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Tips for Choosing Coloured Tiles vs. Black and White

From dazzling and glossy greens and blues to timeless greys and whites, tiles come in an assortment of colours and shades, each with their own design capabilities. Knowing which colour palette to use between the wide range of tile colours requires careful consideration, as the tiles you select can impact your room’s mood, perceived size, and so on.

To help you on this chapter of creating an extraordinary colour story, here are some tips for choosing tiles based on colour and shade.

Consider the room itself

Something you’ll want to think about and build towards when selecting tile colours is cohesion. This can pertain to the overall aesthetic and existing colours/design already existing in the room and doing your best to tie everything together with your tile colours. Such variables you need to think about for cohesion include:

-The colour of the walls
-The type of furniture in the room (colours, materials, finishes, etc.)
-The room size
-The lighting in the room (natural light or artificial)

If your furniture mostly consists of browns and greens, with wooden accents and several plants, you may consider choosing lighter coloured tiles in beige or grey to accent the already existing earth tones (which are a big trend in 2022). Something akin to our Versa 75 Caramel Click Vinyls could pair excellently with an earth tone vibe.

Perhaps you have a room that you want to appear bigger. The best choice would be a cream or pastel floor tile to accentuate the dimensions of the room and make it appear larger.

(You can learn more about tiles and room sizes by reading our blog post on the topic.)

Larger rooms, like dining areas or kitchens, are paired well with darker floor tiles — especially if there’s plenty of natural light. Our Nohva Black Porcelain Tile works particularly well for enhancing more open areas, and the sleek matte black finish can be used to highlight any colour story you choose.

Featured: Nohva Black 12X24 Porcelain Tile

The overall goal when choosing a colour story for a room is ensuring that you’re creating harmony between colours. This of course does not mean you have to stick to a monochromatic look, you simply want to consider how each aspect of your room ties into one another.

Colours can impact your mood

It’s been proven time and again that colour has a substantial impact on people’s moods and appearances. There are plenty of tips and tricks regarding on how wearing certain colours can help you become more approachable, or how different coloured cars have different significances and meanings.

The same can be applied to tiles. Because of our automatic associations of colours to feelings, environments, or moods, tiles can play a major part in how a room feels.

For instance, say you want your office area to feel calm and tranquil, or you want to make your kitchen feel less hectic with a nice backsplash. The best colour option would be a light blue, as blue has associations with serene waves or the stillness of the sky. The Dolce Sky (05) tiles would serve as a subdued feature to help you feel more restful in any busy environment.

Featured: Dolce Sky 2×8 Matte Ceramic Wall Tile

White tiles can evoke thoughts of cleanliness, perfection, and peace, as these are all things associated with white. This would do well in a bathroom or kitchen, especially if you’re wanting to portray a streamlined, polished look to your guests. In this instance, the La Marca Statuarietto tiles would best suit your refined taste.

Maximizing and minimizing: how to make either work

Depending on your own design preferences, you’re either going to gravitate towards maximizing your colours or minimizing them. Although there isn’t a right or wrong in these choices, it’s important to consider how to elevate these concepts with your tile choices.

Much in the same way you choose tile patterns, creating a blended look requires that you don’t overstimulate your guests. This is not to say you can’t use colour — rather, it’s about making smart choices on where you place them and how you incorporate colours together.

Let’s say you want to spice up a duller room that primarily consists of whites and greys. You can add a pop of colour to this area by adding an accent wall to draw the eye. Or, if you’re very big on colours and want to feature more of them, simply choose colours that are complimentary or have the same tones (cool, warm, etc.).

If you’re looking for coloured tiles that work well as an accent, our Lume Series (award winning, by the way) features an assortment of rich colours, such as the Lume Green in an enchanting gloss finish, or the soothing Lume Blue.

Some areas of your house may feel overstimulating with too much colour, especially in smaller, tighter spaces. In this instance, sticking to a monochrome scheme consisting or blacks, whites, and greys would help make your room feel less overwhelming and more organized.

A great tile for lightening up and pulling together a monochromatic space is the Paint Stone White Porcelain Tiles.

Featured: Paint Stone White 12X24 Porcelain Tile

(These tiles, and all of our other Italian tiles, are also a part of our incredible Italian Days event which continues throughout July. Learn more about this fun event.) For more assistance in visualizing a space, check out Tile Town’s remarkable Visualizer Tool, or visit a Tile Town near you!

