What You Need To Know When Using Hardwood Looking Tile

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What You Need To Know When Using Hardwood Looking Tile

Have you wanted to use a ceramic tile that looks like hardwood in your home design but aren’t sure how or where to incorporate this fabulous material?  There are so many interesting shapes, patterns, tones and styles available today that it can be difficult to decide which is the best choice for you. Here I will giving you my expert advice on this topic to share everything you need to know when using a tile that looks like hardwood.  So let’s do this!

Watch my video on YouTube here.

I can’t believe that it’s been nearly three years since we photographed this stunning bathroom design (below) where I first used this type of ceramic tile.  Since then, my clients bathroom has been published twice (YAY!) and manufacturers have developed truly remarkable replicas of every species of hardwood you can imagine.

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Where To Use This Tile

This tile is great when you want to add the feeling of warmth to a space or bring in a natural element to your design. It’s also a great substitute for real hardwood in areas of the home that are more susceptible to leaks or water damage occurring. I recommend using this tile in areas such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and mudrooms.

I hesitate to recommend this to clients for an entire main floor or as a substitute for hardwood in main living spaces because the majority of home owners I meet with, still want & love real hardwood for these areas.  Unless of course you are living somewhere abroad that sees high temperatures all year round, then you could use this material throughout your entire home.

So Many Shapes, Sizes & Styles

With it’s increasing popularity, ceramic tile now mimics every species of hardwood imaginable.  It’s also available in various shapes, colour tones and sizes.  Here are just a few examples of photos I snapped recently at my local suppliers.  They look so authentic, don’t cha think?!

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Rustic Looking Tiles

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Unexpected Patterns

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Below is the actual tile we used in my clients bathroom design, but we just didn’t use any of the ones with writing.  

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I also used this tile below in white for a clients back door and patio door, butting up against hardwood.  The white does show more dirt, as it would, but is definitely an interesting and unexpected look.20160311_133337

And how cool would these hexagons be to use in a front foyer or in a pattern on a feature wall?!

Hexagon wood tile

Grout Lines

To get the real look of hardwood, I recommend laying planks as closely to one another as you can and matching the grout colour to the tones in the tile.

Grout lines blended in

Contrasting grout colour will give more definition between the planks and give more of a ceramic tile look. Yet notice how the tone of the grout still goes well with the colour of the tile so not to stand out too much.  It’s similar to choosing grout for your subway tile in terms of thinking about the design look that you are trying to achieve.

Prominent Grout Lines

Have you used a ceramic tile that looks like hardwood in your home?

If you are thinking about using this fabulous product, click here or on the image below to download my FREE TIP SHEET on ‘5 Things to Consider Before Sourcing Tile that Looks Like Hardwood’.

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Need help from a professional with your home design? Contact me here & LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE! See you next week.

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