BEYOND THE RECTANGLE: EXPLORING SHAPED TILES
Today there are more interesting shapes, colours, sizes, and textures of tile to choose from than ever before. The traditionally square or rectangles tiles are increasingly replaced (or complemented) by more playful shapes like hexagonal, echelon, penny round, chevron and others. Even the more traditional shapes are made more exciting through interesting laying patterns, such as herringbone.
Below we explore some of our favourite picks for uniquely shaped tiles. For even more examples of unique shapes, follow our Instagram account, where we’ll be posting finished interiors and products featuring neat tile shapes.
A 3D take on wall tiles: The Arc series
If you’re looking for a truly unique collection of wall tiles, look no further than our Arc series. Featuring a raised 3D surface in an arc shape and 5 great colours, this series allows for a variety of playful designs combinations that will make for unforgettable spaces.
Arc series in Polar White
Arc series in Dove cream
Diamonds are your best friend: The Queen Series
A simple but unique shape, the diamond-shaped tile can be found in our new Queen series of porcelain tiles. Available in 2 contemporary colours: Snow White and Tender Grey with a glossy finish. They’re a selection of wall tiles that would be suitable for both commercial and residential spaces.
Queen series in Snow White
The Queen series is available in 2 glossy colours:
The world is your Kanvas
The Kanvas series is inspired by the look of plastered concrete walls, showing the brush strokes and passages of paint rollers. The result is a soft, slightly textured surface, offered in a neutral earth toned colour palette. Playing with colour combinations and different shaped tiles in this series make it suitable for a large variety of projects, particularly in a large spaces. Suitable for both wall and floor applications in residential and commercial spaces. Some of the creative patterns created with the rhombus shaped tile in this series are featured below.
Learn more about the Kanvas series from our Kanvas Series product guide.
Explore more colours from the new Kanvas series:
The best of both worlds: Hex & Marble
The timeless beauty of marble is combined with the trendy hexagon shape in our Roma series of porcelain tile. Available in 4 colour variations in hexagons and bricks, which are complemented by 2 hexagonal decor options that feature different coloured marble borders. The Roma series tiles are suitable for both floor and wall applications.
Roma in Statuario Hexagon
Roma in Grafite Hexagon
Roma in Imperial Herringbone style
More variations of the Roma Series:
Heavy Metal: Aluminum Series
Combine the sleek metallic look of aluminum with a range of different shapes and you’ve got our Aluminum series. Available in various sizes and patterns, with a brushed finish. This series is meant for interior residential and commercial wall applications only, and is not suitable for wet applications.
Aluminum series in Diamond Cube Bronze
Aluminum series in Diamond Mosaic Silver Blend
Other variations from the Aluminum series:
Any Colour Your Like
Our very popular Colours and Dimension series, which features over 30 different colours and 7 different sizes, is now available in the coveted chevron pattern. The chevron pattern tiles are available in 7 modern colours, ranging from arctic white to black, suitable for wall applications in both residential and commercial spaces.
See more colours from the Chevron verision of the Colours & Dimension Series:
Natural Stone Mosaic from our Boutique Selection
A modern, trendy echelon pattern mosaic in three attractive marbles. For residential and commercial walls, and residential floors.
Boutique series in Echelon Pattern Mosaic in Oriental White
Explore more products from the Boutique series:
FIND THE PERFECT WOOD LOOK FOR YOUR SPACE
Wood has a natural warmth and appeal that many other materials do not. Initially only appearing in the homes of wealthy families, these floors used to be painstakingly created using hand-cutting processes. Though unquestioningly warm and beautiful, wood floors have accompanying issues: wood planks can crack and separate, they can cup (center dips lower than the edges), they can crown (center is higher than the plank’s edges), buckle, and more. Moisture, time, and temperature changes have detrimental effects on natural wood floors over time.
Luckily today, with modern technology, we have such high powered printing and imaging capabilities that we can replicate the most beautiful wooden patterns on other materials, such as porcelain. Wood-look porcelain tile will possess the look and feel of wood, along with other advantages:
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Less prone to scratches, cracks, dents, and chips
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Easier maintenance
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Outdoor applications (the durability of porcelain tiles allows for effective outdoor applications)
There are also considerable advantages when it comes to choosing a wood-look tile: you will have more selection in terms of colours, sizes, grains, mixed materials, and finishes.
Take a look below at the selection of gorgeous wood replica collections we have available at Olympia Tile.
Yaki Series
This collection is named after an ancient Japanese technique consisting in the carbonisation of wood planks making them waterproof and fireproof, still used in modern architecture. This technique is re-interpreted through our Yaki collection which is rectified, available in four colours and two different surfaces.
Woodessenze Series
Simple and elegant wood replica available in five natural colours . For residential walls and floors; as well for commercial walls and generally heavy traffic wear floors.
Nirvana Series
Inspired by the concept of wood dried by the sun, this rustic wood replica gives a vintage feel, stocked in 48" planks.
Spectrum Series
Wood effect porcelain stoneware series that plays with colours and decorations in a unique painted wood look.
Noon Series
Noon is a series of unglazed porcelain planks with a warm and contemporary wood look. The aged wood replica is available in 5 colours, 2 surface finishes and also offers chevron cut planks.
10 GORGEOUS EXAMPLES OF MOSAICS AROUND THE WORLD
Aristotle is credited with the idea that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’, it certainly holds true when we look at mosaics. Mosaics refer to the art of creating images or patterns by assembling small pieces of glass or stone. Here we look at the world’s most beautiful mosaic creations, we hope they inspire your future creations and use of mosaics in your space.
Guell Park, Barcelona
This magical park in the city of Barcelona is a masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi. We highly recommend you visit this unforgettable natural paradise, there are lots of mosaic-covered structures throughout.
Pic source: Joo Chiat
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican State, Italy
A mammoth of a structure, everything about St. Peter’s Basilica will blow you away. Remember when you’re looking up that each one of the paintings you see is actually a mosaic. Take a tour of the great dome to get a closer look at the painstakingly detailed work of art.
Pic source: Lux Life
Great Mosque, Corduba, Spain
A great example of Moorish architecture, the great mosque/cathedral of Cordoba features a variety of coloured mosaics.
Source: Persian Visual Arts
Tomb of Hafez, Shiraz, Iran
If you ever get the chance to visit this structure, remember to look up. The underside of the dome here contains an enamelled tile mosaic.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
One of the world’s largest mosaics is housed in this cathedral. Made up of over 41 million individual pieces, it took over 76 years to complete!
Source: Stephen Travels
Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Designed by Burle Marx, this gorgeous sidewalk is right on the beachfront of Copacabana Beach.
Source: Viajante
Mosaic staircase San Francisco, USA
This beauty was created with the help of over 300 volunteers. Lead by Irish mosaic artist Colette Crutcher, you can see this gorgeous mosaic staircase in San Francisco.
Source: Yelp
New York City Subway
You don’t always need to travel across the ocean or go to a museum to see mosaic art, if you are ever in the Big Apple, just head underground to see intricate works of mosaic art.
Source: Artaic
The Great Pavement, Westminster Abbey, London, England
If you have a particular affinity for interiors, you may have noticed that during the last royal wedding - held in the Westminster Abbey - that the newlyweds walked on a great mosaic floor. The floor is referred to as the Great Pavement, it’s the area right by the High Altar, commissioned by Henry III.
Source: Weiner Elementary
Pavilion Hall, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Not native to Russia, the floor mosaic in this hall is actually a replica of a mosaic unearthed at the ancient Roman bath in Ocriculum, Italy.
Find more mosaics from around the world on our Pinterest board.
