For the love of tiles

We used 3 different shades of green tiles in this top floor bathroom. Guests can 'swim' happily in the bath.

I have spent a lot of time staring at the bottom of the pool as I complete my laps of the Channel distance for charity. It got me thinking about tiles and specifically tiles in bathrooms. Bathrooms are key in any home renovation. Estate agents will tell you that a well designed, elegant bathroom (along with the kitchen ) help sell a property. And if you are not selling, upgrading your bathrooms can make a huge difference to how you feel about your home.

Perhaps you need a grown-up ensuite which is a retreat away from family lifewhere you can sink into a bubble bath or have an invigorating shower perfumed with your favourite products.

Or you love the idea of a family bathroom which works for everyone, full of clever design details, smart storage solutions and bursting with colour to make bath time an event not a chore.

Maybe you like the idea of impressing your guests with a stunning bathroomthey can access directly from the guest bedroom - no more awkward meetings on the landing.

No doubt a powder room that is both unexpected and beautiful is on the list, one that reflects your personality and perhaps is a talking point?

A key element in all of these will be the tiles. And then there are the questions.

Should they be glazed, ceramic or encaustic? Should they be rectified or irregular?

Are they suitable for floors or walls or both? What is the best style for the atmosphere you want?

How should they be set out? A simple grid, offset, diagonal, chevron or herringbone or perhaps a basket weave or even purposefully irregular?

What about the grout? One of the most over looked parts of the design - do you make it subtle and tone with the tiles or contrasting, even introducing coloured grout?

A 'herringbone' set out for tiles with subtle variation and toning grout.

Zellige tiles give a wonderfully bohemian feel to this bathroom.

Glazed, glossy, a 'brick' set out, contrasting grout with Carrara marble.

Chequer board tumbled marble floor tiles in an elegant bathroom.

'Japandi' vibes in a shower room where cork floor tiles meet off-white 'match stick tiles' with a bamboo roller blind.

It can all feel a little overwhelming with so many things to consider. But that's where we come in, because this is what we think about everyday and we love thinking through the myriad choices and coming up with the combination that best suits each of our clients. You can see pictures of just some of the work we have been doing here.