TTA top tip - tiles in the sales

Here are a few tips on buying tiles in the sales. You can download a free PDF version of this information.

Always buy more tiles than you need. You should slightly over estimate anyway for breakages and cuts but think to the future. Tiles can last a lifetime and in 5 years a new bath, a new shower screen or new radiators can leave small gaps. Tiles bought in the sales are unlikely be available again.

Mix and match. You can buy small quantities of different tiles and create panels, stripes or a chequerboard effect. Buy heavily patterned tiles and create an accent panel or feature wall using cheaper plain tiles as the background. Choose vibrant metallic or glass borders that aren't in the sale and team with plain coloured tiles from the bargain section. Work your scheme out carefully before you buy and do make sure that the tiles are the same size and thickness.

Mosaic tiles come on a mesh background and can be easily cut into strips to make a border of any width you like. You can team these with large format white tiles for a very stylish bathroom. Buy more of the mosaic and create an accent wall over the bath, in the shower or above the basin with a mirror set in.

Buy decorated tiles and panels for your kitchen and team with cheaper plain tiles. Once again do be sure they are the same size. For a really minimalist look choose white tiles for your kitchen walls and use a bright primary colour just behind the hob.

You can often find plain tiles in size 100x200mm left over from commercial projects. Working it out carefully you can create brick effect, herringbone and basket weave patters to name just three. The brick effect looks really good in deep colours used half way up a wall in a hall way. Top with a border and a moulding in tile or wood and you have an almost indestructible surface on a wall that gets lots of hard wear.

On floors use the herringbone and basket weave patterns to make plain floor tiles look special. For a very rustic look choose a chequerboard floor in red and black or brown and black unglazed tiles or choose black and white for a more Victorian effect.

Select carefully and plan beforehand and you can add lasting value to your home at sales prices.

If you like the tiles in our illustrations, you will find the contact details for the companies in the directory

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