AN ELEGANT entrance to a home creates an inviting atmosphere and attracts attention. Decorating an entrance is very important since most people judge a book by its cover.

AN ELEGANT entrance to a home creates an inviting atmosphere and attracts attention. Decorating an entrance is very important since most people judge a book by its cover.

Tile Africa marketing manager Kate van Niekerk says tiles offer an array of creative options to spruce up entrances.

Van Niekerk says you can choose from a wide selection.

"From silver metallic mosaic tiles on a feature wall to larger format porcelain tiles on the floor, the options and combinations are endless."

She says that decorative mosaic tiles are a trendy way of decorating entrances and that mosaic tiles allow you to play around with colours, textures and patterns to create a unique floor or wall area.

"Experiment with floral or geometrical designs or be inspired by colourful patterns from Morocco, white and blue designs reminiscent of the Mediterranean or black and white checkerboard designs. Mix glass tiles with metallic and natural-stone mosaics to create your own personal style - the only limit is your imagination," she says.

Van Niekerk says natural materials, such as sandstone, travertine and riven cladding create dramatic entrances.

"The texture of natural stone grabs the attention and creates a striking wall finish. Compliment the roughness of the stone with oversized pots and candelabras," she says.

TIPS FOR DECORATIVE TILES

Decide on the overall look and theme you want.

Get samples before buying .

Place them where you will be using them to ensure they are the right colour and go well with the environment.

Buy the correct tile for the intended area. For example, for a mosaic floor, glass is not the best option as it is smooth and will be very slippery when wet.

Ceramic mosaics are a better option.

lMosaics may be slightly more expensive. Van Niekerk recommends using mosaic tiles as a feature on a wall or as part of a floor design.