DIY Days at Tile Town | 20% Off in Stock Tile & 15% Off Installation Materials Until May 31st

Fraser Valley’s top tile and flooring company, Tile Town, has recently launched a new promotion called DIY Days. This initiative aims to provide affordable and accessible resources to local homeowners for easy and confident renovation projects. Here are the key benefits of DIY Days:

  1. Expert Advice and Guidance: Tile Town’s DIY Days offers homeowners expert guidance and advice for their renovation projects. The program provides access to Tile Town’s knowledgeable and experienced professionals who can assist customers in selecting the appropriate tiles and flooring options for their homes. This can help prevent expensive errors and guarantee the success of the renovation project.
  2. Affordable Pricing: Tile Town’s DIY Days promotion provides affordable pricing as one of its major advantages. The company offers special discounts on tiles and flooring during the promotional period, resulting in a considerable reduction in the overall cost of a renovation project. This can be especially advantageous for homeowners with limited budgets.
  3. Easy Installation: Tile Town’s DIY Days simplifies installation by providing customers with all the essential tools and resources required to complete their renovation projects themselves. This includes detailed instructions on tile and flooring installation, as well as access to a range of installation tools and equipment. By enabling homeowners to complete the project on their own, this program can help them save on installation costs and achieve the satisfaction of successfully renovating their space.
  4. Wide Range of Options: Tile Town provides an extensive selection of tiles and flooring options to choose from, simplifying the process of finding the ideal fit for any living space. Regardless of whether homeowners prefer a classic, timeless appearance or a modern, sleek design, Tile Town has a range of options to suit their preferences. This assures that homeowners can discover the right tiles and flooring options to complement their existing decor and achieve the desired look for their space.

In summary, Tile Town’s DIY Days promotion is an excellent solution for homeowners seeking to renovate
their living spaces with confidence and ease. By utilizing Tile Town’s expert guidance, affordable pricing, easy
installation, and wide range of options, homeowners can transform their living spaces into the homes they
have always envisioned.

Types of Trowels To Use When Installing Tile

When it comes to setting tile, choosing the right trowel for the job is crucial. Trowels come in different shapes and sizes, each designed for specific tasks. In this blog post, we’ll explore the different types of trowels you can use to set tile and the various jobs they are used for.

  1. V-Notched Trowel: The V-notched trowel is commonly used for setting tile. It has a V-shaped notch on one side and a flat surface on the other. The size of the notch varies for different tile sizes. It’s ideal for spreading adhesive evenly and used for smaller tiles like mosaics or subway tiles.
  2. Square-Notched Trowel: The square-notched trowel is similar to the V-notched trowel, but it has square-shaped notches instead of V-shaped ones. This type of trowel is often used for larger tiles, such as 12×12 or 16×16 tiles. The square-notched trowel provides more adhesive coverage, making it easier to ensure that the tile is firmly attached to the surface.
  3. U-Notched Trowel: The U-notched trowel has a U-shaped notch on one side and a flat surface on the other. This type of trowel is often used for applying thicker adhesives, such as mortar. The U-notch helps to create a more substantial layer of adhesive, which is necessary for heavier tiles or tiles with uneven surfaces.
  4. Round-Notched Trowel: This type of trowel is often used for applying thick, viscous adhesives such as epoxy or urethane. The rounded notches help to spread the adhesive evenly, and the round shape helps prevent air pockets from forming between the tile and the surface.
  5. Notched Margin Trowel: The notched margin trowel is a smaller version of the square-notched trowel. It has a square-shaped notch and is used for spreading adhesive in tight spaces, such as corners or around fixtures. It’s also useful for making small adjustments to the placement of tiles.
  6. Pointed Margin Trowel: The pointed margin trowel has a pointed end instead of a square one. It’s often used for spreading adhesive in tight spaces and for cleaning excess adhesive from corners or grout lines. The pointed end also makes it easier to apply adhesive to small areas, such as individual tiles or pieces of trim.

Whether you are laying large tiles or applying thick adhesives, Tile Town has the right trowel for you to ensure a smooth, professional finish.

How to Use Tile Shade Variation to Your Advantage

When preparing for a tiling project, you’ll want to anticipate every hurdle that may arise amidst a renovation. These could range from running out of your tile supply or grout, finding broken tiles in your collection, having excess tiles, and so on.

