Following in the footsteps of the best fashion designers, Fired Earth is adding a diffusion line to its collections.

First to arrive is the Tile Basics collection, which will include tiles starting at 36p each.

Bright and bold, tiles from the Collage range, take their inspiration from the Pop Art movement of the 1950s and 60s, when collage and painting were combined to construct new art forms that heralded the cultural transformation of Britain and America at the time.

• The colours that form the new Collage collection closely replicate those used by some of the key artists of the time.

• The new range is available in nine vibrant colours, including pink, yellow, orange and lime. This versatile collection has a beautiful gloss finish and includes pencils, as well as practical 15 x 15 cm tiles at £1.81 per tile (£79.62 per m2).

• The tiles are perfect to mix and match and are extremely versatile - great for anyone looking to make a colourful statement.

• Affordable chic: prices for tiles in Fired Earth’s new Collage collection start at just £1.81 per tile.

Fired Earth has 56 showrooms in the UK and Ireland.

Visit the Fired Earth website to view these exciting new tile ranges and to find your nearest showroom.

Tel: (0845) 366 0400

Fired Earth is broadening its reach and appeal by adding a diffusion line to its collections.

This begins with the launch of Tile Basics this month, which will carry tiles starting from just 36p each.

Tile Basics is designed to complement the existing Fired Earth range and add some new bolder colours, which can be mixed and matched.

Rob Whitaker, Creative Director of Fired Earth, said: “We wanted to add to the range so that customers could find something to suit every room and every purpose at the right price.
“For example, for a utility room people don’t necessarily want something hand-crafted, but they do still want something well designed, practical and fit for the purpose.

“We also wanted to attract new customers - perhaps those in their first home - wanting great design at an easily affordable price; essentially we’re offering quality you’d expect at prices you wouldn’t.”

Tile Basics will complement the existing Fired Earth collection, by introducing some exciting bold colours, such as the pink, orange and lime to be found in the Pop Art-inspired Collage range.

Colours and formats can be mixed and matched to create eye-catching schemes.

Offering everything from crisp slate flooring and beautifully designed wall tiles, to hard-wearing porcelain and rustic terracotta, Tile Basics includes tiles for every style of home at easily affordable prices. The diffusion line will continue with the Bathroom Basics collection.

The Architecture range in our picture, fuses classic elegance with clean, structural style; simple lines can create versatile designs, by using several sizes together in patterned combinations, or by mixing the gloss and matt finishes.

Fired Earth has 57 showrooms in the UK and Ireland.

Visit the Fired Earth website to view the new Tile Basics range.

Tel: (0845) 366 0400

Aaran Brown, (30 years old) who works at a gym in a prison, and Stephanie Hampstead, a 22-year-old nursery nurse, are a prime example:

“We were renting an apartment in Blyth Bridge and didn’t see buying as financially friendly enough to be an option for us,” Aaron said.

“It was only after Steph discovered she was expecting in December last year that– we could no longer ignore that we needed a larger home to accommodate our growing brood.

Like an increasing number of homebuyers across the UK, Steph and Aaran were able to purchase a property fit for their growing family, through the latest government shared equity scheme,
HomeBuy Direct – a three-bedroom townhouse at Miller Homes The Willows in Stone.

We came to view The Willows and fell in love with both the development and the townhouse.

With HomeBuy Direct being available we were able to move in sooner than we originally thought,” Steph added.

HomeBuy Direct is continuing to help many first time buyers, by offering the opportunity to purchase100 percent of a brand new home by paying from just 70 percent of its value.

The remaining 30 percent equity loan is co-funded by the Government and Miller Homes, meaning that a smaller deposit is required.

The loan then only becomes repayable after 25 years, with no interest for the first 5 years.

Aaran and Steph’s home is in the Tolkien style layout, an attractive three bedroom townhouse that offers the extra space, including the garden, that they were looking for. Picture by Steve Duttine Photography.

