There are many distinctive elements to Mediterranean design, but perhaps the most intricate and beautiful is the tile floor. The floor can be of a single tile color, certainly, but the mosaic tile floor is the most unique type of flooring you can install in your home.

As with painting your walls, it is possible for you to install your own mosaic tile floor, if you like "doing it yourself," or you can have it professionally done.

There are many reasons to have a tile floor, irrespective of whether or not it suits your Mediterranean design! Tile is durable and easy to maintain. It is water resistant, and as long as the tile is sealed properly, will not become stained from an accidental spill. If you're tiling your bathroom floor - consider having a radiant heating system built in, to keep the floor warm in winter.

Regardless of whether you do it yourself or have someone do it for you, you need to design what your floor will look like. The tiles can be illustrated with simple geometric patterns, or be part of a mural. If you're artistic you can design the floor yourself, or you can surf the web or search design books to find just the right pattern.

There's a knack to transferring that pattern from a small piece of paper to the larger floor space, so exercise care when you're laying that tile!

Kitchen floors certainly call out for tile, considering the constant dangers of spilled liquids from the sink or dishwasher. Bathrooms in particular need tile flooring, and a lot can be done with a tile floor and tile walls, to make it look perhaps like a sumptuous Roman or Greek bath of old.

Tile comes in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes, so it's easy to find exactly what you need to create your new floor exactly as you want it. In addition to getting tiles in solid colors, consider getting Moroccan tiles - with their beautifully intricate designs.

Morocco is a country on the north coast of Africa, quite close to Spain across the 19-mile wide Strait of Gibraltar. Moroccan designs have had quite an impact on Spanish decor, with its exotic look and feel.

Where can you find these tiles? Your local home furnishing stores are sure to have them, but if not, surf the web to see what's out there.