And naturally, there are simple solutions to each: purchasing extra tiles and grout supplies so that you have extra in case of damages and/or shortages, and upcycling those extra tiles or keeping them on hand in case of accidents.

Something that you may have yet to anticipate, and frankly, might not have ever heard of, is tile shade variation, which may or may not occur depending on the type of tiles you get, the finish on the tiles, etc.

But you might be thinking…


What is tile shade variation?

Typically, when you purchase a collection of tiles, there are very few deviations between them — which is to be expected, given that they’re manufactured and shipped from the same place. But sometimes, when receiving a pack of tiles, you may notice that some of the tiles may be slightly off in colour and/or texture, whether to an extreme degree or slightly noticeable.

This is referred to as tile shade variation, where tiles can differ in shades from varying intensities and quantities. Although the tiles may be the same product, certain materials can undergo variances during production, resulting in the shade range.

As they increase on the shade variation scale, the tones and colours may be slightly off between individual tiles, sometimes a collection can have many distinctions throughout the individual tiles.

The shade variation scale


Tile shade variation is measured on a scale from V0 to V4.

V0 [Very Uniform Appearance]: Little to no variations in the tiles. When placed next to one another, the tiles create a smooth, streamlined surface with minimal texture variances — perfect for a monochromatic look.

V1 [Uniform Appearance]: The lowest number of differences from tile to tile without being perfect. While still having deviations, the similarities between each tile heavily outweighs any insignificant difference.

V2 [Slight Variation]: When looking at each tile, there’s a slight difference between them. This isn’t to suggest that the tiles look like they’re from different sets and packaged together — rather, the tiles are all relatively the same, but there are distinguishable contrasts.

V3 [Moderate Variation]: There are clear and intentional differences between the tiles, but not so much that they seem wildly dissimilar or part of varying collections. An example of this could be marble tiles with different marble patterns on each of the tiles and different colours — they appear as one collective but aren’t the same from tile to tile.

V4 [Substantial Variation]: The tiles differ in pattern, colours, tones, and so on. The differences can easily be seen when lying the tiles next to each other, so much so that in some cases the tiles can look like they were thrown together from different collections. While the degree of variety can vary, those in V4 show undeniably distinct qualities.

Solutions for tile shade variations

There are many ways you can use shade variations to your advantage, should you get tiles on each of the levels of the shade variation scale.

A simple solution that coincides with the solution for other potential project mishaps is to simply purchase extra packages of your desired tile. This way, you have more flexibility in terms of switching out unwanted tiles. This would be the case if you receive a collection that ranges anywhere between the V1 to V3 shade variation.

Another idea could be leaning into the variation and creating mosaic type of design with your tiles. Who’s to say that the shade variation has to be an accident? Utilize the different shades you have and give your kitchen backsplash a unique design.

If you’re adamant about your tile collection being on any part of extreme parts of the scale (entirely the same or wildly different), our experts at any of our Tile Town locations can provide you with a mock-up or answer any questions regarding worries you may have about tile shade variation.

Benefits of Choosing Concrete Look Tiles

Concrete look tiles are durable, low maintenance and unlike a real concrete surface, they don’t require any special treatment. They come in various tones from dark and moody to light and fresh.

The industrial minimalist look has taken over the interior design space in recent years. Concrete or cement flooring isn’t reserved for only the garage anymore. Innovations in ceramic production have made it possible to create tiles that mimic various styles such as raw concrete, aggregate formwork and polished concrete, making them a sought-after tile choice in many modern homes. 

Where should you use concrete look tiles?

It’s hard to beat the look of a concrete porcelain tile. Its popularity has given rise to endless tile choices that virtually work in any room of the house. While they do look great on main floors and walls, concrete tiles are increasingly being used in wet areas such as bathrooms or to enhance the kitchen and outdoor areas. They are highly popular in renovations where the existing floor does not lend itself to being a polished finish but is the desired look.

Concrete tiled walls give this bathroom a sophisticated edge.
A contemporary design approach mixes concrete tiles with brick and wood textures.

Concrete look tile size options

Concrete look tiles are available in a range of sizes, shades and finishes such as matt (natural), semi-polished and lappato. Our main tile sizes include 300x300mm, 300x600mm and 600x600mm with more sizes available from certain manufacturers like 900x900mm or even 1200x1200mm as a special order. These multiple size ranges make it suitable for multi-use applications and allow for a seamless transition from wet areas to main floors.

