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Original poster

Have subway tiles had their day What next?

65 replies

MmeLindor · 16/08/2015 11:35

Choosing tiles for the kitchen is giving me a headache. I like subway tiles, but think I may be a bit Pinterest-damaged, cause they are everywhere.

Anyone got any ideas what the next big thing in tiling will be? Don't want the kitchen to look dated in a year or two.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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BoskyCat · 17/08/2015 16:07

They do look like a toilet, I always think that. There are many cool and beautiful tiling options but "nightclub toilet" doesn't do it for me. When I see them I can almost smell that stinky wee smell.

BoskyCat · 17/08/2015 16:08

(maybe it's because of my misspent youth featuring so many nightclub toilets...)

Mitzimaybe · 17/08/2015 16:13

In white or black they say "public convenience" to me too, and in other colours "pub toilet". I don't like them at all laid in the normal brick pattern. Stacked or herringbone looks a lot better imho. I prefer glass or metal splashbacks.

Lelivre · 17/08/2015 16:29

Geometric is definitely on the rise and I quite love them, but I'm wondering about cutting the tiny ones straight when you finish an edge, if it isn't perfect it will really stand out.

Brick bond is what puts me off metro. I did this ten yes ago and thought it was edgy (well it wasn't really but it wasn't too common) but now It's in almost every other houzz photo and it's actually irritating me. I'm drawn to the flush elongated Metro tile or the chubby (bonbon?) in a herring bone pattern but haven't seen it in real life.

The other thing I'm tired of is grey grout. I get that it hides the dirt but why make the grout the 'stand out' part. I'll make an exception with a gloss penny tile, then the tiles come to life. The tiles should IMO be the feature. I just put matching turquoise grout with a bathroom tile and it works great.

That said - OP get a tile you love that fits with the overall look of your kitchen/home. If that is a shiny white beveled metro with grey grout, if you love it and it works for you have it!

Lelivre · 17/08/2015 16:35

Here's my bathroom tiles. I personally love blues and teals and fancied a gloss tile because I had loads of Matt and metallic in the last place. Also I thought the glaze was a bit mid century and I'm in a 60s house. So hoping it was a good shout Smile

MairzyDoats · 17/08/2015 17:23

They're lovely Lelivre, where are they from?

Original poster
MmeLindor · 17/08/2015 17:40

I had a look at a place today, but nothing really jumped out at me. I do live in Dundee, so that may be the reason there wasn't anything a bit more edgy/modern :)

The guy in the tile shop said that he's sick to death of metro tiles, and that it's all they sell. If they are doing that in Dundee, then it's time to move on!

OP posts:
Original poster
MmeLindor · 17/08/2015 17:48

Tremelo
I like the Fired Earth ones - I do wish they'd do more photos of how the tiles look in different settings. I keep finding pics of bathrooms or floors.

OP posts:
KumiOri · 17/08/2015 18:32

do get sample tiles. different light makes them look very different.
the original tiles we chose looked great in the showroom but in our kitchen they looked crap much too dark.

Lelivre · 17/08/2015 18:33

MairzyDoats they are from original style but affordable at around £33m2 - Mont Blanc blue

Lelivre · 17/08/2015 18:36

Mmelindor - I found this. I have a sample but can't imagine it across a wall.

Original poster
MmeLindor · 17/08/2015 21:10

Lelivre
did your link get lost?

OP posts:
Belleview · 18/08/2015 07:52

About people not recognising metro tiles as classic, it's just a lack of visual reference point.. Here's the place I think of in relation to them

Have subway tiles had their day What next?
Belleview · 18/08/2015 07:57

..mind you, I haven't watched 'homes under the hammer' ! Our associations are so individual, aren't they.

LeLivre your tiles are lovely. Wow fudge, I saw yours on a diff thread..bathroom looks gorgeous!

crumpet · 18/08/2015 08:28

Damn. I want Matt White tiles for the shower in 2 bathrooms. Had been thinking of long rectangular tiles - so not quite metro. Am I doomed? Are there alternatives? I have the cheapest white gloss squares at the moment and hate them with a passion.

But I definitely want Matt White....

wowfudge · 18/08/2015 10:15

Thanks Belle - it has a bit of a colonial feel about it for me now, not that I was aiming for that. Sadly I am now embroiled in a row with the bathroom guy, which is a shame as he's got it looking so good so far and has bodged one last thing which he won't put right! Grr.

Lelivre · 18/08/2015 12:05

Mmelindor- sorry here's the pic.

I'm liking this, it 'goes' and isn't too trendy (I don't think!?) but I can't imagine it over a large area and I'm a bit scared! It's marketed as an indoor/outdoor a floor tile.

Have subway tiles had their day What next?
wowfudge · 18/08/2015 12:16

Bit busy for walls unless in small areas?

Original poster
MmeLindor · 18/08/2015 12:23

Lelivre
That's lovely, but think it would perhaps work better in a small area. Or maybe as a border.

Am now considering large tiles, to give a smooth and glossy look. Or a glass splashback (which our joiner put me off, as he said they were really difficult to fit)

OP posts:
Lelivre · 18/08/2015 12:33

Yeah something is holding me back...it's quite bold.

What I reay want is that Swedish hexagon dandelion tile.

Try porcelanosa for large glossy flush tiles. They are very hard to lay (perfect walls needed) and they have 40% off soon I think.

Original poster
MmeLindor · 18/08/2015 12:48

I think its because it has a 3d effect, so it's a bit like one of those optical illusion books.

OP posts:
AesopsMables · 18/08/2015 13:19

I am bored with metro tiles and to be honest after fitting them in our en-suite think they are high maintenance particularly in shower area. Bloody grout is off white which is a no-no.

We have an older property so they do go, I think metro tiles in modern house kitchens look a bit naff now.

I am sticking to large tiles in bathrooms and up rise in quartz for kitchen this time around.

suzyrut · 18/08/2015 13:38

lelivre I nearly used those tiles in my new kitchen (grey with white quartz worktops, I think you are my kitchen double!), the only thing that held me back was on my sample and on the one in the shop the printed design wasn't as sharp as I wanted it to be and it seemed to have an almost red outline to it in places. I would definitely like to use them on my bathroom floor (next project) as I think the large format might work better there and I won't be looking at them so much.

In the end I've gone for...a metro tile, but flat edge in marble!

Lelivre · 18/08/2015 13:51

Suzyrut oooh what great taste you have ha! Thanks for saying about that tile because I def will not go for it then.

As much as I have grumbled about metro you have me intrigued on a marble one (might you post a pic pls?)

I'm waiting for a couple of textured white ones from porcelanosa, but they are coming from Spain and taking forever. I will post a stock pic if I can find one. I appreciate some input as DH is not giving me much feedback.

suzyrut · 18/08/2015 15:46

Ha ha thank you Lelivre. The search for these tiles was a nightmare as I originally wanted something much more geometric and minimal but everything I found wasn't quite right. They are only for a splashback behind my new range (can't even type that without getting a bit giddy) which I know is probably a bit passé but didn't really know what else to do, have upstands for everywhere else. This is the link...

www.firedearth.com/tiles/range/east-hampton-marble/east-hampton-marble-diamond-sawn-honed-1

I am going with a light grey grout with them, I expect that is a bit overdone now too but it did look lovely with the marble in the shop and behind an oven white grout would be filthy by the end of week 1.