Today we're using natural stone, ceramic, porcelain, glass tiles and even tile made of abalone shell mosaic and other gorgeously exotic stuff. My new favorite is glass tile, which comes in every color under the rainbow and a variety of shapes and sizes, and allows you to really get creative. Overall, the trend is towards a less formal appearance and more natural materials. We're still using a lot of marble, but today it's much more likely to be honed marble rather than polished — it's more natural-looking.

The biggest revolution, however, has been in what comes out of the walls