Typically, we fall on the side of optimism. We’re a glass half full, there’s always an answer, sunny side-up sort of brand. But sometimes, if you pick the wrong tiles then things might not be so rosy, which is why we’ve pulled together five tips to ensure that you don’t buy the wrong tiles. Afterall, we want you to be happy as Larry with the right tiles before your eyes.

Over to Grazzie Wilson, our Head of Creative…

1. Pick a tile you truly love, not one just because it’s trending.

Trends are tempting, terribly so at times. On the one hand, they can open your eyes to a colour, a pattern or a pairing that you might never have otherwise discovered. High in impact, trends excite and can make you fall hard and fast, but it’s really important to step back and picture these in your home for more than a heartbeat. Tiles should be a longer term love affair rather than a fling. All that said, if you absolutely adore something that is trending, then that’s fine too, we love it when our trending tiles inspire, but just make sure that it’s true to your style.

2. Make sure you’re picking the right tile size

The right paint colour can open up a room to make it feel lighter and brighter and when it comes to tiles, shape, scale and shade all matter. When it comes to your home, ask yourself “what do i want to achieve?”. If you’ve got a teeny tiny bathroom and you want to open up the room and make it feel larger, the general line of thought is, the less there is for your eye to take in, the larger your space will seem. A larger bathroom can generally take a larger tile, plus the larger the tile the less grout lines, which makes cleaning so much easier. Win-win.

3. Get your tile priorities straight

Function? Form? Both ideally, but usually one takes precedence and it’s important to know which matters to you most before you check out on your basket of tiles.

This usually calls into question whether you want a natural stone tile or a porcelain or ceramic tile instead. If the sensible side of you tells you that you should go for a porcelain wall tile in your kitchen (because it won’t be such a big deal if you don’t immediately clean up that Friday night curry splatter on your splashback) but really, form is what you care about more than anything, you will only end up regretting your decision later down the line.

If any part of you thinks you’d be looking longingly and wishing for Long Island Carrara marble tiles or those from our Palazzo collection behind your stove rather than the porcelain version , then listen to your heart or you’ll inevitably end up wanting to replace them.

4. Pick colours that aren’t off kilter with the rest of your home

A little like point one, sometimes there’s a tile that stops you in your tracks, that you instantly covet and then think, oh let’s just do it. Gumption is great, but not if your impulse tile purchase is going to stick out like a sore thumb considering the rest of your home’s palette.

Any interior designer will tell you that decor is at its most pleasing when it works as one cohesive whole, rather than a series of rooms designed in isolation with no common thread running between them. That’s when things jar, big time.

We’re not saying that if your home is largely weathered wood floorboards and a colour palette of earthy neutrals that you can’t bring in a surprise tone, but just make sure it has some link to your other rooms. For example, maybe you’ve used aged brass hardware and fixtures throughout, in which case a rich ochre tile like Maroc could actually blend in rather well indeed.

5. Pick tiles that are suitable for the space

When you find “the one”, just make sure it’s suitable for the space. Love a natural stone for your patio area but it doesn’t say it’s suitable for outside? Then steer clear. The same applies for indoors too. Tile companies put their tiles through testing to ensure that they work in the spaces they’re intended for, so make sure that you check the suitability before you place an order.