Inspired by traditional designs, our Victorian floors are the perfect option for creating classically inspired spaces.
Armatile has nearly 50 years of experience with Victorian tile flooring and today we’re going to show you how to choose the colours and patterns that best suit your home or project.
What are Victorian Tiles?
Victorian Tiles are a series of smaller tiles that make up a repeating pattern. Traditionally they are surrounded by borders and corners that complement the design of the main floor.
The designs originated in aristocratic homes and churches in the 1800s and gradually spread to more common usage, especially in Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian era homes constructed in major UK cities pre-war.
What are Victorian Panels, Borders and Corners?
Victorian panels are the repeating patterns that form the main body of a Victorian tile floor design. We manufacture our repeating Victorian patterns on mesh-backed panels to ensure installation is quick and simple for the installer.
Borders and corners are exactly as they sound; These components surround the panels to tie the whole design together. They follow a similar colour scheme and are in turn surrounded by small field tiles to help outline the Victorian tile floor design and centre the layout.
Where should I use Victorian Tiles?
Victorian tiles are best used in feature areas in the home such as hallways, bathrooms, kitchens and patios/pathways to create welcoming features with an uplifting aesthetic and kerb-appeal.
Due to the materials used in the creation of the tiles, which have a naturally high slip resistance, as well as their high surface tension they are a safe choice for high traffic areas.
How do I choose the right Victorian Tiles for my home?
To choose the right tiles, the first step is to determine WHERE your tiles are going:
Victorian Tiles in Hallways:
If you are installing Victorian Tiles in your hallway, you should consider the existing colour scheme and features of that room to ensure your new floor complements that space. For example, in a period home is there a stain-glass decoration on doors or dividing panels? The size of your hallway will also affect what designs and patterns make the best use of the space available to you. Bear in mind that Victorian tile patterns are designed to be distinctive and attractive and work best when complementing the existing décor in a home.
Victorian Tiles in Bathrooms:
In smaller bathrooms complex patterns on the floor make best use of the space. A good rule of thumb to follow is the smaller the repeating pattern, the bigger the room will feel as you will see of the design. If space is not an issue, then the world is your oyster! As long as you consider the natural lighting then any design and colour scheme can be made to work.
Victorian Tiles for Porches & Pathways:
Originally, Victorian Tiles were used outdoors as a status symbol, adding a touch of grandeur to homes. Nowadays, they help to create kerb-appeal as a stunning outdoor feature. Beyond the inherent aesthetic value our Victorian tiles, due to their effective slip-rating (PTV+36), are perfectly suited for outdoor use as well. The main considerations for choosing tiles outdoors are finding the combination of colours and patterns that make the entrance to your home most welcoming.
What are traditional Victorian Tile Designs?
Traditional Victorian tile designs use a specific range of shades and colours to create patterns.
Black & white, and burnt reddish-brown colours dominate the traditional design schemes and this leads to a very distinctive, classic aesthetic.
The shapes are predominantly a mix of triangles and squares, with the latter sometimes angled to look like diamonds. This allows for the use of repeating tile patterns to create stunning Victorian tile features to form a focal point on the floors in your home.
The checkerboard design is another popular layout that sees a lot of usage in period homes and buildings. It’s a simplistic design, traditionally using two contrasting colours. Black & White is the most popular combination. Even simple checkerboard tile designs can be visually improved with the addition of complementary borders and corners to centre and frame the layout.
What are modern Victorian Tile Designs?
Modern Victorian Tile designs typically use brighter colours than their traditional counterparts to put a new spin on the classic designs. The use of pale greens, light blues and soft pinks are being used to modernise designs without impacting the timeless characteristics of Victorian tile designs.
The use of gradient colours, such as adding greys to traditional black & white designs, create much more dramatic features.
The geometric tile pattern trend has continued to grow in recent years, with encaustic-style tiles especially taking off, so it’s no surprise to see people return to the original patterned floor format.
What material are Victorian Tiles made from? Ceramic or Porcelain?
Modern Victorian tiles are made from full-bodied porcelain to ensure the end product is durable and very long lasting.
Porcelain is a denser, non-porous material that doesn’t require the application of a sealing product, making installation, cleaning and maintenance of your Victorian tile floors easier.
Where can I buy Victorian Tiles?
You can purchase Victorian Tiles on our site here.
If you need help working out the measurements for your space you can submit your measurements by following our quick guide here.