Victorian tiles? Yes or no?

[Owlbucket]

Hi,

Being a bit cheeky posting here, but doing it for the greater traffic.

Is this nice or not? (See attachment)

Part of me loves the Victorian aspect
And the other half thinks that it might look nice now but in a couple of years will look old...but not in a charming way.

Does anyone have these tiles? Are they easy to keep clean etc.

They are for the hallway. Should I just get larger tiles?

Thanks all

I have a pale, sealed tumbled limestone floor (big flagstone type) in my hall, kitchen & utility. It’s really practical but unsuitable to the period of your home. I do have a vestibule/porch which is small terracotta tiles with black inserts, so shoes and muck don’t come into the house often). However, the back is accessed directly onto the stone floor (turtle mats at door thresholds as we have a grubby Labrador). It works really well. It does get dirty though, so not ideal for Mrs Hinch types. It isn’t pristine and I’m not fussed about scrubbing every inch, every day but it isn’t caked in mud and filth and does wear the thin film of grot fairly well and means I’m not paranoid about it looking a bit lived in, whereas if it was pristine white ceramic, it would look dreadful!

Unfortunately I am definitely not a clean freak ( though I wish I was!).

I want something fairly good at hiding things. I was hoping the busy pattern would distract from any marks etc.

I’ve just checked the reproduction tiles they are not ceramic... they are porcelain that look like ceramic. Is that better in terms of cleaning and staining?

@gnomeisland I totally agree with you!!!! I won’t even go on about all his opinions about the kitchen...when he never cooks 🙈

So I like original or original inspired tiles like the 1st image particularly in the hall.

The 2nd image is what I don't like. They are inspired by the past but look modern (if that makes sense). I also think in bathrooms that look may date.

I think I've seen it in a few hotel bathrooms that's why it felt more bathroom suited.

Is that a pretend tree stump in that last bathroom photo?

didn't even notice that! 😆

@Owlbucket

Unfortunately I am definitely not a clean freak ( though I wish I was!).

I want something fairly good at hiding things. I was hoping the busy pattern would distract from any marks etc.

I’ve just checked the reproduction tiles they are not ceramic... they are porcelain that look like ceramic. Is that better in terms of cleaning and staining?

I don’t know re staining etc. Whatever you narrow it down to, get plenty of samples and give them a bit of a beating. Put them through their paces and see how they stand up to muck, cleaning fluids and shoes/pram wheels/scooters/whatever.

@boboroll oh yes I understand I think I agree with you.

Ok so I think now I’m edging towards the small Victorian tiles (like in my OP) since they seem to generally have good feedback. Might look nice with a nice kelim rug.

Or just give up and put parquet like the rest of the house.

The larger tiles people seem to think is more bathroomy

We have Karndean parquet all through our downstairs (please excuse the mess in the pics). I think it depends on the size and space you have but not white for a hallway and def not the second example of big tiles

Today 15:06 DappledThings

"We had these put in last month. I love them."
They are really beautiful.

We have white tiles like you are sharing - a bugger to keep clean in winter with DC and mud - constant need to sweep but most of the time fine and fit the period of the house. Better if you have a porch for muddy boots than my set up though. Go for it

Hi just reviving this a little.

Does anyone know how I can inject a little more Victorian feel to these tiles (but not too much as husband is not very daring). I was thinking sporadic different coloured inserts?

I really fancy that Oxford chequerboard style, but with the small tiles. And you could buy these from a less expensive source but ensure they are sealed, as a basic black or white tile is fairly ubiquitous.

I've been looking at that site that a PP posted yesterday for inspiration. Some people use the Victorian style in a non-Victorian property, but inject a bit of colour and variation to modernise them a bit.

There is a 'style gallery' showing some of their products in situ. Some look amazing.

www.originalstyle.com/victorian-floor-tiles/gallery/

OP, if you're still looking, I've had my eye on these:

www.ctdtiles.co.uk/gemini-tiles/sales-amp-offers/p-7471-victorian-heritage-kendal-grey-tile-316x316mm.aspx

You mentioned that reproduction mosaics were out of your budget - these are larger format so much more affordable, and wouldn't need a specialist fitter.

@NamedyChangedy thank you for this! Yes I saw these and they look lovely! Though perhaps a bit to “colourful” for the husband unfortunately!

Thank you though.

The first tiles you suggested are OK but they really don't look very victorian. The larger ones with inserts are already really dated TBH - very early 90s. I think something more classic like dappled's is the way to go.

I like the ones in the first photo. They have a timeless look to me. I can't imagine getting tired of them or thinking they look outdated, but I don't know how practical they are in terms of slipperiness, durability, or ease of cleaning.

The white is nice but I like the black and white best. The Falkirk grey and white on the link above is nice and less Victorian.

We have tiles under carpet and I’ve toyed with the idea of restoring. But they are dark and not so fancy so I’m thinking of laminate instead, before we sell at some point when covid is done.

@DappledThings

We had these put in last month. I love them.

Where are your tiles from? They look great

Why the hell would you get rid! They're beautiful

What about linoleum? Hardwearing and comes in all sort of patterns - victorian tiles in all sorts of colours and patterns.

Oh the pics in your first post get my vote @Owlbucket! Gorgeous!

I love the ones @dappled things has put in her home.

I like them. A few additional thoughts though. Larger tiles are easier to clean, as you get dirt in the grout. Are they genuinely old or new lookalikes? Some older tiles crack very easily. Porcelain is stronger than ceramic.

Whatever you choose do keep some spares in the loft, in case 1 or 2 need replacing over time.