Decorating
How to Use Victorian-inspired Tiles in a Modern Home
Do as the Victorians did with an impressive entranceway, fireplace or kitchen splashback – or take their fashions even further
Tiles were everywhere in Victorian houses and they were often introduced even before guests got inside the house, with patterned pathways leading from the street to the front door. Our ancestors loved to use rich colours and designs while maintaining practicality, and tiles fitted the bill perfectly. Modern finishes and greater affordability mean you can make even more of the humble tile these days – just look at the inspiration below.
Energise an entranceway
Because of the potential damage that can be caused to tiles by bad weather and high traffic, outdoor tiles were usually kept to fairly plain black and white chequerboard patterns, which were easy and affordable to replace if necessary. Highly decorative tiles were saved for the hallway once guests were over the threshold.
However, if you have a small pathway leading to your house and your budget allows, go ahead and use colourful encaustic tiles (which have the pattern inlaid in different coloured clays rather than merely painted on the surface). Tiles for one or two steps won’t break the bank!
Because of the potential damage that can be caused to tiles by bad weather and high traffic, outdoor tiles were usually kept to fairly plain black and white chequerboard patterns, which were easy and affordable to replace if necessary. Highly decorative tiles were saved for the hallway once guests were over the threshold.
However, if you have a small pathway leading to your house and your budget allows, go ahead and use colourful encaustic tiles (which have the pattern inlaid in different coloured clays rather than merely painted on the surface). Tiles for one or two steps won’t break the bank!
Make a feature of your fireplace
One of the areas of the home we’re probably most used to seeing Victorian tiling is the fireplace. Our forebears often used fireplace tiles to pay homage to one of their hobbies or interests, so you’ll often see designs featuring musical instruments, plants or birds.
Even in contemporary living rooms, the fireplace is often a lovely central feature around which to arrange seating, so it’s a great place to use some interesting and highly coloured tiles, even if your overall style is clean and cool. Make it your indulgent nod to the world of Victoriana – bright tiles can look great in a plain, pale room, as a white backdrop gives the colours space to breathe.
One of the areas of the home we’re probably most used to seeing Victorian tiling is the fireplace. Our forebears often used fireplace tiles to pay homage to one of their hobbies or interests, so you’ll often see designs featuring musical instruments, plants or birds.
Even in contemporary living rooms, the fireplace is often a lovely central feature around which to arrange seating, so it’s a great place to use some interesting and highly coloured tiles, even if your overall style is clean and cool. Make it your indulgent nod to the world of Victoriana – bright tiles can look great in a plain, pale room, as a white backdrop gives the colours space to breathe.
Dare to go decorative in unexpected places
The Victorians loved to use intricate tiles in their ‘show-off’ areas, such as the porch, hallway and living room, for maximum impact on visitors. However, they didn’t waste anything so stunning or costly on kitchens.
In this age, however, the kitchen is the new living room, so it’s worth using eye-catching tiles in here, too. For extra impact, use the same pattern on the walls and the floor, as here.
The Victorians loved to use intricate tiles in their ‘show-off’ areas, such as the porch, hallway and living room, for maximum impact on visitors. However, they didn’t waste anything so stunning or costly on kitchens.
In this age, however, the kitchen is the new living room, so it’s worth using eye-catching tiles in here, too. For extra impact, use the same pattern on the walls and the floor, as here.
Mix authentic with modern
By the late 19th century, bathrooms had started to become a popular addition to the homes of wealthy, middle class Victorians.
And just as in their kitchens, they favoured plain, practical tiles, mainly to protect walls from getting damp. Even if you decide to go modern with your bathroom fittings, there’s no reason why you can’t go traditional with your tiles.
White, brick-shaped wall tiles look good, especially with a contrasting grey grout. These can be shown off to the max with a sleek and unfussy all-glass shower enclosure. If a glossy white room is your idea of austere, add some natural stone floor tiles for warmth.
Read more about decorating a bathroom Victorian style
By the late 19th century, bathrooms had started to become a popular addition to the homes of wealthy, middle class Victorians.
And just as in their kitchens, they favoured plain, practical tiles, mainly to protect walls from getting damp. Even if you decide to go modern with your bathroom fittings, there’s no reason why you can’t go traditional with your tiles.
White, brick-shaped wall tiles look good, especially with a contrasting grey grout. These can be shown off to the max with a sleek and unfussy all-glass shower enclosure. If a glossy white room is your idea of austere, add some natural stone floor tiles for warmth.
Read more about decorating a bathroom Victorian style
Pair vibrantly coloured tiles with matching fittings
The Victorians would coordinate brightly coloured tiles in their public areas with other decorative elements, such as paint, wallpaper and fabrics.
Be inspired by this idea and embrace the colours used in decorative bathroom tiles by picking out coordinating fittings, like these copper taps and towel rail, that emphasise your colour scheme. Pare this back for a tasteful look by using a white bathroom suite and plain tiles elsewhere – stick to just one vibrant colour to tie everything together.
