5 Expert Tips To Choose Accent Tiles

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Are you looking to define a specific area in your kitchen or bathroom? Want to add more depth to your shower? Or perhaps create a mosaic-style pattern on that painfully bare wall? Accent tiles can result in an instant makeover and allow you to showcase your impressive attention to detail!

Given their almost magical powers, you certainly don't want to pick them randomly. Imagine ending up with tiles that don't really pop or, even worse, that clash with your existing décor!

Follow our expert tips in order to choose accent tiles that can turn your wall into a fresco-worthy exhibition.

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1. What are the different types of accent tiles?

When choosing accent tiles, you'll find plenty of design choices, but deciding between these two categories can help you weed out lots of irrelevant options:

  • Decorative accent tiles: either in the same color or pattern, these tiles can be placed next to each other in a rather flexible way and as many times as you wish;

They're the best option to create a colorful contrast against the wall or your other more traditional tiles, or even to accent a specific part of the room that only allows for a small number of rows, such as the wall behind your sink;

Decorative Accent Tile in Pewter
Terracotta Decorative Accent Tile in Multi-Color
Ceramic Decorative Accent Tile in Green
Ceramic Decorative Accent Tile in Blue
Ceramic Decorative Accent Tile in Floral
Ceramic Decorative Tile in Blue
  • Decorative tile murals: they consist of accent tiles that must be arranged in a specific order to create a bigger picture;

These murals can help you fill your barest walls and, although they can come in smaller sizes, they're usually better suited for larger rooms and bathrooms that don't already feature lots of other attention-grabbing patterns.

Ceramic Horse Decorative Mural Tile
Ceramic Hot Air Balloons Decorative Mural Tile
Ceramic Colorful Birds Decorative Mural Tile
Sunflower Decorative Mural Tile
Ceramic White Flowers Decorative Mural Tile
Tropical Decorative Mural Tile in Multicolor
Ceramic Glazed Decorative Murals Tile in Grey
Ceramic Glossy Decorative Accent Tile in Pink and Red
Ceramic Decorative Accent Tile in Green-Yellow
Ceramic Nightingale Decorative Tile in Blue
Hand-Painted Ceramic Decorative Tile
Ceramic Floral Tile in White
Glass Decorative Accent Tile in Blue
Glass Decorative Accent Tile in Cream
Classic Glass Decorative Accent Tile in Gray
Colorful Leaves Glass Decorative Accent Tile
Glass Decorative Accent Tile in Red and Grey
Glass Decorative Accent Tile in Brown Leaves

3. What shape should accent tiles be?

Square is the most popular shape for accent tiles, as it's the most versatile and can easily help you define smaller areas as well as cover larger parts of the wall;

Rectangular tiles are another interesting option that can result in completely different looks simply depending on the tiles' orientation:

  • Horizontal or listello tiles can emphasize the length of the accented area, and are often used as kitchen or bathroom backsplashes;

  • Vertical tiles can help you open up smaller spaces and are therefore popular for shower walls.

Square Pink Glass Accent Tile
Square Colorful Floral Accent Tile
Square Blue Marble Accent Tile
Rectangular Natural Stone Decorative Accent Tile
Rectangular Marble Decorative Accent Tile
Rectangular Border Accent Tile

4. What size should accent tiles be?

To give you a starting point, the average square accent tile is between 4 and 6" whereas listello tiles are usually 4"x12", but there are plenty of smaller and larger options.

To find the right size for you, consider your accent tiles in relation to the rest of the room or, more specifically, the area that you're planning on decorating:

  • Smaller tiles can help you draw the eye onto their pattern and its repetition, and are particularly handy for Mediterranean-style designs;

  • Larger tiles will result in fewer grout lines, making your room look bigger.

Brown Rustic Metal Decorative Tile
Small Resin Pewter Decorative Accent Tile
Medium Blue Accent Tile
Medium Ceramic Mosaic Decorative Tile
Large Metal Decorative Mural Tile
Large Glossy Decorative Accent Tile
Jessica Zernike

Jessica started out as an interior photographer, but her love of pretty settings took her to the field of interior design, where she can combine two of her greatest passions, creating and then capturing the beauty of homes.

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