One of the more recent and exciting projects involving Tile of Spain has been its association with The House of Tomorrow II in Seven Hills, Nev., a suburb of Las Vegas. Inaugurated on Sept. 16 as part of the annual "Street of Dreams" event, the $1.3 million residence was built by US Home Corp. Designed in the style of an old Spanish hacienda, the "new era" home exudes the warmth and charm of old Europe. Charles Riley Associates, a New York City-based interior design firm, was tasked with developing the interior look.

"Given the design directive of an old world hacienda," remembers company principal Charles Riley, "we began researching the haciendas of South America, Spain and Portugal, and discovered ceramic tile applications that are just not typical of any period of American architecture, particularly on walls outside of bath and kitchen areas."

For Riley, it was a natural conclusion that ceramic tile would be instrumental in developing many of the architectural and design elements for the home. Product lines from eight of Spain's premier tile manufacturers were chosen. What impressed Riley most of all was the incredible variety of products that Spain's manufacturers offered, and their ease of application in even the most complicated designs.

"The tile collections are really tile systems, easily mixed and matched with an amazing selection of decorative accents and trim pieces. It was very easy to create a detailed, finished look in a practical way," Riley says.

Riley also observed the ease with which he could communicate to the builder how the tile should be applied. "There was no confusion as to cutting moldings or applying different finishes. The architectural application was all laid out for us," he explains.

The House of Tomorrow II is located at 1357 Opal Valley in Las Vegas. For more information, contact the Tile of Spain Center at the Trade Commission of Spain at (305) 446-4387, or at www.tilespain.com. You can also visit the 6,500-square-foot Pavilion of Spain at Surfaces 2001, Jan. 31-Feb. 2.