A traditional herringbone tile pattern can be incorporated into any part of your home’s interior design scheme to add a touch of flair and style, from the kitchen to that bathroom as well as the living area and entry way. Herringbone wall tiles or floor tiles are an especially popular design solution that will add a glamorous yet timeless pattern in the home. These exciting tiles come in all sorts of different styles and materials to complement any interior style, from classic to contemporary. We explore the many different designer options available in herringbone tile options to help you dress up any boring space in your home that may need a fashionable makeover!
What are Herringbone Tiles?
Firstly, what exactly are herringbone tiles? Herringbone tiles are named as such as they resemble the alignment of bones in a fish. The herringbone pattern has become popular in many different design aspects, showing up in textiles, wallpapers and of course, tile design. This classic pattern is made up of a series of interlocking rectangular shapes that are laid at a 45 degree angle to form a zig-zag pattern. You will find many exciting tile options available that can be laid in a herringbone pattern from luxurious natural stone subway tiles to elegant porcelain or ceramic tile varieties that will add a glamorous and timeless quality to your home’s interior design scheme.
Caption: Rustic, charcoal tones herringbone tiles are used in this modern bathroom design scheme to complement the warm timber and marble of the vanity unit. The tiles are featured on the flooring and then run straight up the shower’s wall for maximum impact in the space.
Herringbone vs. Chevron Tiles: What is the Difference?
Herringbone and chevron tile patterns are often confused as their patterns can be quite similar at first glance. Although they both form a zig-zag style made up of tiles laid at a 45 degree angle, these two tile pattern actually use a slightly different tile shape to achieve their design. A traditional herringbone tile pattern uses rectangular shapes that are laid in a way as to interlock with the next tile in the design. A chevron tile pattern however is made up of parallelogram shaped tiles with the sharp, angled ends meeting together to form a pointed ‘V’ shape.
How to use Herringbone Tiles in the Home
Herringbone tiles can be used in any area of the home from the kitchen and laundry to the bathroom and more. These trending tiles provide an excellent feature element in any space! A herringbone tile pattern can be incorporated into your kitchen’s design scheme as a splashback tile option or even as a cladding option for your kitchen island’s cabinetry. Cladding a kitchen island in a hard wearing material such as wall tiles will provide immense protection in this area, especially if your kitchen island includes a seating area where scuffs and marks can easily occur on the exposed face of the cabinets.
Herringbone tile patterns are also a popular choice for the bathroom; these tiles are often used to create feature walls and floor in a bathroom design scheme, adding a glamorous finishing touch to the space that lends itself exceptionally well to both classic and contemporary themes.
Caption: 3D tiles are a popular choice for use as a feature wall tile in the home, being especially popular as a wall finish in the living space or entry way. These types of tiles combine raised and lowered surfaces to create a spectacular three dimensional effect that highlights shadows and light for a dramatic finishing touch to any interior design scheme.
You may also consider creating a herringbone design throughout your home’s interior spaces as an all-over flooring solution. Timber tiles are a popular choice for this style as they easily emulate the look and feel of traditional hardwood timber flooring using a durable porcelain material instead. Timber tiles can even be run through into wet areas such as the bathroom and laundry room for example, allowing you to create a seamless flooring solution throughout the home.
Installation Tips for Laying Herringbone Tiles
Laying herringbone tiles can be a time consuming and costly exercise as there is more time, care and thus, labour involved in their layout. This is why it is often recommended that an experienced tiler lay this type of layout in order to achieve the very best results.
Caption: Many collections of porcelain tiles can be used as both a floor or wall tile option, making them extremely popular for use in the kitchen thanks to their impressive abilities in standing up against staining, scratching, heat and moisture.
The best way to start your herringbone tile pattern is to mark the centre point of the space being tiled whether this is a floor area or a wall. The tile pattern should start from this central point and work its way to the outer limits of the space for a perfectly symmetrical layout. Prior to actually laying your tiles, you will also want to perform what is referred to as a ‘dry lay’. This refers to the process of laying your tiles out on a sheet first (without the use of adhesives or tile grout, etc.) in order to plan out the tile placement before the tiles are properly laid. By performing this task, you can ensure you have the perfect layout design planned while also ensuring an evenly distributed amount of tile variations in your newly tiled area, a feature that is especially important if you are using natural stone tiles or another type of tile material that features variations in colour or tone.
Dressing up a bland wall in the home is simple with the use of high quality wall tiles and the use of stylish patterns such as the trending herringbone tile layout. These stylish tiles are available in all sorts of different styles, materials, colours and finishes, allowing you to experiment with a range of different interior design themes and perfectly complement your home’s overall style. From luxurious and opulent natural stone tiles to hard wearing and durable porcelain or ceramic tiles, you are sure to find a stylish herringbone option to suit your style and budget!
