Better Homes And Gardens Global Tiles Quilt King

Tiles have long been commonplace in the home, but more and more people are using them as a way to decorate and add colour.

Instead of being used just for the bathroom floor, people have been taking tiles to kitchen floors, splashbacks and even the walls, as well as hallways and colourful feature walls.

'Tiles are having a major moment in general at the moment - we've just clad the whole fireplace wall with tiles!' says Russell Whitehead of interior design duo 2 Lovely Gays.

'We've been encouraging a number of clients of ours to run the tiles from the kitchen through to the dining room and living space, to blend the lines and incorporate pattern' he adds. 'It's a great way of pulling a space together – a very luxe way of decorating and adding texture and interest to a space'.

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Tiles are becoming a very popular flooring choice; among the 88 per cent of homeowners who update their kitchen floors, 33 per cent are opting for ceramic or porcelain tiles according to interiors website Houzz.

And these tiles aren't limited to block colours – there has been a rising trend of using designed ones, as well as creating 'rugs' on the floor using patterned tiles.

Even the shapes are changing, with a rising trend of people opting to arrange rectangular tiles in a herringbone pattern or hexagon shapes to create a honeycomb effect.

When the Houzz community were asked to predict which pattern they thought would be trending in 2016, encaustic tiles was the second most popular choice, after herringbone. Metro tiles stole the third spot.

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And it's not just the floors and walls either – some crafty people are using mosaic and Morrocan tiles to upcycle old furniture.

Here are a few ways you can lift your home using tiles...

1. Encaustic tiles

Encaustic tiles are patterned ceramic tiles where the pattern isn't in the glaze but instead in different colors of clay, so the design remains even when the tile wears down. They are often geometric and symmetrical patterns that create fun designs when laid next to each other. They are a great way to decorate bathroom floors, hallways, and even the outdoors!

Plumbing fixture, Blue, Room, Interior design, Floor, Architecture, Bathroom sink, Property, Tap, Tile,

(Image: Houzz)

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Aren't they fun?

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2. Metro tiles

Metro tiles are rectangular tiles in the subway pattern, and are a great way to decorate bathroom and kitchen walls.

Room, Lighting, Floor, Interior design, Wood, Flooring, Furniture, Light fixture, Table, Home,

(Image: Houzz)

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3. Herringbone

Herringbone patterns are popular for wooden floors, but more and more people are using the pattern for tiles too. Essentially they are just rectangular tiles, but in a criss-cross formation.

Although they look wonderful on the floor, they work well for splashbacks too!

Room, Bathroom sink, Interior design, Plumbing fixture, Property, Architecture, Glass, Wall, Tap, Interior design,

(Image: Fired Earth); tiles by Fired Earth, 6 x 25 cm Architecture white matt tiles £54.65 per square metre

See how even the simplest white tiles can be used to eye-catching decorative effect?

They're also gorgeous in hallways:

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And of course they look super elegant on bathroom floors too.

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4. Fireplaces and feature walls

Why not create a feature wall in your home using bright or bold tiles?

Room, Interior design, Lighting, Wall, Living room, Home, Interior design, Hearth, Shelf, Flowerpot,

(Image: Houzz)

4. Tile rugs

Creating a 'rug' using tiles can be a great way of creating spaces in the home, and adding colour and interest to a room. They would also work well for the outdoors by defining separate areas within a space, for example a dining area outside.

Floor, Interior design, Room, Flooring, Table, Ceiling, Interior design, Light fixture, Tile, Coffee table,

(Image: Andy Barker); tiles from Alhambra Tiles

Tiles can also be a great tool to create a waterproof area on a wooden floor – for example around a standalone bath in a bedroom.

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5. Zig zags

Similar to the herringbone pattern, you can make zig zags by creating a line of tiles in the same colour. If you alternated with the colours, e.g. one flowing line of white tiles, followed by one flowing line of blue tiles, then white, then blue, etc, you could create a chevron pattern.

Interior design, Wall, Ceiling, Floor, Porcelain, Purple, Tile, Flooring, Ceramic, Interior design,

(Image: Fired Earth); tiles by Fired Earth, 23 x 5 cm Futurism tiles in – from the top – Marinetti, Severini, Munari and Balla £79.46 per square metre

6. Three dimensional

Who says tiles can't be three dimensional? These fun tiles work well as a panel and could even be used in a kitchen or hallway.

Plumbing fixture, Bathroom sink, Room, Property, Tap, Wall, Sink, Tile, Ceramic, Plumbing,

(Image: Fired Earth); tiles by Fired Earth, Palio honed limestone Dome Mosaics £199.32 per square metre

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7. Tile 'wallpaper'

Tiles are a great way of creating geometric patterns, so why not use the patterns to decorate a wall?

Although the below image is a wallpaper, the same effect could be achieved with tiles.

Pattern, Design, Symmetry, Square, Pattern, Tile,

(Image: Kensington Design); Cole & Son Geometric Tile Wallpaper from Kensington Design

8. Hexagon tiles

A favourite trend is using hexagon shapes tiles to create a honeycomb effect. Doesn't it look stunning?...

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Hexagon tiles can really transform a bathroom and give it an elegant update.

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9. Fish scales

A stunning and fun way of using tiles is using fish scale shaped tiles. These can look great anywhere – in the bathroom, in the kitchen - or why not use them to upcycle a counter or kitchen island?

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10. Other unusual shapes

Using unusual shaped tiles create instant glamour and interest – don't you just love these splashbacks?

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