How much the pattern should speak
The patterns available cover very different registers, and the first thing to decide is how much you want the surface to be noticed. The geometrics and the patchwork designs are the most assertive: they build a pattern that reads from a distance and work when they are meant to be the strong element in the room. The floral has a more drawn, almost graphic line, and holds up better on contained surfaces where the detail can be looked at close up.
The textural surfaces sit at the opposite end: the pattern is there but stays understated, and the surface reads more as a moving background than as decoration. They are the choice for anyone who wants character without committing to a declared pattern. On how patterned tiles returned to the centre of contemporary interiors we have written a dedicated piece.
How to dose it
Decoration works better on a defined surface than spread everywhere: a shower wall, the panel behind the hob, the end wall of a living room, a niche. Across a whole room the pattern cancels itself out, because the eye stops recognising it as an element and reads it as background — which is the exact opposite of the reason for choosing it.
Being porcelain, though, the use is not as constrained as on a ceramic wall tile: the very low water absorption and the abrasion resistance allow it on floors as well, for instance to mark out an entrance or a circulation route. The 60x120 size helps in both cases, because a few tiles cover a whole wall and reduce the number of joints that would break up the pattern.
Where it works and with what
The natural rooms are the bathroom and the kitchen, where a decorated surface solves two points that otherwise stay anonymous: the shower wall and the splashback. In both cases porcelain takes steam, splashes and daily cleaning products better than a ceramic wall tile.
On pairings there is only one rule: decoration needs a background that does not compete. The most reliable combination is with a neutral surface from the same colour family — concrete-effect porcelain tiles are the most frequent choice, because their evenness leaves the pattern all the visual space.
Frequently asked questions
What size are the decorative tiles available in?
In 60x120, which makes it possible to cover a wall with few tiles and to keep the pattern readable without frequent interruptions.
Is a porcelain decorative tile harder-wearing than a ceramic wall tile?
Yes. Porcelain has very low water absorption and higher abrasion resistance than glazed ceramic wall tiles: it takes frequent washing, steam and cleaning products without dulling, which is why it can be used on floors as well as on walls.
How many pieces are needed for a wall?
It depends on the surface to be covered, but 60x120 helps keep the piece count down: tiles of that size cover more area with fewer joints, and the pattern stays readable even on wide walls. As with any installation it is worth calculating the surface with a margin for cuts and ordering everything at once, because the pattern has to be aligned from one tile to the next.