Linda Androlia, regional sales director for Miller Homes West Midlands, said: “HomeBuy Direct is continuing to assist those like Aaran and Stephanie onto the property ladder showing that new homes can be affordable and a much better option to renting.”

To find out more about the Stone based development or the properties available nearest to you, visit www.millerhomes.co.uk.

Sales Office Tel: (0800) 840 8695.

Here is some expert advice from award winning tile manufacturer CP Group’s marketing executive, Katy Black:

Making a statement in the home is this season’s interior trend, bringing excitement and creativity back into decorating.

With more people improving not moving, now is the time to inject personality into the home - adding colours, textures and patterns can seem daunting after a decade of ‘magnolia’ and ‘white wash’, but feature walls are back ,adding the ‘wow’ factor without the hassle of re-decorating the whole room.

Wall tiles are a great way to create an eye-catching feature, not only in the kitchen and bathroom, but also for making a statement anywhere in the home.
Just choose your focal wall and let your imagination take over:

Whether it’s understated elegance or a bold and bright finish you’re after, there is a myriad of options to choose from; or if you don’t want to be too outrageous, then simply combining textures with soft natural colours and bold accessories, will subtly enhance the effect.

You don’t need to go bright and patterned to make an impression. Using the same colour tile on one wall, can completely change the look of the room.

The CP Group’s Tundra African tile from the Quattro range, really stands out against a plain white, cream or neutral background, creating maximum impact using a simple design.
For those who like bold and beautiful the choices are endless.

Glass offers a stunning finish by creating a unique and glamorous look (as in the picture).

Glass tiles are available in a wide range of colours from shocking pinks, purples and oranges, to tranquil turquoises, greens and blues.
The versatility of glass means it can be combined with various patterns and textures, to create an eye-catching effect.
Look at the CP Group’s selection of glass tiles within its Unity range, for more ideas and inspiration.

Ceramic and stone finishes are still hugely popular and manufacturers continue to develop more stunning and unusual designs.

The CP Group has a wide range to choose from, with contemporary and traditional designs from striking metallic effects to classic damask patterns.

Visit the CP Group website for more ideas:
Tel: (01484) 727147

Gold taps are a token gesture by comparison. If you really want to wallow in luxury, go for a big tin tub. A pure Gold one! Well, pure Gold Leaf.

This magnificent piece takes bath-time to another level - when you sink into this to wash all your cares away, it’s more than probable, you can bask in the fact that you haven’t got any.

Worked from solid tin and available with a Gold Leaf exterior or, if you prefer something a little less ostentatious, Silver Leaf. Glorious!

The Midas bath is shown here with the Avebury Bath and Shower Mixer, Iridescent Glass Mosaic Moroccan Desert wall tiles and Architectural Stone Crema floor tiles.

Priced at: £5750.

Web: http://www.firedearth.com

See also Fired Earth’s Renaissance wall tiles.

Are you looking for affordable stylish flooring for your home? Then Floorell could provide the solution, as they supply a range of flooring that will add the ‘wow’ factor to any room.

Floorell are a new Internet based company specialising in reasonably priced premium quality stone, marble, wood and porcelain flooring.

For inspiration just view their range in the comfort of your own home; no need to trawl round DIY stores trying to work out what you need, simply view their website, order a few samples and then place your order; it’s as simple as that.

Floorell understand the daily battles that different floors have to contend with and they provide a personal service to help you choose the right flooring for your home.

Whether you want to create the ambience of a modern minimalist home with beautiful natural stone products, or wooden flooring that will cope with the demands of your kids, they have a range of flooring to suit.

The Rust Multicolour Riven Slate Tiles featured here, are unique and boast a rich mix of colours, orange, gold, blues, entwined to make an eccentric mix; that looks just as good on walls as on floors.
Priced at £13.99 per m2.

Floorell’s quality flooring ranges offer great value - see the price comparison chart on their website; their prices are often up to 50% off r.r.p.

Prices: Stone Flooring priced from £13.99 up to £50 per sq. meter.
Wooden Flooring priced from £39.99 for solid wooden flooring and from £19.99 per meter sq for engineered wood.

