identifying the most visual areas. Do you want to “center” or “bal- ance”? For floors: do I center the room itself, a threshold or hall, a kitchen island, a soaking tub, the shower, toilet? For walls: is it the space, a window, plumbing, start full here or there? Our options are endless. Choose an approach to centering, and then work backwards from that first choice. You’ll also want to ask yourself, “If I don’t like the cuts I get in one place, what happens if I start somewhere else? What do I have control of?” Niche sizes are typically nomi- nal, as are height of the bench, pony wall, and curb. Looking at all of these things and being willing to do a little extra work will speak volumes to your clients and sepa- rate you from your competition. As Dirk Sullivan, Hawthorne Tile’s fearless leader, likes to say, “Never pass up an opportunity to do some- thing awesome.” The biggest mistake I see people making is getting locked into their first choice and not weighing all their options or passing on that opportunity to be awesome in lieu of saving 15 minutes. I’ve found making these suggestions to an architect or designer is typically welcome and appreciated. The McDaniel solution: templates for elaborate installs With the advancement of manu- facturing technology we’ve seen all sorts of new shapes and patterned mosaic sheets become readily available. These more elaborate TECHNICAL FEATURE ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Making a template can ensure accuracy and save time. 88 TileLetter | March 2018