Herringbone Tiles

Matte tiles are trending strongly in Australian bathrooms for their contemporary look and practical ability to hide water spots and fingerprints. Gloss tiles reflect light and can make a bathroom feel brighter and larger, but show water marks and smudges more readily. For shower recesses and wet floors, matte or satin finishes with good slip resistance are generally preferred.

Measure your total wall and floor surface area in square metres, then add a 10–15% wastage allowance for cuts, breakages, and future repairs. For complex layouts with diagonal patterns or feature inserts, increase the wastage to 15–20%. Always order all tiles from the same batch (check the shade lot/batch number) as tiles from different batches can vary slightly in colour.

Floor tiles must have an adequate slip resistance rating (P3 minimum for domestic bathrooms) and be durable enough for foot traffic. Wall tiles can be glazed ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone, they don't need to carry load but should be moisture-resistant. Many Australian renovators choose matching or coordinating floor and wall tiles from the same range for a cohesive look.

For small bathrooms, tiles between 300 x 300mm and 600 x 300mm often work well on both walls and floors. Smaller mosaic or subway tiles (75 x 150mm or 100 x 200mm) are a classic choice for shower walls. While large format tiles can also work in small spaces, they require a very level substrate and expert installation. Avoid tiles that are too small on floors (like 50 x 50mm mosaics) in large quantities, as the increased grout lines can make a space feel busier.

The most effective approach is to choose one feature zone and use your feature tile there, a full-height shower wall, the bath surround wall, or the vanity splashback area. Keep the remaining surfaces in a neutral or complementary field tile. This creates impact without visual clutter. Limit your palette to two or three complementary materials for a cohesive result.

Australian Standards (AS 4586) require bathroom floor tiles to have a minimum slip resistance rating of P3 for domestic bathrooms and P4 or P5 for wet areas like shower recesses. The Blue Space recommends checking the slip resistance rating of any tile you're considering for floor use, particularly in the shower. Matte and textured porcelain tiles generally offer better slip resistance than polished or gloss finishes.

Porcelain tiles are fired at higher temperatures and are denser, less porous, and harder than ceramic tiles. This makes porcelain more water-resistant, more durable, and suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications, including high-traffic floors. Ceramic tiles are lighter and easier to cut, making them a practical choice for bathroom walls and splashbacks. For bathroom floors and wet areas, porcelain is generally the preferred option in Australia.

Usually yes, and the extra cost sits in labour rather than the tiles themselves. A herringbone pattern is made from rectangular tiles laid at 90 degrees to each other in a zigzag, which means every row involves angled cuts rather than simple straight cuts. That takes a tiler longer per square metre than a grid layout, and it calls for more precise setting out from the start so the pattern stays straight down a hallway or across a floor. Budget for extra installation time and ask your tiler to quote the pattern specifically rather than assuming a standard per-metre rate.

No. Herringbone has been used in flooring and tiling for centuries and has stayed in steady rotation through most design eras, which is a reasonable sign it isn't a passing trend. It reads as more classic than a straight grid, and it works in both traditional and contemporary Australian homes depending on the tile finish and grout colour chosen around it. The pattern itself isn't the risk; an overly busy tile finish combined with it is more likely to date a room than the layout.

It's worth reconsidering in very small or narrow spaces, where the extra cuts and joins can make a room feel busier rather than more spacious, and the pattern's visual movement gets lost. It also adds real cost and time on a tight budget or tight timeline, since it's a slower install than a straight lay. If your tiler flags an uneven or out-of-square substrate, that's another reason to pause: herringbone shows up substrate irregularities more obviously than a simple grid because the eye follows the diagonal lines.

Rectangular tiles are the standard choice, with plank-style formats a common pick for floors because the elongated shape makes the zigzag read clearly. Both a matte and a gloss finish can work in herringbone, so the decision usually comes down to the room rather than the pattern (see our note on tile finishes and slip resistance if you're planning this for a bathroom or wet area floor). Smaller format tiles create a tighter, denser zigzag, while longer plank tiles give a bolder, more elongated one.

Yes, more than a straight lay. Because every tile at the edge of the room needs an angled cut, expect a higher offcut rate, generally 15 to 20 percent above your measured area rather than the standard 10 percent allowance. Order all tiles from the same batch or shade lot, since colour variation between batches is more noticeable in a pattern that already draws the eye with its diagonal lines.

Yes. It's most common on floors, particularly entryways, hallways and living areas, but it also works well as a feature wall or shower niche treatment using smaller format tiles. Wall applications generally use lighter, more manageable tile sizes since they're easier to set out vertically, while floor applications favour tougher, slip-rated finishes given the foot traffic involved.