Shaped Tiles

Shaped tiles break the grid. This range holds hexagons, kites, chevrons, penny rounds, herringbone and fish scale, from 25x25 mm hexagons to 100x300 mm kites. Most are sold as sheets of about 250 to 365 mm a side.

Materials include natural stone and glass as well as ceramic and porcelain. Finishes run matt, honed, gloss and satin. Colours are led by white and black, with green, grey, pink and blue. Where a listing states a use, it is walls.

A shaped tile wants a calm room. Tile one wall, a niche or a splashback band, then keep the rest plain. Pair it with at most three materials, such as stone, timber and plaster, and one metal finish.

• Keep the sheet seam invisible. The gap between sheets should match the gap between pieces.
• Dry-lay a few sheets and rotate them to spread colour and pattern evenly.
• Plan cuts for corners and ceilings so no piece ends as a sliver.
• Pick grout to match the tile for a soft result, or contrast it to draw the shape.

Honed and matt faces show light softly. Gloss faces show broken, uneven reflections, which suit a wall lit from the side.

To estimate boxes, measure the wall in square metres, subtract openings, and add 10% for cuts. Add 15% for handmade-look edges. Shaped tiles cut more than squares do, so lean to the higher figure on small walls with many corners. Divide by the box coverage on the listing. A 2 m² niche wall with 15% becomes 2.3 m². At 1.03 m² a box, that is three boxes.

See also mosaic tiles and finger tiles.