To make your space visually appealing, it is important to choose the wall tiles wisely keeping every essential factor in mind. Not only the design and pattern, but the quality, durability, and a lot of other factors should be taken into consideration. If you are looking for the best modern wall tile designs for your space, you must be aware of some important features to look for in the tiles. Without considering these factors, you cannot make the right choice.
Even if you have decided on the color, design, and pattern, you will have to check for a lot of other factors to ensure that you don’t end up regretting later. Let us discuss some most important features to look for when choosing wall tiles for your home:
1. Type of Tile
Before you move forward in the process of choosing modern wall tiles for your home, it is essential to understand different tile types. Modern tile manufacturers like H&R Johnson offer majorly three types of wall tiles, which include:
- Ceramic Tiles: Ceramic tiles are one of the most widely used types of wall tiles. These are made by mixing earthen clay with water. Ceramic tiles are usually preferred for kitchen or bathroom walls. They have high porosity, which makes them prone to stains and scratches.
- Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tiles are like an enhanced version of ceramic tiles. These are prepared using a process called vitrification in which, they have to undergo extreme pressure and temperature, which makes them denser and mechanically stronger. These tiles have comparatively low porosity. Hence, they are more durable and resistant to stains and scratches.
- Glazed Vitrified Tiles: These are just vitrified tiles with an additional layer of glaze over them. By adding the glaze, these tiles are given an even a more smooth surface. Glazed vitrified tiles have the least porosity, which makes them most durable and highly resistant to stains, scratches, and easy wear and tear. Glazed vitrified wall tiles can be used in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchen or bathroom backsplashes, and even in outdoor walls.
2. The Right Size
Another feature to consider when choosing tiles for your space is the right size of tiles. The size should depend on various factors, including where you want to install the , what is the overall size of that space, and your own preferences. Wall tiles for bedrooms or living rooms are usually larger than the wall tiles for kitchens tiles bathrooms.
Apart from this, keep in mind the fact that larger tiles make your space look larger by giving it a consistent look. If you have used large format tiles on the floor, you can go for small to average sizes for walls. On the other hand, if your floor has smaller tiles, you can consider going for large-sized wall tiles.
At H&R Johnson, you can find some great options for wall tiles in various shapes and sizes. Whether you are looking for smaller subway tiles, long rectangular tile planks, large-format wall tiles for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or living room, and the standard 30x60cm tiles for Bathroom & Kitchen, they have plenty of design options available in almost every size.
3. The Right Shape
The next feature is the list is the right shape of tiles. Wall tiles usually come in two shapes, including square-shaped and rectangular tiles. Your choice should depend on what type of look you intend to achieve.
If you are looking to create a mosaic pattern, small square-shaped tiles would be a good choice. For this, you can consider Johnson’s 10.8×10.8 cm ceramic square tiles in plain solid colors.[1] On the other hand, if you want to create specific patterns like herringbone, chevron, brick pattern, etc, you can either go for subway tiles or rectangular tile planks. For this, H&R Johnson’s 10×30.2 cm ceramic subway tiles and 20 x 120 cm glazed vitrified tiles are highly suitable.[2]
If you prefer larger sizes, you can check out the 120 x 180 cm, 120×240 cm, and 80×160 cm glazed vitrified tiles in their Porselano Royale Collection, which has plenty of visually appealing tile designs. You can install these tiles in your living room, bedroom, or even in bathroom backsplashes. These large-sized tiles can immediately enhance the overall look of your space, making it look premium and expensive.
4. The Right Color
The color of tiles also plays a vital role in your room’s overall vibe. While brighter colors can make it look more spacious, bold and dark colors give your space a premium modern appearance. You can choose the right color based on the existing decor of your space, the color of floor tiles, and other factors, such as the size of your room. The color of wall tiles need not match floor tiles but should complement them. Even if you are opting for a completely contrasting color, make sure that it suits your room’s overall theme and decor.
5. Design and Pattern
The design and pattern of wall tiles are also two important considerations when choosing the right wall tiles for your space. Do some research to find out the latest trending designs in wall tiles. Some of the most popular designs and patterns in wall tiles include wood-look GVTs, marble-look tiles, geometric designs, tiles with abstract patterns, floral pattern tiles, and digitally printed wall tiles.
Floral patterns and digitally printed wall tiles are usually preferred for kitchen and bathroom walls. For the living room or bedroom walls, you can consider large format wood-look tiles or marble look tiles. H&R Johnson has a wide range of designs and patterns available in modern wall tiles. You can check out Johnson’s collection of wall tiles[4] and get any design as per your preference.
6. Texture and Finish
Although finish becomes a more important factor to consider when choosing floor tiles, you can take it into account for wall tiles as well. Tiles with a glossy or polished finish reflect natural light better, making your room look brighter and more open. On the other hand, a matt and textured finish makes designs look more realistic.
You can choose a finish based on what type of design you are opting for. For wood-look GVTs, it is best to choose matt finish tiles as they give a more realistic look. If you are going for marble-look tiles, you can choose glossy finish tiles for a premium look. If you are going for more intricate designs and want to add depth to your space, you can go for textured finish tiles.
7. Ease of Maintenance
In order to ensure long-lasting durability of tiles, make sure that you consider ease of cleaning and maintenance of the wall tiles. Glazed Vitrified tiles with glossy or polished finish are the easiest to clean. These tiles are resistant to stains and scratches and also have very low porosity, you can easily clean them by simply wiping them off with a mild cleaning agent and water.
Keep in mind that fewer grout lines mean easier cleaning. Therefore, it is recommended to choose large format tiles, especially if you are installing them in bigger spaces like bedrooms or living rooms. Properties like easy cleaning and scratch resistance make glazed vitrified tile the easiest to maintain and hence a preferred choice for many.
8. Water Absorption
This is yet another factor that makes ceramic, vitrified, and glazed vitrified wall tiles better than other options. These tiles are resistant to moisture and hence do not get damaged even if continuously exposed to water and humidity. This is one of the most important features to look for in wall tiles, especially when choosing tiles for wet spaces like the kitchen or the bathroom. Reputed brands like H&R Johnson offer high-quality wall tiles that are resistant to water and hence extremely durable.
9. Stain and Scratch Resistance
If the tiles are not resistant to stains and scratches, they will not last long and hence will cost you a lot in maintenance. This is yet another factor that makes glazed vitrified wall tiles the best option to consider. As they have the least porosity, they are highly resistant against stains and scratches. Vitrified and glazed vitrified tiles can retain their original appearance for years or even deceased to come just with basic cleaning. On the other hand, other materials like marble or real wood can easily get stains or scratches over them.
10. Durability
For long-lasting durability, you have to look for the above-mentioned factors, including stain resistance, scratch resistance, low water absorption, low porosity, etc, in your wall tiles. If you choose wall tiles keeping all these factors in mind, they will last long. Durability is directly influenced by mechanical strength, stain, and scratch resistance properties, and ease of maintenance. Therefore, glazed vitrified tiles again seem to be the best option here.
Concluding Thoughts
After going through all the above points, you might have understood that choosing wall tiles for your house should not be a random decision. Apart from the design and pattern, you have to consider durability, ease of cleaning, size, shape, and plenty of other factors.
Although glazed vitrified tiles are the best in terms of durability and mechanical strength, you can even consider ceramic wall tiles for bathrooms or kitchens. But make sure that you purchase from a trusted tile brand like H&R Johnson, which is known for the long-lasting durability and best designs of its tiles.