Bathroom tiles decide how a room feels more than any single piece in it. We choose wall and floor tiles alongside the sanitaryware when we design a bathroom, so the colour of a glaze, the line of a skirting and the height of a dado all agree with the basin, bath and WC rather than fighting them.
Tiles for period bathrooms
A period room usually wants a tiled dado rather than tiles floor to ceiling. Metro and brick-bond wall tiles to around 1.2 metres, finished with a moulded dado rail tile, sit naturally with high-level cisterns and basins on pedestals. On the floor, a geometric or chequerboard pattern in encaustic-style tiles gives the room its period character. Look at our period collections to see the pieces these are chosen to suit.
Tiles for contemporary bathrooms
Contemporary rooms tend to suit fewer joints and quieter surfaces: large-format porcelain on the floor and walls, or a single feature wall behind a vessel basin. Matt glazes on our contemporary collections pair well with stone-effect and textured tiles, and with a level-access shower where the floor tile runs straight into the shower area.
Getting the practical details right
- Slip resistance. Floor tiles in a bathroom should have a slip rating suitable for wet bare feet, especially around a shower.
- Underfloor heating. Porcelain and stone work well over underfloor heating; we plan the floor build-up at the design stage.
- Setting out. We set out tiles from the basin, bath and window so cut tiles fall where they will not be noticed.
- Waterproofing. Walls and floors in a shower area need tanking behind the tiles; grout alone does not keep water out.
- Quantities. Order around 10% over the measured area for cuts and breakages, and keep a few spare for future repairs.
How to order tiles from us
We supply tiles as part of a bathroom we design, so they arrive with the rest of the order and our fitting team can lay them in the same programme. Call 01449 711782 or visit the showroom to talk through the room, and our design service will put the tiles on the drawing with everything else.