All Tiles

Tiles Buying Guide

A tile needs to do two things at once: hold up to the conditions of the room it's in, and set the tone for everything built around it. Glossy ceramic tiles reflect more light, which is useful in a small, windowless bathroom, while textured porcelain tiles offer more grip underfoot, which matters in a busy entryway or wet area. Matching floor tiles with wall tiles in the same space is generally what keeps a room feeling cohesive rather than assembled from unrelated parts.

Colour: setting the mood of a room

Colour is one of the first decisions in tile selection, since it affects how a room feels before any furniture or fittings are added.

• Neutral tiles are frequently the most versatile choice, without being plain. White tiles paired with black grout give a kitchen a more graphic, industrial character than white grout alone. Beige tiles bring warmth to a room, particularly when paired with natural materials like rattan or timber. Grey tiles are adaptable across styles, and a matte grey finish suits quieter, more understated spaces such as a home office or study
• Stronger colours shift the mood of a room more deliberately. Blue tiles in a bathroom read as coastal or nautical. Green tiles in a kitchen bring an earthy, botanical feel, echoing a herb garden more than a showroom. Pink tiles work best used sparingly, as an accent in a laundry or powder room, where a small dose of colour reads as considered rather than overwhelming
• Dark tiles bring drama without necessarily making a space feel smaller. Charcoal tiles on a feature wall, paired with brass fixtures, create a warmer, more considered dark palette than charcoal alone. Black tiles in a hallway, paired with white skirting boards, keep the contrast crisp rather than heavy

Pattern and shape

• Subway tiles remain a reliable classic, and laying them in a vertical stack pattern rather than the traditional horizontal brick bond can make a shower or bathroom ceiling feel taller
• Brick bond patterns can replicate the look of exposed brick, a practical option for rental properties or renovations where structural brickwork isn't an option
• Geometric formats bring more visual movement into a room. Penny round tiles suit playful spaces like a family bathroom, while diamond-shaped tiles laid along a hallway can help direct the eye and visually lengthen the space. Mosaic tiles allow colours and textures to be mixed within a single installation, giving more design control than a single uniform tile
• Nature inspired finishes replicate natural materials without their maintenance requirements. Travertine-look tiles give the texture of natural stone without the sealing that raw travertine needs. Terracotta-look tiles bring warmth reminiscent of a Mediterranean courtyard to an outdoor patio. Terrazzo-look tiles, with their flecked, speckled pattern, suit spaces that benefit from a bit of visual energy, such as a home office or a feature laundry splashback

Materials

• Porcelain tiles are dense and low-porosity, which makes them resistant to spills, scratching and the temperature swings of an Australian summer. Large-format porcelain slabs reduce the number of grout lines across an open-plan floor, giving a more seamless, uninterrupted surface, while wood-look porcelain planks bring the warmth of timber flooring to a living space without the risk of splintering or warping in wet areas
• Ceramic tiles are lighter and generally easier to cut than porcelain, which makes formats like small kit kat tiles a practical choice for DIY bathroom projects. Glossy ceramic tiles bounce light around a room, which is useful in smaller kitchens and bathrooms where natural light is limited
• Stone look tiles replicate the appearance of natural stone at a lower cost and with less ongoing maintenance. Marble-look tiles replicate the veining of natural marble, though veining patterns can vary noticeably between ranges, so ordering a sample is worth doing before committing to a full order. Terrazzo-look tiles offer the same low-maintenance benefit, suited to busy households wanting a distinctive look without the upkeep of natural stone

Choosing tiles room by room

• Kitchens benefit from surfaces that clean up quickly. Glossy rectangular tiles resist splatters and wipe down easily, while a feature tile behind the stove can double as a focal point in the room. Beige floor tiles are a practical choice for hiding crumbs and everyday marks between cleans
• Bathrooms need surfaces suited to constant moisture. Basketweave-pattern tiles add grip underfoot in wet areas, while a vertical stack pattern on the wall can make a compact ensuite feel taller than it is. Blue tiles paired with timber accents bring a calmer, spa-like character to the room
• Outdoor areas need to withstand Australian sun, rain and temperature swings. Frost-resistant floor tiles are built to handle those temperature changes without cracking, while octagon and dot-pattern tiles bring a more traditional character to a veranda. Terracotta-look tiles suit a Mediterranean-style courtyard, particularly alongside potted olive trees or similar Mediterranean planting

Larger formats and texture

• Large format tiles reduce the number of grout lines in a room, which means less regular cleaning and a more seamless overall look. In living areas, this gives an uninterrupted floor surface, while extra-long rectangular tiles can be used to visually stretch a narrow galley kitchen
• Textured and 3D tiles aren't limited to feature walls. Subtle ripple textures on a charcoal tile catch the light differently depending on the angle, adding interest to a hallway without needing colour to do the work. For outdoor use, textured porcelain tiles can mimic the look of natural stone without the risk of moss or algae growth that comes with a genuinely porous surface

Choosing with confidence

Filtering online by size, colour or room is a reasonable starting point when narrowing down options, but the more useful questions are practical ones: how much natural light the room gets, whether pets or children use the space daily, and whether the surface needs to handle constant moisture.

Ordering samples before committing to a full order is worth doing for any tile with natural variation, particularly stone-look and coloured tiles, since colour and pattern can shift depending on the room's lighting. It's also worth noting that tile samples are cut from an individual tile, and due to natural variation between production batches, the tiles ultimately delivered may differ slightly in colour, shade, texture or pattern from the sample.

How do I calculate how many tiles I need?

Measure the width and length of each wall or floor area to be tiled, in metres, then multiply length by width to get the square metreage. For example, a wall measuring 4m by 3m covers 12 square metres. Add these totals together across all areas being tiled with the same tile, keeping different tile selections calculated separately.

It's standard practice to add 10-15% on top of the total to account for cutting and wastage, with more allowance needed for intricate layouts or pattern work.

How do I clean and maintain my tiles?

Regular sweeping or vacuuming removes dirt and debris before it can scratch the surface. For mopping, warm water with a pH-neutral, sulphate-free cleaning product avoids damaging the tile's surface or grout over time. Harsh chemical cleaners are best avoided, since they can degrade certain tile finishes and grout colours.

Can ceramic tiles be used outdoors?

Ceramic tiles aren't recommended for outdoor use, since their porosity allows them to absorb water, which can cause damage during freeze-thaw conditions as the absorbed moisture expands and contracts within the tile. Porcelain tiles are the better choice for outdoor areas, since their lower porosity makes them more resistant to water absorption and temperature-driven damage.