Find more inspiration for mixing tile styles
The Victorians would coordinate brightly coloured tiles in their public areas with other decorative elements, such as paint, wallpaper and fabrics.
Be inspired by this idea and embrace the colours used in decorative bathroom tiles by picking out coordinating fittings, like these copper taps and towel rail, that emphasise your colour scheme. Pare this back for a tasteful look by using a white bathroom suite and plain tiles elsewhere – stick to just one vibrant colour to tie everything together.
Find more inspiration for mixing tile styles
Employ grey to counter bright colours
The Victorians used lots of strong shades together, such as reds, golds, blues and greens paired with paler buttermilk and cream. They didn’t go for greys at all. However, if you’re looking to use a mosaic pattern on a hallway floor and find the use of many vibrant colours together too old-fashioned and textbook in approach, pick out your favourite bright colour and combine it with grey for a more contemporary feel.
Use a white background and a pale colour on your walls so your brights really take centre stage.
The Victorians used lots of strong shades together, such as reds, golds, blues and greens paired with paler buttermilk and cream. They didn’t go for greys at all. However, if you’re looking to use a mosaic pattern on a hallway floor and find the use of many vibrant colours together too old-fashioned and textbook in approach, pick out your favourite bright colour and combine it with grey for a more contemporary feel.
Use a white background and a pale colour on your walls so your brights really take centre stage.
Fashion a tiled feature to highlight an unusual shape
If you have a circular or odd-shaped room, take guidance from the kind of historic flooring you’d find in churches with a tiled floor designed in harmony with this shape.
A mosaic pattern that complements the set-up wonderfully, as here, will likely make for one of the most stunning features in the house. The black circle in the middle of this design, echoing the lightwell above it, creates a hallway you wouldn’t mind lingering in!
If you have a circular or odd-shaped room, take guidance from the kind of historic flooring you’d find in churches with a tiled floor designed in harmony with this shape.
A mosaic pattern that complements the set-up wonderfully, as here, will likely make for one of the most stunning features in the house. The black circle in the middle of this design, echoing the lightwell above it, creates a hallway you wouldn’t mind lingering in!
Dabble with high-impact pattern
While the Victorians would probably use a colourful and impactful pattern solely on the walls or the floor, and not both at the same time, there’s no reason why you have to stick to these rules. Who says walls and floors can’t feature the same tiles, especially in a bathroom or wet room?
If the pattern you’ve chosen is really busy, use plainer tiles or paint in a single neutral colour elsewhere to really let the tiles sing. It will also save you money to use plainer tiles in the rest of the room.
While the Victorians would probably use a colourful and impactful pattern solely on the walls or the floor, and not both at the same time, there’s no reason why you have to stick to these rules. Who says walls and floors can’t feature the same tiles, especially in a bathroom or wet room?
If the pattern you’ve chosen is really busy, use plainer tiles or paint in a single neutral colour elsewhere to really let the tiles sing. It will also save you money to use plainer tiles in the rest of the room.
Take the Victorian love of the showy to its ultimate conclusion
The Victorians were all about buying the best and most eye-catching products they could afford to demonstrate their wealth and good taste. They usually fell short of using metallic silvers, golds and bronzes in their schemes, though, mainly because these elements would have been a cost too far, because they didn’t have the benefit of the modern chemicals we use to produce these paints and dyes nowadays.
With modern methods of production, these finishes are now more widely used and there’s nothing to hold you back, so show off a bit!
Catch up with the rest of our Victorian decorating series:
How to Use Victorian Colours in a Modern Home
12 Contemporary Style Tips to Take from Victorian Wallpaper
TELL US…
Have you followed tradition with the tiling in your Victorian home, or have you done your own thing? Share your tips, experiences and photos in the Comments below.
The Victorians were all about buying the best and most eye-catching products they could afford to demonstrate their wealth and good taste. They usually fell short of using metallic silvers, golds and bronzes in their schemes, though, mainly because these elements would have been a cost too far, because they didn’t have the benefit of the modern chemicals we use to produce these paints and dyes nowadays.
With modern methods of production, these finishes are now more widely used and there’s nothing to hold you back, so show off a bit!
Catch up with the rest of our Victorian decorating series:
How to Use Victorian Colours in a Modern Home
12 Contemporary Style Tips to Take from Victorian Wallpaper
TELL US…
Have you followed tradition with the tiling in your Victorian home, or have you done your own thing? Share your tips, experiences and photos in the Comments below.
In kitchens, the Victorians often tiled entire walls in plain white or off-white brick-shaped tiles that were easy to wash down. You can pay homage to this concept of sparkling cleanliness in the form of a white or off-white tiled splashback in an otherwise contemporary kitchen.
You could finish all the walls above your base units in this way, or be more sparing and just use tiles behind a range cooker or hob if you don’t want them to dominate your kitchen.
See some more great ideas for kitchen splashbacks that go with wooden worktops