Modern living room
Featured: Flux Concrete 12×24 Matte Rectified Porcelain Tile.
Italian Porcelain tile
Featured:  Massive Deepice 12X24 Porcelain tile.

Why are concrete tiles so popular?

With a concrete look tile in your home, you’ll get the modern industrial design look of raw concrete with all the advantages of a porcelain tile:

  • Minimal maintenance – unlike the real thing, concrete look tiles once laid, don’t require any regular sealing, grinding or polishing. Repairing cracked cement is also a difficult and expensive process.

  • Easy to clean – all you need to do to keep your tiles looking new is wipe or mop them down when they start to collect dust and dirt.

  • Versatile – concrete tiles are scratch resistant and perfect in all weather conditions due to the various finishes available.

  • Inexpensive – concrete look tiles are a much more affordable option compared with real cement or concrete flooring and it’s also quicker to install.

Designer tips for the industrial concrete look

Can’t decide on how to combine the concrete look with other textures in your space? Our in-store designers can help! Be inspired by our high-quality selection of concrete tiles. Visit us at any of our locations or online.

Modern Japandi Aesthetic bathroom
Featured: Flux Bone 12×24 Matte Rectified Porcelain Tile.
Italian Porcelain tile
Featured:  Geotech Nero 12×24 Porcelain tile.
Italian Porcelain tile
Featured:  Massive Dimgrey 12X24 Porcelain tile.
A minimalist style offers tranquillity.

Your Guide to Tile Materials and Finishes

Successful tiling projects rely on the shared understanding between professionals and customers regarding their vision for their interior design. It’s useful for aspiring renovators to go into an in-person consultation or begin planning their project by knowing what kind of tiles they plan to work with.

And between many variables that come with tile selection, such as choosing a tile size, knowing what colour of tile you need, or mapping out an intricate tile pattern design, an often forgotten, yet incredibly significant, aspect is deciding on a tile finish.

But what are the different types of finishes tiles can have? Here’s a comprehensive list of some tile finishes you may choose when starting your tile project.

Get to Know Tile Materials

Before getting into the specific tile finishes, it is first necessary to differentiate the three most common materials. This will help you narrow down to the particular finishes based on the type of material the tile is made of.

Stone: Perhaps the most durable material, stone tiles are heftier and are often rougher than most other tiles. As their name suggests, they are a completely natural material and are able to withstand wear and tear while offering an industrial aesthetic.

Ceramic: Ceramic tiles combine versatility with cost-efficiency, are made of clay and are detailed with bevelled edges. They are easily adaptable, being able to provide thermal protection, and can even protect from slipping.

Porcelain: While often seen as interchangeable with ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles are made at a higher temperature and made of a ratio of silica and quartz. As such, they are a tad more durable, which is made up for in the increased cost of ceramic. However, they offer the same amount of diversity in tile design.

Types of Tile Finishes

Matte Finish: A smooth finish with very little shine or highlights. Often called dull, a matte finish has a low gloss sheen that reflects less light than other materials but makes up for it by hiding blemishes and minor flaws.

Polished Finish: The glossy finish is highly reflective and goes hand-in-hand with a gloss finish. This material’s surface is ground down to create the finish, resulting in a natural shine that can withstand moisture and stains.

Glossy Finish: Having a mirror-like appearance, a glossy finish coats tiles with a durable glazed coating that can come in a variety of appearances. This type of finish helps to make a room appear larger, given that they naturally reflect light and elongate a surface.

Lapatto (Semi-Gloss) Finish: Partially polished, it gives tiles the appearance of a shiny texture without being as reflective as a full glossy finish.

Satin Finish: This finish is produced in a similar method to polished but uses fewer polishing wheels. This makes it softer than a polished finish, similar to a hybrid between matte and polished finishes.

Brushed Finish: Reminiscent of a matte finish without the shine, a brushed finish gives the appearance of a rough surface while maintaining smoothness. This leaves a textured feeling to them, making them excellent for slip-resistance.

Tumbled Finish: Achieving a tumbled finish sees materials buffed instead of polished, leaving them with a worn look while maintaining elegance. It has a rustic appearance but still stays smooth.

Honed Finish: A stone tile surface that has been ground down, leaving behind a sleek surface with rough edges. Very little light is reflected off of a honed finish and is often seen as the mid-point between a polished and natural finish.

