How to create a temporary look with tiles

Our interior designer, Angelica has put together a ‘how to’ guide to styling your tiles. From playing it safe with neutral textures, to being more daring with high gloss marble she’s covered it all, making sure you get the most out of your tiles. Here’s what she had to say…

When choosing tiles for your home it can feel overwhelming looking at all the different tiles that are available, especially if you have plenty of choice, like the range from Porcelanosa. The first step before looking at all the styles, hues and textures available, is to decide on a scheme that will suit your personality and home. Think about the vibe you want to create and the look you want to achieve. If this means creating a simple mood-board to help you gage the overall look and feel, do it! It doesn’t have to be anything too intricate, but maybe just a few inspirational images to keep you on track. Another thing you must remember is that colour is key! Colour can change the look, feel and atmosphere of any space and if you make sure that you have a tonal palette in mind before you start searching for the perfect set of tiles, it will make the decision easier. The best advice I can give you, is stick to your vision!

For those that are not colour confident but do want to add a variety of tones, try creating an Ombre effect throughout your home. If you keep the ground floor of your home light and neutral as a scheme that you can later add to and then get a little more daring, with each floor. A more personal space such as an ensuite can really reflect your personality so here is where you can try more daring shades and textures.

Your family bathroom needs to be more of a versatile space, think realistic – not boring, but just a consideration for who and how much you will use this space. Textured tiles may mean more maintenance, especially if you have children whereas a more matte, flat tile may be more sensible. The perfect hue for a family bathroom would be a neutral, mid grey or taupe, these shades create warmth and a sense of peace, perfect for a relaxing bath after a long day at work.

Your downstairs toilet is usually a small and compact space that everyone will see. Your guests especially, will always see this space so getting it right is key. You may want to add a feature wall using tiles to really add an impact and even a talking point. You also want all the rooms on the same floor to connect. A great way to do this is to use the same floor tile throughout, that then connects each room creating a flow between each room.

If you want to achieve a sophisticated look, you should stick to neutral tones that have definite texture and that can create some interest. There is a sense of beauty that can be achieved with neutral tones, it creates a perfect balance and a calming atmosphere. A tip to using neutral tiles with texture is to think of the tiles as a foundation to a design scheme that you can add to.

Paint is also something you need to consider when styling a room with tiles. You should think of your tiles as an investment, once they’re fitted, they’re usually there to stay for a while. This doesn’t mean you can’t change the look and feel of them, using paint. Paint can be changed as often as you want so if your tile is relatively neutral, your rooms can be updated as much or as little as you like.

Natural day light can also change the colours and patterns of the tils you choose too, you may want to bare this in mind when thinking about your selected colour palette.