Tiny Homes the Focus of Coverings’ Installation Design Showcase

Coverings, the largest international tile & stone exhibition in North America, has announced that its ninth annual Installation Design Showcase (IDS) will showcase tiny homes for the second year running, noting the continued interest in this design and building trend. Tapping leading designers and contractors to share their talent, the IDS exhibit will feature live tile and stone installations by certified installers with materials from industry-leading manufacturers. The exhibit will take place in Booth 8804 in Hall C of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, from May 8-11, 2018.

“The Installation Design Showcase remains a favorite destination for trade professionals, as a one-stop resource to see and experience the latest in installation techniques and design trends,” said Alena Capra, Coverings Industry Ambassador and alumna designer of the IDS program. “It’s great to see a continuation of the tiny house concept in particular, which brings added ingenuity and inspiration to tile and stone applications.”

See below for a preview of the three tiny homes, designed by Jeffery Bruce Baker Designs (JBB), The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry, and Carson Guest, utilizing materials from generous sponsors Ceramics of Italy, Crossville USA, ESTIMA Ceramica, ARDEX, Laticrete, MAPEI, Schluter Systems, Wedi, QEP and Rubi Tools.

Smart Modern Living

Jeffrey Baker of Jeffrey Bruce Baker Designs embraced a warm, modern style for his project, applying clean lines and an open-space layout concept to give the tiny home an open feel and maximize usable space. It is even possible to find prefab homes under 100k for anyone who is on a tight budget.

“We used the combination of tile and finish materials not just as a decorative element, but as a way to express the architecture of the home. With unique applications, including a checkerboard of wood-like squares applied to columns within the home, tile had a major impact on the space and overall design,” Baker stated.

Installer Woody Sanders of DW Sanders Tile & Stone Contracting Inc. has been collaborating with Jeffrey, working closely together for nearly half a year to ensure a seamless installation within a tight space. The home will feature tile from ESTIMA Ceramica.

Luxe Cottage

Brittney Ferren of The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry created a “luxe cottage” with her tiny home project. Drawing inspiration from the imagined needs of a young, retired couple seeking a mountainside getaway with all luxuries of home, she created a high-end, yet cozy, environment with accents like a fireplace, wine cooler and plants.

“Everything from furniture to fixtures has to be at an appropriate scale for such a small space,” said Ferren. “To that end, we’ve incorporated tile not only on the traditional floors and walls, but also on countertops, shelving and built furniture components of our space. Using different scaled, textured and colored tiles helped us accent design elements without enclosing the space or feeling cold.”

Sam Bruce of Visalia Ceramic Tile, INC has collaborated on the project from an installation perspective, marking the company’s second year participating in IDS. The installation team will work with tile from Ceramics of Italy to bring the design to life.

CG Villa

Leveraging neutral colors and light walls to make the space appear larger, Rita Carson Guest, FASID of Carson Guest, has created a contemporary design. The home uses lightweight, large tile panels as a creative solution for the mobile tiny home, where tight spaces and weight are a key consideration.

“Selecting finishes that will make the space appear larger is important when designing tiny homes or other small spaces,” advises Guest. “We used tile as a starting point for our creation, building the design around the tile used for the walls, floors, shower and countertops.”

Erin Albrecht of J&R Tile will bring the home’s design to life through its installation at IDS, with careful attention to detail and substrate prep and the use of movement joints to support the tiny home’s eventual transport. The home will feature tile from Crossville USA.

All attendees are encouraged to visit and explore the homes, which will be featured on the show floor for the duration of Coverings. On Thursday, May 10 at 3:00 p.m. attendees are invited to meet with the designers and contractors for a one-hour interactive session deconstructing the design and installation of each project followed by a reception to celebrate the project.

For full details regarding the Coverings Installation Design Showcase, visit coverings.com/IDS.