If you have just finished all your renovating, this post is not for you. And just so you know, I have only come to this conclusion in the last little while.
Because I’ve seen enough bad 12 x 12 or 12 x 24 blotchy, ‘safe’ tile to last a lifetime!
What I have been saying, is that the traditional house that most people live in needs small scale tile. And that a 12 x 24 tile only works in modern contemporary house. But I have recently come to the conclusion that large rectangular tile has become a builder basic look, and I would avoid them altogether.
The trouble is, if you’re working with a builder or walking into a tile showroom, you’ll get the impression that it’s the ONLY current and sensible choice. You’ll quickly start going down the road of picking out which one you like best from a line up of rectangular 12 by 24 tiles. But I’m here to tell you it’s a huge missed opportunity. Floor tile should be pretty, not basic.
Today I’m sharing what you should ask for instead if you want a pretty and timeless tile.
But first! I’m having a flash sale! Take the stress out of your exterior project and make your home the envy of the block. My Summer Flash Sale is on now-save 10% on any exterior eDesign package until May 17th. Spots are limited, so claim yours before it’s gone!
Find out what I would do instead of builder basic tile.
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Pretty is in the eye of the beholder, and I don’t see anything wrong with the floors in the pictures. Odds are, I’m going to put down a cute rug, even in the bathroom, so I don’t need a “pretty” tile floor. I don’t want blotchy tiles, but I have no objection to the 12×24 or 12×12 or 24 x 24 bland tiles. If all you have to choose from are square tiles in the showroom, you just choose the plainest one, in my opinion. Then put down a nice rug. Hard floors are cold, they need rugs. If you are completely renovating, then the world is your oyster, and you can choose something interesting but again, if you’re putting down a rug, I wouldn’t break the bank for that. I also think about cleaning, and floors with lots of grout lines are more of a challenge. I know others have asked, and I’ll second this–I prefer articles over videos.
I agree mostly with Stacy’s comments about the tiles. The pretty ones would be fun but are not always practical. I 100% agree with the grout cleaning. Even in my kitchen with dark grout, a lot of cleaning is required and the penny tiles in my shower (which I love) needs a lot of attention due to the water. Mostly I wanted to state my preference for articles and before and after pictures over videos. Do love reading you blog however Maria!
You stated this very well. I agree. There is a practical side to larger format tiles. I personally do not like small format tile. It is too busy, visually. My tastes tend to be somewhere in the middle. But to each his/her own!
I generally agree with some of your comments, but I just did a 12 x24 creamy neutral tile in my mudroom in a herringbone pattern. It was a long narrow space,and using small tiles would have made it just look more narrow and crowded. I considered larger scale hex tiles and to me, THOSE appear dated. I think you give good general advice but I am tired of designers having these hard and fast rules about what will work and what won’t. To me, it depends on your budget, your lifestyle, what room you are putting the tile in and the style of your house. You have to consider ALL of these when choosing floor finishes.
I’m pretty tired of gray 12×24 tile at this point for sure. It is as ubiquitous as 12×12 splotchy beige tile once was. I tried to steer my friends to a more timeless option but when it came to $6/ft for 8″ hex versus $2/ft for gray marble-streaked 12×24 I could not convince them. It might be the exact tile you hold up at the beginning of the video! It’s fine looking, just basic. At least I was able to help them with paint colors. This shape tile will not be going in my home as we continue to renovate bit by bit, that is for sure!
I certainly would not do12x24 for a large expanse, but what about for a fireplace hearth?
Same rules apply there are much prettier options.
Thank you! I’m about to redo my hearth and you just saved me from the wrong choice a designer recommended!
But, Maria! I thought “boring = ?…..”
Not for builder basic tile. I have pitched small scale timeless tile for decades and it has never included blotchy basic tile that says nothing except “I’m easy to clean and cheap to install” Thanks for your comment!
Woohoo! We recently redid our bathroom tile. I had originally chosen some 12×24 tile, but kept questioning myself. Ended up going with a 2×2 off-white hex tile and I LOVE it. You have such great advice. Thank you.
Another reason on the list I wish I’d found Maria sooner. Opening line of this post – If you have just finished all your renovating, this post is not for you- uh welp, here we are. Is there a follow up to this video on, how to disguise the 12×24 tile a designer you ended up parting ways with recommended, and it’s already installed in the laundry room along with a cabinet paint color that’s too dark and cold? At least it’s not in my kitchen…
An area rug will help and you could paint the cabinet. That way you won’t cringe every time you do laundry! 🙂
We ran into this with our master bath remodel a couple years ago. We have a large area to cover and with the other upgrades we made (large shower with bench, quartzite counter surfaces, heated floors), we could not afford the extra cost to install smaller format tile. We were not willing to give up having those upgrades. So we at least got an upgraded porcelain tile, and it is beautiful. We don’t have a ton of grout to deal with either. In a smaller format bathroom I would go with something smaller. We did just that in our hall bath remodel (8” hex tile). All in all we love our bathrooms. Builders push this large format tile because it is easier and less costly to install. That’s partly how they can deliver your remodel at a price you can afford. While I too am not fond of large format tile myself, we just are not made out of money.