You may have identified your dream tiles for tiling a kitchen wall, splashback or floor in your home – but choosing the ideal tiling patterns when laying your tiles will be just as important to the finished look of the space.
There are several popular tiling patterns, including straight lay, running bond, diagonal, herringbone, basketweave and chevron. Each option has implications for the laying process, finished look and function of the tiled surface.
We asked tiling experts about the pros and cons of the most popular tile patterns – and how each layout could play into your home renovation.
1. Straight lay
In a straight lay pattern, square or rectangular tiles of equal size are laid in a simple, continuous grid, with all of the joints lining up perfectly.
“We call this pattern ‘square bond’, and it’s normally the easiest to lay because you just lay each tile to follow the joints of the last,” says Ryan Renforth of R.I Tiling Specialists. “You can work out your cuts for the edge tiles easily, because they’ll all be one size.”
Ryan advises that a straight lay pattern tends to look best with large tiles. “If you’re using smaller tiles, I’d usually recommend a brick bond layout instead,” he says.
According to Kate Cadman, Collections Curator at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, which runs Jackfield Tile Museum, the availability of square tiles boomed during the industrial revolution, as mass producers set up shop in areas including Shropshire and Staffordshire.
“Manufacturers offered mix-and-match square tiles, often 6 x 6 inches, with certain standard colours and repeating patterns that could be put together in different arrangements,” she says. “This provided options for doing hallways, square rooms, tiling a wall and various other uses, depending on how the tiles were laid out.”
R.I Tiling Specialists is a Newcastle based tiling firm renowned for its work laying complicated patterns, large format tiles and small, intricate layouts including mosaics and herringbone. The firm’s tilers will work with any pattern, layout or tile size.
Ceramicist and tile expert, Kate Cadman, is Collections Curator at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. The trust operates a group of heritage attractions in Shropshire, including Jackfield Tile Museum, a former tile factory where historic tiles are now exhibited.
2. Running bond (brick or offset)
Running bond tiling is set out like brickwork, with a few variations offering slightly different looks and structural qualities. You’ll recognise this category of tiling patterns from public spaces such as underground stations, as well as home interiors.
“It’s often done using subway-style metro tiles, which are normally rectangular and straight,” says Ryan Renforth.
The key variants of running bond are:
- Brick bond – each row is offset by 50% of a tile’s width from the row above
- Offset bond – each row offset by less than 50%
- Third bond – each row is offset by one third
Traditionally, running bond patterns are laid horizontally, but vertical arrangements are increasingly popular.
Whatever the orientation, these patterns are mostly used on walls, often when tiling bathrooms or kitchens. This is linked to their structural strength, with each tile supported by two tiles beneath it, as well as by adhesive. With that said, running bond is sometimes used with floor tiles too – especially with large kitchen floor tiles.
“Wall patterns like brickwork with alternate courses give you a stronger bond onto the wall,” says Kate Cadman. “If the tiles were in a grid, one tile getting loose means the tile above it is not supported.”
If using a running bond laying pattern, think carefully about the size of the tiles. “Doing it with big tiles can make a room feel smaller, whereas using smaller tiles can make the space feel large,” advises Ryan Renforth.
Shop for tile laying kit
Tile spacers ensure the grout-filled joints between the tiles are evenly sized. For a running bond layout, T-shaped spacers are best
A multi-purpose tiling grout and adhesive kit including two adhesive spreaders and a large squeegee
A tile levelling system to help ensure flatness between tiles to avoid movement during the mortar setting
3. Diagonal
Much like tile materials or tile decoration, a tile laying pattern can be an aesthetic feature which adds beauty, interest or movement to an interior design.
One popular option for visual impact is a diagonal (or ‘diamond’) laying pattern, which is essentially a straight lay pattern on a tilt.
“We call this pattern ‘on the 45’, as the tiles are at a 45-degree angle,” says Ryan Renforth. “Over the last 20 years or so it has fallen out of fashion in wall tiling, but it’s really effective for traditional floor tiling with natural stone tiles, or in a checkerboard pattern with two colours.”
A diagonal or diamond laying pattern is commonly used in small spaces such as in hallway flooring ideas, with its diagonal lines producing the illusion of a larger area. The main downside is that cutting the triangular edge pieces is relatively difficult and can lead to considerable wastage.
4. Herringbone
Herringbone tiling has made a style statement in lovingly decorated homes since ancient times, seeing spikes in popularity in the Victorian period and the early 20th century.
“You see little bits of herringbone in Medieval tiling, and I think in some cases it’s actually practical in that it gives you a better surface, especially on floors,” says Kate Cadman. “If tiles are in a grid of straight lines you can get faults running through them, whereas with herringbone the pressure is spread differently so you get a stronger surface.”
