Choosing the tiles and decor
We’ve decided that the decor in the hall will eventually be white walls and a charcoal grey staircase. We’re planning to take up the old carpet and have the charcoal paint on the staircase and bannisters, then a stair runner down the middle.
So with this in mind the Heritage Star tiles in rustic black and white were a great match. They have a slightly worn appearance so they appear well loved and a bit vintage.
They really suit our style and the latin encaustic patterns give a nod to the Italian husband’s heritage too!
These are ceramic tiles and come in 45x45cm pieces. So two placed side by side fit the width of our hallway well and create a lovely flow through the space. Which brings me on to…
Plan your layout
When you choose a tile design, think about the size of the design on each tile and how it will work in your space. When we open our front door, your eye is drawn from the tiles at the door in a line straight through to the kitchen. This is despite there being a slight curve through the hallway. If you don’t consider how you will lay the tiles you could end up with the pattern not lining up all the way through the room.
Another way of solving this if your tiles will have an awkward cut off point, is to have a border. You lay a plain border of tiles around the edges and inside add your perfect uncut tiles in the main design.
It’s important to check this before you start laying them. Other design tricks when using tiles in kitchens or bathrooms is to use brick tiles vertically to add height to a room or horizontally to add width.