Interior design blog | House tours, guides & expert interviews

Floors & walls: Interesting ways to use tiles for a style statement

Written by Rosie Ellis | Aug 8, 2018 1:11:47 PM

Tiles are an unsung hero in interiors. Yes, they're great for all those practical reasons, such as being super hard-wearing and appropriate in moisture-rich areas, but there is so much to the interior umbrella that is 'tiles.' Porcelain, marble, granite, ceramic - the list goes on. Patterned, plain, textured, wood effect - take your pick. The huge variety of tiles ensures infinite possibility of style and design, but it seems few people are aware of such potential, and if you aren't aware, then you can't execute. Once again, My Bespoke Room to the rescue, we have collated some of our favourite ways to make tiles a statement in your home.

Monochrome magic

A black and white colour scheme is always a fabulous foundation for a room design, allowing accent colours and textures to pop and stand out. However, a monochrome feature can be the focal point of a room. There are tonnes of monochrome patterned tiles that can make a huge statement, whether they're surrounding your fireplace, on your floor, working as a backsplash in your kitchen or the panel on your bath.

 

A fabulous fireplace

Image credit: My Bespoke Room

Fireplaces are naturally the central point in a room, as usually the layout is directed towards them. So, why not play up to this? Make your fireplace a feature, and even more.  We recommend you go bold with pattern and/or colour, the more adventurous, the better!

 

Create a contrast

Image credit:  My Bespoke Room

A marble tile is the perfect contrast to a bold paint colour, or busy wallpaper. It's bright, light and classic. Have fun with marble, or marble effect, and choose a shaped tile such as these hexagonal tiles.

 

A grand entrance

 Image credit:  My Bespoke Room

The common misconception is that small spaces don't give you much room to have fun with décor. Actually, it's quite the opposite. In small spaces, we recommend you be daring. A patterned tile lifts a small space, and definitely packs a punch.

 

Zone it

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

When designing open-plan spaces, it can be tricky to separate the different sections of the space, (e.g living space, dining section etc.) while still creating a sense of cohesion. Take a look at what we have done here in this open-plan kitchen-living- diner. We have used brick slip tiles to give the kitchen zone a warm feel while still in keeping with theme. 

 

Who says you need to pick one type of flooring per room? Creating a smooth transition from different floorings creates a flow, rather than a static edge, whilst still being able to zone different areas. Here you can see how the dining area is zoned by the hexagonal tiles, whilst the wood flooring merges into the living space.

 

Give life to your living room

 

Tiled walls aren't just for the bathroom, no siree. Think of tiles as your new wallpaper; a symmetrical repeat is simple, yet effective and ensures that the pattern is easy enough to match to others in the room.

 

Replace your rug

Rugs as a trip hazard are no more. Create the look of a rug but not having the faff of fabric, by having a tile inlay. Double the style, half the cleaning effort - that's what we like to hear! Only downside: it's not as soft underfoot, but we're sure we'll cope when it looks this good.