Natural Finish: As the name suggest, this finish sees stone tiles completely untouched (except for the cutting of the tile).

Want to learn more about tile finishes? Visit any of our Tile Town locations, and check out our Instagram for some tile-finish inspiration!

How to Heat Tile Floors Using Schluter DITRA-HEAT

Nothing compares to stepping on a warm floor when waking up on a cold winter morning. The feeling of heat travelling up from your toes is the perfect start to the day.

Installing a floor-heating system doesn’t have to be an expensive addition or tedious process to your renovations. It can even be a DIY project using the Schluter DITRA-HEAT Uncoupling Membrane, or Schluter DITRA-HEAT DUO Uncoupling Membrane.

Both membranes are specifically designed for DITRA-HEAT-E-HK heating cables to be easily installed. The heating cables are responsible for transferring heat from the membrane up through the tiles. The membranes are made out of the same waterproof material as other Schluter products,  making them ideal for bathrooms and other floors around the house that will see high traffic activity.

The differences? The DUO membrane is better suited to be placed over concrete floorings, such as basements, whereas the Schluter DITRA-HEAT Uncoupling Membrane is suited well to be placed over wood. 

Picking the right tile
Like other Schluter products, tiles can be installed directly on the DITRA-HEAT membranes. However, not all tiles are the same and there are some specifications to be aware of when finding the right type of tile. Be sure to refer to the Product Specifications Guide to learn more.

You can also visit any Tile Town location to speak to an expert about tiles that are best suited for the DITRA-HEAT membranes. Our experts will also provide a helping hand in choosing the latest designs and trends that will give your home an elegant, modern look.

These videos guide you step-by-step on how to use install DITRA-Heat.

How to Mix Pantone’s 2023 Colour of the Year Into Your Home’s Interior Design Aesthetic

The start of a new year means it’s time to give your home a fresh start. And with the new year comes the announcement that has interior designers on the edge of their midcentury modern seats: Pantone’s Colour of the Year.

This year, Pantone has chosen Viva Magenta (18-1750) as the colour that will dominate everyone’s palettes throughout 2023. Viva Magenta is a mixture of a rich red with hints of purple and pink, and Pantone describes it as encouraging power, strength, and joy. The colour is purposefully animated, riding the balance between warm and cool in a way that represents the versatility of design in the future — all while being ahead of the yearly trends. 

If you want to add versatility and vigour to your home this year, here’s how to mix Viva Magenta into your home’s aesthetic.

Throw some Viva Magenta on an Accent Wall
An accent wall is a simple way of adding complexity to your dining room or living room walls without overcrowding them with hanging excessive artwork. Whether you’re using a splash of paint to isolate the wall, laying an intricately patterned wallpaper, or using tiles to add texture on top of the featured wall colour, an accent wall will help attract attention while still being subtle enough not to overpower the whole room.

An ideal option for homes tying in contemporary aesthetics with flavourful pops of colour.

Suppose you’re having some hang-ups about an entire accent wall. In that case, you could first try adding an accent backsplash or archway to still simulate the additional colour without compromising your walls in their entirety.

For experimental interior designers, you could also try painting your ceiling Viva Magenta to help this often-forgotten part of your room feel bolder.

Use Decorative Details for a Touch of Colour
For people, a little hesitant to jump straight into Viva Magenta walls but still want to add the crimson red colour into their home, subtle pieces like pillows or throw blankets may serve as a welcoming entry point to the colour.

An armchair of the color of the year Viva Magenta brightens up a neutral room.


Throwing Viva Magenta cushions onto a grey upholstered couch or black leather armchair will ensure that there aren’t competing colours. And a blanket on the back of a sofa could help liven up a primarily monochromatic aesthetic.

Other ways you can add detailing with Viva Magenta:

-Use curtains to simulate an accent wall without completely redoing an entire wall in your living room
-Add a Viva Magenta rug to add a bold colour on top of your tile flooring
-Place some Viva Magenta flowers in a vase and display them around your house
-Give your dining table some glam by putting a Viva Magenta tablecloth on top of it
-Liven up the bedroom with striking Viva Magenta bedding

Breathe New Life into Old Furniture with Fresh Viva Magenta Paint
Whether you have pantry doors that need a touch-up or a dresser that’s grown drab and dated over the years, why not give these staple pieces a makeover by throwing an effervescent colour onto them? Upcycling these pieces of furniture with a new coat of paint will give your home new signature furnishings without breaking the bank.

