7 Interior Designers on How They Creatively Use Tiles to Enhance Any Room

Most of us primarily associate tiles with two rooms in the house – the kitchen and the bathroom, where its durable water- and heat-insulating qualities will undoubtedly come in handy. However, think outside the box when it comes to using this time-tested material in your home and you will be rewarded.

We know there are plenty of ways to use the humble tile to enhance a space, so we spoke to 7 interior design experts to hear about the projects where they used tile ideas in more unexpected ways. From creating patterns and feature walls to zoning, it’s worth seriously considering the countless possibilities of tiles and what exactly you want to create with them.

1. Think about fire safety

Historically, fireplace surrounds were often covered with decorative tiles as an inexpensive way to add color and pattern to a room. In this project, Sophie Rowell of interior design studio Côte de Folk created a dramatic fireplace using coffee brown Zellige tiles, making the fireplace a key feature of the open-plan living room.

Additional seating has been added on both sides for guests. “The tiles are amazingly dynamic and appear silvery in certain lighting conditions,” explains Sophie. “Versatility is why I love working with Zellige tiles; they play with light and reflections, adding a unique element to any room.”

2. Say something personal

abstract patterned wall of colorful tiles around the fireplace

(Image credit: Pratya Jangkong)

The fireplace surround that decorates the Brooklyn home of artist and textile surface designer Malene Jenaba Barnett tells a deeply personal story. “It’s called the Heritage Wall,” she says. “Each tile is hand-pressed, glazed and fired multiple times.”

During firing, the tiles cracked, which she saw as a metaphor for the black diaspora; her work focuses on uncovering family histories in the Caribbean. Using the fireplace surround as a canvas, she put the pieces together to create what she calls a new story to show the beauty of people and the joy associated with culture.

3. Create a statement wall

Dining nook with green velvet banquette, round wood table and chairs and floral tile mural behind.

(Image credit: Kensington Levern)

These days, hand-painted custom murals are making their way into many creative design projects, leaving an artisanal and personal mark on each one. Here, designer Sophie Ashby asked artist Anna Glover to work on a piece inspired by Tawaraya Sotatsu, choosing flowers and details that her client liked.

It all started with hand-painted plants in gouache and watercolor, which Anna then digitally transferred to the Balineum team. “We laid out a grid of tiles and printed the outline of the design at one-to-one scale, then painstakingly hand-painted the details on each tile,” explains Sarah Watson, founder of Balineum. “It took months.”

4. A bar area has been introduced

corner bar with built-in blue shelving and bar counter

(Image credit: Karel Balas)

Tiled rooms naturally cool, so long before the advent of the refrigerator, country house pantries had stone shelves for storing cheese and other foodstuffs that needed to be kept cool.

Architect and interior designer Dorothy Meilichzon from Zzon was inspired to use pale blue zellige tiles in a similar way at the Montesol Hotel in Ibiza. “The tiles are an important feature of this hotel,” she explains. “We used traditional zelliges to paint the minibar niches in different colors.”

5. Add a tile panel in an unexpected place

Kitchen with brown glazed island side tiles and green marble countertops

(Image credit: Darren Chang)

The signature feature of this kitchen, designed by Martin Moore in collaboration with Studio Vero, is the striking tiled island. Inspired by the luxurious design of the great European café bars, tiles from Habibi Interiors bring a touch of glamor to the space that is not often found in the kitchen.

“We wanted it to be a place where you can spend time with the same ability to show off personality as any other room in the house,” say Studio Vero co-founders Romanos Brihi and Venezia Rudebeck.

6. Define a bathroom “zone” in the bedroom

Bedroom corner with brown and white checkered tiles around a freestanding bathtub

(Image credit: Owen Gale)

Bathtubs in bedrooms are becoming increasingly popular, but for practical reasons it is important to zone the space around the bathtub. Here, red and white checkered tiles from Mosaic Factory define the bathing area in this bedroom at the Kin House Hotel.

“These tiles complement the bespoke checkerboard rug we collaborated with Pelican House on,” says Lucy Barlow, creative director at interior design studio Barlow & Barlow.

7. Create an interesting pattern

Bathroom with dark red and green tiles

(Image credit: Billal Tharait)

Tile countertops in kitchens and bathrooms were big news in the 1980s as a way to bring color and texture to a space that was cheaper than using marble. Interior designer Rachel Chudley took this approach even further, creating a wave of modernist-style tiles throughout the kitchen cabinets, countertops and walls behind.

“The full mural was designed to depict scenes from the clients’ home,” says Rachel. “Each tile was hand-painted to order by Balineum’s incredible team and came with an insane step-by-step installation plan. It was a wonderful endeavor and a testament to the joy we get from decorating.

When it comes to using tiles in decor, there are many considerations. Choice is a balance between creative solutions and more practical choices. Tiling a small but unexpected area can make a huge difference. If the budget can stretch, a built-in shelving unit or mantel is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. What’s certain is that it pays to think outside the box when it comes to this humble and timeless method of covering surfaces.

7 Interior Designers on How They Creatively Use Tiles to Enhance Any Room

1. Think about fire safety

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