Finding the right kind of tiles to decorate a small space can be tricky at the best of times, especially when you have seen a huge range of stunning large format tiles you’d like to install. With the space constraints you are faced with, you may feel you’re cornered into playing it safe and opting for smaller tiles, although this can sometimes seem like a less attractive option. However, this doesn’t have to be the case, as you are about to find out.
In this article, we will discuss just how you can use large format tiles in small spaces and the benefits of doing so.
Large Tiles Exaggerate Space
A desire for making rooms feel larger than they actually are is common among homeowners in the 21st century. With new build homes being significantly smaller than those from previous generations, homeowners are always on the lookout for the perfect solution to their small rooms. Thankfully, using large format tiles in a small space is known for giving the illusion of the room being much larger than it actually is. There are a couple of reasons for this:
Lack of grout lines – fewer grout lines in your small room can make it feel so much larger. If you do choose to install large format tiles on both the floor and walls, you can benefit from a significantly reduced amount of grout lines, which will make the room feel much larger than it actually is. Where possible, try and use a grout colour that matches that of your tiles to create fewer breaks in your tiling. If you are able to match up your tile and grout colour almost perfectly, you’ll see some fantastic results to the finished product and have a room that feels more spacious.
A more seamless transition – this point does lend itself to the previous reason, but having a smaller number of larger tiles installed in your room allows for a more seamless transition from floor to wall tiles. Whilst the use of smaller tiles is perfectly fine for larger rooms, they are less than ideal for smaller rooms as they can make a cramped space look very busy and therefore even smaller than it actually is.
Image: I Marmi Tiles
Use Light Coloured Tiles
Here’s a top tip if you are looking to install large format tiles into a small room in your home. Consider using lighter coloured tiles throughout the room to ensure you are making the room look as large and bright as possible. Utilising white on white in a smaller space can make it look considerably larger, as a clean-looking room with no colour looks less busy, and therefore less full.
It’s also worth noting that if you have natural light entering the room, you should capitalise on this by installing light coloured tiles, which will reflect the light around the room. Installing darker coloured tiles will absorb any light that is coming into the room and gives the impression that it is smaller than it already is.
If your small space isn’t blessed with a source of natural light, be sure to install a good source of light into the room to maximise its spatial feel.
Install Your Tiles Diagonally
Our final tip when using large format tiles in small rooms – and probably one of the most underutilised tricks in the business – is to install your tiles diagonally throughout the room, if possible. This may sound counter-intuitive when you’re trying to make your room feel larger, but you’d be surprised just how well this trick works.
If you install your tile diagonally or ‘on point’, it helps to break the room up a little, and in turn, makes your room feel significantly larger. This particular trick works in any small room you may have in your home, from a small bathroom or utility room to an entry hall or foyer.
It’s also worth noting that it isn’t just large format tiles that this works for; you can install tiles of any size diagonally, and it will make a room feel larger, though it does work best when working with larger tiles.
Here at Roccia, we have a huge range of large format wall tiles and large format floor tiles available. Please feel free to pop down to our tile showroom in either Preston or Bolton, and a friendly member of our team will be more than happy to assist you in your purchase.
