A GUIDE TO CHOOSING TILES FOR YOUR HOME

Written by Sophine Pfuhl - Architect

 Tiles are a timeless and extremely durable material for your home. Whether you are renovating or building from scratch, there are many points to consider like the overall style, room size and budget. Tiles are available in an endless choice of colours, designs, patterns and finish options. This in mind, many people find this task extremely overwhelming, and it can quickly become a very expensive activity if you get it wrong.  Let’s break down the fundamentals you need to know.

FLOOR TILES

Floor tiles are different to wall tiles in the sense that they have different slip ratings and overall strength.  Wall tiles are often not as durable as floor tiles, which have heavy foot traffic, so it’s important to ask the supplier if the tile is suitable for the floor first before finalising your design.

When choosing floor tiles, it’s important to firstly to consider the size and type of room. Larger tiles can make a room appear spacious, whereas smaller tiles (particularly in a smaller space like a bathroom) can make it feel a bit pokey. However, putting oversized tiles into a tiny space can have the same effect. When it comes to floor tiles, the most popular size is 300x300mm. The biggest advantage of this size is that it can be easily laid out to create the grade required towards the floor waste.  And remember, when selecting your floor tiles, a tile with more variation (like a concrete look or stone tile with flecks and colour variation) will be much more forgiving with dirt and marks compared to a matt look plain tile.

WALL TILES

Like floor tiles, wall tiles come in an endless array of shapes, colours and sizes.  Wall tiles are a great opportunity to make a statement in a space, whether it be for a kitchen splashback or in the bathroom. It’s always a good idea to choose the wall tile after selecting your floor tile (a handy rule of thumb is to work from the ground up).

When selecting the wall tiles, choose a tile that creates a nice contrast with the floor tiles.  Using a feature tile can really make your space unique.  If you’re brave, you can run a feature tile up the entire wall, but this isn’t always necessary.  Beautiful designs can be achieved by using a tile sparingly, like in a shower niche, or on the kitchen splashback.

COLOUR 

Whether it’s your forever home or an investment project, tiles can make or break a design.  While using a splash of colour can look amazing, it’s important to do this well, as if its overdone, it can make space look busy. If you are planning on mixing and matching, it’s best not to use more than three different tiles in a space (floor, wall & feature). 

When designing, remember that lighter tiles will reflect more light and make the space feel bigger and brighter, whereas darker tiles absorb light and can make the space feel smaller (particularly in a small bathroom).

When choosing tiles, it’s important to remember that different styles will come and go, sometimes faster than the tiles go down!  Sometimes it’s easier (and MUCH cheaper) to add a splash of colour with a fresh set of towels in your bathroom than going with a more permanent tile. 

GROUT

When it comes to grout, there are many things to consider.  It’s important to remember that the smaller the tile, the more grout you will end up with. This can create a beautiful feature, like when using a subway or penny round tile. Just keep in mind that dirt and mould often builds up in the grout lines and result in discolouration, so it’s best to keep these tiles away from high traffic or wet areas like the shower recess. Larger wall tiles require less grouting and can therefore be a smart choice.

Grout colour is an important point to consider when working on your design.  You can completely change the look of your tiles with the colour of the grout.  Some people like to use a contrasting colour grout to the tile (like a black grout on a white subway) which makes the tile ‘pop’. However, by matching the grout colour to the tile you can create a seamless ‘block’ of colour.  It’s a good idea to seal your grout after tiling.  This will help repel stains and mould and keep your tiles looking great for years to come.