If you follow us on Instagram (and if you don’t, get on it!) you’ll know that we are massive fans of tiling. Tiled bathrooms, floors, bars, walls … we love the versatility and creativity that comes with tiling and we’ve used tiles in almost all of our renovation projects. Like anything, going into a store or looking online can be so overwhelming – where to start, what trends are big, there’s a lot to consider. So, we’ve gone and talked to some of the experts at Halo Tiles to help us demystify all things tile.
What are the most popular tile trends right now?
Patterned tiles, mosaics and marble effect tiles are all big trends for 2018. We’ve noticed a lot of customers have been mixing matt and gloss finishes of the same colour tile and we’ve also seen an increase in demand from people looking to extend their kitchen spaces to the outdoors by using the same tile from your home right out to your garden.
People are getting more and more creative with tiles in their own homes. How do you advise zoning one open plan room with floor tiles?
‘Rugging’ is very popular and very cost effective. That’s where some patterned tiles are surrounded by a plainer tile or wood, defining a particular space the same way a rug would do.
We think of tiles as for the floor only – what else can we tile that we might not think of? (we recently tiles the staircase steps of a restaurant project we worked on in Ranelagh).
The great thing about the variety of colours and finishes in tiling is the ability to tile smaller areas like under counter surrounds, table tops (mosaics and patterned tiles), garden walls, feature walls in living spaces. It’s not just for floors anymore. Brick effect feature walls are super popular right now.
What is the most popular style of tile for bathrooms? Is it changing?
While we have seen a move towards more bright and colourful bathrooms the vast majority of bathroom tiles tend to be a simpler style with varying shades of white, cream and grey adding in some white hexagon tiles. Sanitary ware has changed – our most popular ranges are now our Gala wall hung WC’s and large wet room style shower spaces.
Are we getting more adventurous – more patterns and colour?
Definitely! We’ve added to our patterned range considerably over the last few years. 3D tiles, new colours, new finishes will continue to be popular for a while.
Can you give us a sneak peek of some of your new collections this season?
Our superb new range, The Miniworx Series, offers limitless potential in a variety of spaces. A creative dream with a variety of sizes, shapes and monochrome colours.
What are the essentials in a toolkit for a perfect tiling job?
The tiler will have all the equipment, so our advice is to make sure you have a good tiler. We have seen cases where the most beautiful and costly tiles have been bought and laid incorrectly. Either get a recommendation from the store, friends or family or have a look at some previous work the tiler has done where possible. A good tiler is key!
How do you calculate how many tiles you will need for a project?
Measure the room, length X width and add 10% for wastage. Allow for grout, adhesive and primer in your budget and expansion joints for larger rooms.