What’s thrilling about this route for adding in the Colour of the Year is that it can play to your creative strengths, as you can paint as wildly or subtly as you, please.

Maybe you could make a striped pattern on a dresser in your children’s bedroom or paint frames to hang up in your bathroom to give it more personality.

Want expert advice on incorporating this colour into your home? Or have other interior-design-related inquiries? Visit any of our Tile Town locations. We have certified experts ready to help with your interior design needs!

Christmas Hampers at Tile Town Locations Fill Up Quickly

We’re so thankful to everyone who visited our store locations and participated in our Christmas Hamper initiative.

This year we gathered donations for babies, everything from toys and diapers to food and nursery items. We also raised a total of $2,165.00 for our Christmas Hamper program. On behalf of all Tile Town staff, we wish everyone a happy holiday and health in 2023!

Vintage vs. Contemporary: Comparing Timeless Aesthetics

Interior design aesthetics come and go, yet time plays a significant factor in how refined or popularized a style becomes.

In the examples of vintage and contemporary, both aesthetics rely on time to help define their ever-changing elements. While one takes portions of the past and attempts to bring it new life, the other thrives off the current trends that redefine its style, allowing for more flexibility in interior design changes.

With this in mind, here’s a closer look at vintage and contemporary aesthetics, and what it takes to bring one or both into your home.

What is the contemporary aesthetic?
The contemporary style can be simple yet sophisticated, favouring a minimalist approach to interior design. Essentially, as the saying goes, “less is more,” and contemporary lives by these words.

While often mistaken for the modern aesthetic due to their similar approach in simplifying décor, modern pertains to a specific era that has stricter guidelines to achieve, notably from 1900 to the 1950s. On the other hand, contemporary relates to current trends in interior design and has more flexible guidelines as they are continually changing.

Of these guidelines, the most notable design elements include the following:

– Neutrals, blacks, and whites as a focal colour palette
– Lack of prints that distract the eye
– A classic wooden flooring paired with strategically placed textures
– Effective light sources that don’t wash out the neutrals in the room
– Smooth, crisp, and clean geometric silhouettes


Renovators looking to incorporate contemporary aspects in their homes should start by decluttering their larger living areas, as a significant as
aspect of contemporary is featuring a home’s space.

This style also works well with the monochromatic style, as those elements are featured in contemporary’s withdrawn colour palette.

If you’d like your home to maintain the streamlined aesthetic without coming off as too cold or barren, throw in some sleek textiles to offset the modernized look. A striped throw blanket or accent wall may help to add character while not appearing too busy. You could add some texture by installing a penny tile backsplash in your kitchen.

What is the vintage aesthetic?
In contrast to contemporary’s fixation on current design trends, the vintage aesthetic is all about living in the past and making your home a reflection of styles from long ago. By the nature of its name, vintage can be pretty subjective, as anything from any time in the past could technically be considered “vintage.”

Do you still have encaustic tiles on your kitchen floor from when your house was first built? That’s vintage. Or do you have a reclining chair that your parents bought in the 70s? That’s also vintage.

Several terms for different aesthetics are considered vintage, including retro, French-country, shabby-chic, and the ever-popular midcentury modern.

Trendy interior with a retro touch. Midcentury modern furniture, concrete floor
Vintage rugs, retro chairs, and mixed metal accessories give a nod to past aesthetics.

But to narrow down the scope of attaining a vintage look, the most common characteristics include:

– Shades of orange and brown, with hints of brighter colours to add a pop
– A fixation for intricate patterns, such as florals, geometrics, and swirly lines
– Upholstered fabrics, with a particular preference for linen or cotton
– Flooring is either wood or an exciting tile design
– Textiles in the form of long curtains or throw pillows
– Furniture that looks used or worn out (whether intentionally or unintentionally) and upcycling it to be like new


Although you’ll want your furniture to look worn, that doesn’t mean they can’t be maintained — in fact; it’s recommended that you upkeep all of your vintage pieces to help them last longer.

Because vintage pulls from different colour stories, you’ll want to be strategic in the colour choices you make. Your ultimate goal will be to know the balance between too much colour and too little, and knowing which vintage accessories can help contribute to a cohesive palette.

Combining the two aesthetics
Taking the old and merging it with the new can be a much easier task than you might imagine, and while these aesthetics pull from vastly contrasting times, they have many similar elements that make them quite easy to execute alongside each other.