Traditionally, a herringbone pattern is made up of diagonally zig-zagging rows of tiles which nest vertically into angled columns, reminiscent of a herring’s ribs.
“It’s all the rage at the moment, but it’s also one of the most difficult patterns to lay – a lot of tilers don’t do it because they find it too tricky, particularly when it comes to wrapping the pattern around corners on walls,” says Ryan Renforth.
“You can make the job easier by doing a straight herringbone pattern which is at 90 degrees, so all of the cuts that meet the walls are straight. But the traditional 45-degree herringbone with angled cuts at the sides is probably the more popular option.”
5. Basketweave
Among the more sophisticated tiling patterns currently favoured by many interior designers, a basketweave layout uses multiple tile sizes to create a weave or lattice effect.
“This style seems to be getting a little more popular – we’ve done a few basketweave floors in recent years,” says Ryan Renforth. “It’s a lot easier to lay than herringbone or chevron. Assuming you’re using rectangular tiles, it’s just a repetitive pattern and straight cuts for the edge tiles.”
Basketweave is a traditional pattern, previously popular in arts and crafts homes. Some homeowners simply straight lay a grid of tiles printed with a basketweave design to approximate the look of this laying pattern with minimal effort.
6. Chevron
Not to be confused with herringbone, a chevron laying pattern is made up of zig-zag rows where each tile meets the tiles on either side with a vertical join, creating a V-shaped pattern.
“This pattern came into fashion a while back, but seems to have disappeared over the last five years while a lot of people been going for herringbone instead,” says Ryan Renforth. “It looks good but is possibly the most difficult of all patterns to lay, because getting the angles right is really tricky.”
The history of chevron patterns in tiling and household decoration goes back centuries, possibly with chivalric roots, according to Kate Cadman.
Key considerations when choosing a laying pattern
Above all, choosing the best tile pattern for your flooring or wall is a matter of personal taste. A tiled surface can be purely functional, or it can be for a decorative feature wall, providing opportunity to put your stamp on large areas of the home.
“Sometimes the reasons to lay tiles in a certain pattern are practical, sometimes they’re aesthetic, and it’s often a combination of both,” confirms Kate Cadman.
With that said, there are some practical factors to bear in mind. More complicated laying patterns such as chevron or diagonal tend to add cost, due to increased tile wastage and labour (and possibly a smaller choice of willing tilers!) Some patterns require tiles in a specific shape, as is true of herringbone, which must be made up of rectangular tiles.
Also consider the grout lines that will be created by your chosen laying pattern, as these may stand out more than the tiles themselves. The lines can draw the eye or make a space feel larger, so you might choose to highlight them with a contrasting grout colour for heightened effect.
If your aim is to show off a tiling pattern and maximise its impact, you might choose a coloured grout to help the lines stand out.
FAQs
What’s the best way to choose a tiling pattern to suit a period property?
If you're renovating a Victorian house or period property, you might choose to lay tiles in patterns that match trends from the building’s era. Kate Cadman recommends seeking advice from an expert source such as the Tiles & Architectural Ceramics Society, as it can be difficult to find clear information on how certain laying patterns have been used during specific periods.
Where a historic property has retained original features that you’d like to make a focus, architect, Theo Jones, of Fynn suggests taking a ‘less is more’ approach to choosing a tile laying pattern.
“Always focus on what best supports the architecture, not just what looks good on Pinterest,” he says, “and consider that you’re often paying for the glaze, colour, texture or material of the tiles. Over-complicating the pattern can distract from that material quality rather than elevating it.”
Theo Jones is Director of Fynn, an Islington-based architecture and interior design firm which specialises in renovating or extending historic buildings. He is a member of RIBA.
How can I make a complicated tiling pattern blend into an interior design?
Elaborate tiling patterns such as herringbone or chevron can make a positive aesthetic impact, but Theo Jones advises that it’s important to account for how the pattern is assimilated into the home.
“If a pattern ends into a corner and stops abruptly, it can look unresolved, so consider adding a border, a plain margin or a deliberate frame,” he says. “The Victorian tiled hallway is a classic reference because it nearly always uses a simpler border to make the pattern feel intentional. If the pattern can’t turn a corner without awkward cuts or obvious discontinuity, it may be the wrong pattern for that space, or it needs a border to handle the transition.”
Need more tiling inspiration? Read our roundups of the best bathroom tiling ideas, kitchen floor tile ideas and before you start, make sure you know the most common tiling mistakes so you can avoid them.