Web: http://www.floorell.co.uk

Tel: (01727) 800313

Paris Ceramics has pioneered the reclamation of both antique stone and terracotta from its inception in 1982.

Whilst the company pays homage to the rare antique originals, newly quarried stone, which has evolved to meet today’s requirements is also available to order.

Paris Ceramics has now introduced ‘Wenge’, an exclusive new sandstone, which brings a unique look to stone flooring.

‘Wenge floorboards’ offer all of the advantages of stone, being virtually indestructible, ideal for wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, easy to keep clean and maintain and can be used with under floor heating.

This extremely hardwearing stone is cut from huge sheets, into ‘planks’ measuring 2m x 200mm that can be laid in the same way as wooden floorboards, creating a highly architectural look, which works well in both contemporary and traditional interiors.

‘Wenge’ is suitable for both interior and exterior use and can be cut to order for different measurement requirements.

Whether ancient or modern, flooring supplied by Paris Ceramics will provide a unique, hard-wearing embellishment to any home.

Paris Ceramics is at 583 Kings Road London SW6 2EH.

Web: http://www.parisceramics.com

Tel: 020 7371 7778

Following the recent success of two of its stone collections at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Stone Age has announced the launch of its largest ever collection of exterior stones, now available for viewing at its London, Hemel Hempstead and Bristol showrooms and Online.

The enormous range of stone floor tiles includes limestone, basalt, travertine and sandstone, which are all appropriate for outdoor areas such as gardens, driveways, pathways, swimming pools and roof gardens.

Award-winning garden designers at Chelsea 2007, selected two of the company’s new stones:

• Jinny Blom won a Gold medal for the ‘Laurent-Perrier Garden’ featured here, using Stone Age Heritage stone -    a coffee coloured travertine stone with a rustic appearance. Priced from £65 per sq metre.
• Marcus Barnett and Philip Nixon also won a Silver-Gilt medal, for the ‘Savills Garden’ featuring Pietra Serena  stone in a chiselled finish from Stone Age; a grey limestone, regular in tone and marking. Priced from £64 per sq metre.

With almost 20 years of experience, Stone Age has become recognised as a leading specialist in its field and is proficient to tackle almost any design request, from garden furniture, staircases and pathways, to accessories such as planters and window boxes, in addition to an extensive range of flooring.

All of Stone Age’s exterior stones have recently undergone extensive slip-tests to ensure they are suitable for outdoor use.

Web: http://www.estone.co.uk
Tel: 020 7384 9090

Founded in 1982, Paris Ceramics was originally known for the antique terracotta and native stone floors reclaimed from all over the world.

These days, especially with the re-opening of its London showroom, it is now known for much more.

It continues to reclaim antique floors, but it also offers new floors, plain or distressed, in a range of materials, including terracottas, marbles and many different types of limestone.

Another speciality of Paris Ceramics is the creation of mosaics made from tiny pieces of hand sawn stone and marble, using only naturally occuring colours (see mother of pearl mosaic for walls above). A range of mosaic designs is available and Paris Ceramics will, of course, work to special commission.

This is the company to go to if you’re looking for a stone architectural component, whether it be columns, mullions, balustrades, staircases or ornately carved fire surrounds.

Paris Ceramics also offer a complete design and installation service, undertaking specialised commissions - an invaluable resource if you’re seeking a “one-off”.

web: http://www.parisceramics.com
tel: (0207) 371 7778

This Distressed Indian Black Limestone flooring is the latest product from Smallbone Stone - and makes a striking alternative to ordinary limestone tiles.

Once quarried, the limestone is distressed to create a patina of age. Smallbone Stone say this makes it look as if it’s been walked on for centuries. The edges of the stone slabs are cut by hand using traditional stonemasonry techniques to reinforce the impression of age.

You can find Distressed Indian Black Limestone at Smallbone showrooms around the country, priced at £81 per square metre.

web: http://www.smallbonestone.com
tel: (020) 7589 5998