For example, since contemporary typically plays around with neutrals, you could throw in some vintage warm tones to help blend the palettes together. Perhaps in a bathroom with beige walls and white tile flooring, you could throw in a warm hazelnut bathroom mat, or add a vintage shelving unit to display towels and plants (which were a big trend in 2022).

Looking for more interior design advice? Visit any of our Tile Town locations for help from certified professionals — we can help you achieve the aesthetic of your dreams, no matter the era! –

5 Creative Ways to Upcycle Leftover Tiles

So, you’ve just completed your dream tile project — maybe you added that backsplash you’ve always wanted, or you finally replaced those dated tiles for some midcentury modern ones. Whatever the case may be, your project has finally been completed.

However, you still have some leftover tiles. Surely you don’t want these quality tile to go to waste, right?

Well luckily, there are plenty of uses for your spare tiles that you may not have previously considered. Whether they be used for upcycling old pieces of furniture that could use some elevation, or for convenient crafts for items around your home, these DIY tile crafts will ensure no tile goes unused.

  1. Create trendy tile coasters for your drinks to sit on

    Turning your tiles into coasters is a very low-effort way to repurpose tiles. Depending on your cut of tile, this craft may not even require additional cutting — you can simply use the tiles you have regardless of shape or size (so long as a beverage can fit on the tile’s surface).

    To avoid cuts, you’ll want to smooth the edges of your coaster with sandpaper. And to ensure you’re not scratching any glass counters with your tile coaster, you can stick felt to the back of the tile to make it glide easier. Self-adhesive cork sheets are another solution for preventing scratches on surfaces.

    If you feel so inclined (or perhaps you have a creative in the household), you can even paint the top of your tile coasters for a personalized feel.

  2. Use larger tiles as chic serving trays

    For those who frequently have guests over, whether for the holiday season or because you’re notoriously great hosts, you’ll know the importance of presentation when it comes to serving food or drinks. Why not treat your guests to some unique serving trays that match your accent wall tiles?

    Larger tiles are a better choice for executing this project, as you’ll be able to cut down to the perfect size you want and have more room for modification. To add support to your tile, add a piece of wood to the back of tile — you can either measure and cut the wood yourself, or visit your local hardware store for assistance.

    Once you have your tile and your wood, simply glue the tile to the wood, and add a finish to the tile to preserve the tile’s integrity. Handles for your tray can be added once your tray has finished drying.

    If you’re less adventurous, you could also just use small square tiles and glue them to a wooden tray to give it a much-needed makeover.

  3. Revamp your bathroom mirror with a tile border

    Mirrors are one of our most frequently used items in our household, and yet they tend to receive the least aesthetic flare in comparison to other items and areas in your home that you continually rework. Having extra tiles is the perfect chance for you to give your mirror the transformation it deserves.

    Some ideas for a mirror makeover:

    -Take your leftover penny tiles and create a border around your bathroom mirror that will match your shower tiles
    -Use tile sheets to put square tiles around your standing mirror so that it has as much pizazz as you when you’re posing in it
    -Create an intricate mosaic piece around your mirror by cutting intricate shapes with differently designed tiles, and strategically placing them around the mirror

4. Breathe new life into your plants with tiled pots and planters

Avid plant enthusiasts often find that there are very limited options in the field of eye-catching planters and plant boxes. Why stick to the typical clay pots when you can house your plants in their own unique, trendy pots?

With this upcycling method, you can either create your own planters by gluing tiles together with dowels in their corners to create a square-shaped tile pot, or simply take tile sheets and adhere them to rectangular planters. Either way, these projects require no use of power tools, just glue, so it’s easy for any inexperienced crafters.

5. Match your table tops with your backsplash or flooring

A popular trend we’ve seen return again and again is the monochromatic look, which takes a single colour palette and uses it for an entire focal point for décor and accents. If you’re looking to achieve this without breaking the bank on new furniture, why not reuse some tiles from your kitchen island remodeling and cover a coffee table or side table with the same tiles?

Simply take your tiles and lay them along your tabletops in a similar fashion that you would if you were laying tiles on floor or counter. You’re basically just completing a typical tiling project, except instead you’re doing it on a tabletop.

Ready to get creative? Follow us on Instagram to get more inspiration, and tag us in any DIY’d projects you complete.