Heard that small tiles aren’t the best for small spaces? We confess that yes, there is logic to going bigger to enhance the feeling of space, BUT we do beg to differ. They don’t call us the disruptor of the tile world for nothing. With a bit of creativity and clever placement, we reckon small tiles come with big (no, huge) opportunities to make a room design really sing, no matter its size. Our Head of Creative, Grazzie, shows us how…
LET YOUR PERSONALITY SHINE
We can’t talk about small tiles without mentioning our new fave Petite. Measuring 5x15cm, it’s a tiny take on the ever-popular metro tile. The beauty of this mighty micro is you can lay it in a whole host of patterns to personalise your space. We’re talking herringbone, vertical stacking, brick bond, linear, basket weave, borders and using two shades to create stripes…and more. Vertical stacking on a wall is great for drawing the eye up if your space is on the (ahem) petite side. For something slightly more chunky but still on the small end of the scale, Seaton and Delicate Wall Ceramic Mini Metro are worth a look too. Bottom line: let your creativity shine. Good things really do come in small packages.
ADD TEXTURE
Small tiles are great for creating depth and texture, whether that’s across a whole wall, in a storage nook, as a kitchen splashback or how about creating a panelling effect with a half-wall layout? If you’re a fan of wooden wall panelling, get the look with tiles plus all of the hardwearing and waterproof benefits – yes please. Much like Petite (we love her), you could use a fluted design like Tunstall Ceramic Fluted Brick with its paired-back sister Tunstall Ceramic Brick for a modern tactile finish that works oh-so-well across a whole wall and in smaller nooks. We also adore our Cuba collection which has an artisanal feel which elevates a space.
GO CLASSIC WITH CHEQUERBOARD
Fancy a bit of pattern? Use small tiles to create your own. We’ve already mentioned stripes, but what about a classic chequerboard design for a hallway floor or bathroom? Combine two shades of Long Island which works perfectly on the floor and comes as small as 20x20cm.
If colour is more your thing, go for something bold like our Maroc collection, or head to the more tonal side with Pottery which has natural variations in shade so you still get that checked feel, just a little more subtle.
EMBRACE MOSAICS
Mosaics, intricate porcelain or natural stone tiles can happily work on the floor, but there’ll be more grout lines and crevices for dirt and germs to lurk, so cleaning won’t be fun (although it never is). If you’re ok with this, go for it. You might prefer something with a bit of pattern to help keep things looking cleaner for longer – like Mono Hex Porcelain Mosaic Daisy.
Or balance out the maintenance with a mix and match approach and use small tiles within a shower area and larger designs for the rest of the floor. When it comes to walls, mosaics are a dream for small areas like splashbacks and storage nooks – we are rather partial to a shower nook clad in teeny mosaics, even if we do say so ourselves. And finally, if you’re wanting to create curves in a bathroom then using a mosaic works an absolute treat. Enter Bamboo.
CREATE A BORDER
You could also use a small floor tile to create a border around the perimeter of your room or as a design accent. Or to divide one wall tile style from another. What about framing a design feature? Like we said, they may be small, but these tiles come with big (no, huge) design opportunities.
