line metropolitan subway stations.
You can see the clean lines of Soho mosaic tiles in this bathtub design. Designers often use lines to give a room a feeling of security.
Soho Pleasant Strips Mosaic Blend - View Details / Get Quote »
In the example above, the linear design of the bathtub tile gives the impression that the tub is a place of safety and stability. The bathroom is a place to let down your guard, so a sense of security is valuable.
However, a soak in the tub is also a time for relaxation, and this room conveys a sense of calm by pairing the clean lines of the tiles with the gentle curve of the bathtub's shape. Mixing lines and curves lends a sense of softness. It also raises the overall feel of the room; pairing stripes with curves is an easy way to infuse a design with high-end luxury.
#2 Pepper Soho Tiles Throughout Your Design
If one set of Soho tiles is good, is two even better? Try three instead. Pairing three like elements is a design trick that helps pull a room together. Sets of three are visually appealing. Triads lend unity balance to a design.
The three members of a set need not carry the same visual weight. In fact, variations to the basic theme can add visual interest to a design, particularly if other elements help maintain the balance of the design. Consider how the rule of threes plays out with the Soho mosaic tiles in the following bathroom.
Soho Strips Mosaic - View Details / Get Quote »
The Soho pattern is seen in three places throughout the room: the large wall of the walk-in shower, the border one-third of the way up the wall, and the floor frame that surrounds the tub. This triad of elements pulls the walls and floor together.
The tiles in the shower carry significantly more weight than the other two sets of tiles. However, the visual weight of the impressive bathtub helps balance the right and left sides of the room.
#3 Mix Soho with Another Tile Style
Soho tile designs need not be the only tiles used in your bathroom decor. Done right, you can use two or more tile types in the same room--even a small room like the bathroom.
When mixing tiles, keep a few tips in mind:
Soho Pleasant Strips 2 - View Details / Get Quote »
The tiles in this particular room meet all three of those guidelines. While the Soho design in the shower uses narrow vertical strips, the tiles outside of the shower are larger horizontal blocks. Both the thin shape and the variegated colors of the shower tiles lend that design a busy feel, which is balanced by the calmer, more solid feel of the other selection. And although a variety of shades is used throughout the entire design, they each fall into the same neutral color family.
#4 Use Soho for an Eye-catching Backsplash
Water damage is the last thing that you want for your beautiful bathroom. The nature of the room, however, lends to a high probability of moisture damage if you don't guard against it.
One of the easiest ways to protect the area around your sink is to install a backsplash. Whether you are washing your face or scrubbing your hands, the drops of water that go flying will hit your protective backsplash instead of the porous surface of the wall. Tiled backsplashes are popular because they resist moisture damage and are easy to clean.
Soho Strips Mosaics - View Details / Get Quote »
Take this counter-to-ceiling Soho backsplash. The tiles' gray hues complement the silver tone in the mirror, and the busy tile pattern is balanced by the solid weight that the large mirror brings to the design.
#5 Create an Accent Wall with a Tiled Design
In a small room, using a busy tile design on all four walls can be overwhelming. That doesn't mean that you should avoid using your favorite patterns in your bathroom; it just means that you should be judicious in their placement.
Consider using a Soho-style tile to create an accent wall. By limiting the pattern to one area of the room, you give the whole room a more open feel, and you also create a focal point.
In other words, restricting the Soho design to one part of the room elevates its role in the overall design. Consider the following room.
Sticks Mosaic Blend - View Details / Get Quote »
Where do your eyes automatically go? They are pulled right to the patterned wall. If the pattern were used on all of the walls of this bathroom, the effectiveness of the pattern would be lost. But as the design stands, the tiled divider is the most visually important part of this room.
Are you ready to add a Soho mosaic tile design to your home? This style is a striking way to add clean lines with a contemporary feel to your living space. These examples focused on bathroom tile; leave a comment below about the room in which you'd prefer to use Soho tile designs. If you love this look, do your friends a favor and share this piece with them.