Product: Cork Tile

As a designer I get a lot of catalogs and samples in the mail from various manufacturers.  Most of the time these get placed in the recycle bin.  But sometime last year a brochure and a small sample of round cork tile from The Habitus Collection caught my eye and I filed it away.

Later in the year, when it came time to tile my new office bathroom I went back to that sample and decided to incorporate it into the countertop and backsplash of the vanity.

First, we built a vanity out of plywood and installed a cement backerboard over the plywood countertop.

This tile is really easy to install - so easy that I did it myself.  It can be cut to fit with scissors and set with traditional tile mastic.

Another great feature is that the tile is completely customizable and can be painted after it's installed.  I decided on a light gray-wash over the cork.  Finally, I grouted it like regular tile and applied a latex clear coat for water protection.

Here is it all finished. I love the crisp geometric shape of the tile offset by the natural texture of the cork.

This is the same bathroom that I used the sliding mirror in - photos of that later.