As Mae West didn’t quite say: “So many tiles so few rooms.” I’m still astounded by how little tiling I have in my house and how many beautiful ones there are still out there. While I’m a huge fan of a classic white metro, or subway tile, it’s true that it’s almost a crime to have something so plain and classic when there are so many options to choose from.
But perhaps that’s why we end up with plain tiles. Because it’s just too darn hard to make a choice. It feels that as soon as you have made a commitment along comes another pretty one to tempt you. For that reason it can be worth thinking laterally about tiles – basically is there anywhere else you can put them?
Michelle Ogundehin, the former editor of Elle Decoration, has used tiles as a a headboard in her bedroom and finished the top with a row of edging tiles. I imagine it’s not actually that cold and if you have enough pillows then why not? I also once visited a house in Portugal where the lower half of the hall wall was tiled below the dado rail. That’s a simple idea and one that is also brilliant.
Halls have so much traffic that the walls are invariably scuffed by hands, shoes, bags and even bikes. Fitting tiles looks pretty and is wipe clean so it’s a really practical solution. Topps tiles (who I mentioned yesterday) currently have an image of one of their new ranges showing the chimney breast tiled. It’s not necessarily something I would do in a sitting room but if you had a wood burning stove in the kitchen it could look really great.
When it comes to floor tiles you don’t have to do the whole floor in the same one. Consider laying them around the bath to create a rug effect and finishing the room in plain tiles. Or creating a runner along the hall floor with plain – or even wood effect – around the edges. That’s as pretty as a real rug and you won’t trip over it when running to the door in the 2.5 seconds you have to get there before the postman assumes you were out and pushes a card through the letterbox telling you that the parcel is now 17 miles away in a sorting office that opens between 11am and 11.23am on Tuesday mornings only.
I digress. Now that we have decided we can stick tiles pretty much anywhere it’s about making a choice. Not easy I know. And I’m about to make it harder because I have just discovered this new company Claybrook Studio which has just opened.
Opened by a group of people who have over 100 years of history between them in the worlds of tiles and interiors, they promise to weed out the generic styles you see elsewhere to find ranges that are new and different. All are made from clay, a beautiful tactile substance and, as veterans of many a house renovation, they promise their customer service will be both streamlined and efficient.
Have a browse and this is by way of a #sorrynotsorry that the choices just got harder.
For amazing hallway tiles, visit National Trust’s Cragside in Northumberland – really beautiful interiors and the best property I’ve ever visited. The tiles in the plunge pool are amazing too. Lots of dark coloured walls too and zoned areas in the massive public rooms.
http://bitaboutbritain.com/cragside/cragside-15/
Just today I was pondering what to do about the shoes on the rack in the hall causing dirty marks on the wall. So this has inspired me to tile the lower half of that wall in the hallway! Thank you!
Love this post so much and have completely fallen for the black jug in the second photo. Do you happen to know where it’s from?
I am a complete tile nut and love these new ranges. Possibly my own range of Persian Glazes would be too bright for you Kate (!) but the colours are stunning, especially used outside a la Coletivo Muda (who are based in Brazil but the idea is international). As for simple pattern elements, Bert & May have just come up with a new range in collaboration with The Conran Shop. What these ranges have in common is simple pattern elements which appeal to your creativity, and no two designs need ever be the same.
Hmm – I don’t have many tiles in my house either. Thinking cap on, but meanwhile can anyone tell me where the rather wonderful orange lightbulb overhead light fitting might come from!! Thanks
Absolutely brilliant post….beautiful and ‘new’ tile choices, ideas for the many ways these beauties can adorn…. and best of all as always…..brilliant commentary. It’s a joy to see your offerings each day. Pure Joy. Thank you.
We have often rejected tiles we like because of the difficulty in finding a good way to round a corner or edge a shelf. We have gone for tiles which have nice enough edges to show or can be ground down to an acceptable edge – I hate all the mismatched metal, plastic and ceramic corner strips people use to get round this problem – are we alone? I’m sure tile makers used to make more shaped tiles that addressed this problem, I remember using them in a kitchen I did 30 years ago, and they were not expensive tiles either. I must say I love your idea of tiling the hall floor with a ‘runner’.