Rectangle 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.

They're most often called plank tiles or subway tiles depending on the proportion: a long, narrow rectangle (roughly 1:3 or 1:4) is generally described as a plank, while a shorter, wider rectangle closer to a 1:2 ratio is the classic subway shape. "Rectangle tile" itself just describes the general shape, covering everything from small subway formats to large-format slabs like 600mm x 1200mm.

Neither is better outright, they suit different results. A rectangular tile introduces direction and is more often laid in an offset brick bond, herringbone or vertical stack, which can visually stretch a wall or floor along its length. A square tile lays as a uniform grid in every direction with no directional pull. Compare directly with our square tiles page if you're deciding between the two for a specific room.

It's a method tilers use to check that a corner is genuinely square before starting a layout, using the 3-4-5 triangle principle: measure 300mm along one wall and 400mm along the adjoining wall, and if the diagonal between those two points measures exactly 500mm, the corner is a true right angle. This matters more with a rectangular tile than a square one, since a rectangular grid or pattern shows an out-of-square start point more obviously as the layout progresses.

Rectangular formats span a wide range, from small plank sizes like 50mm x 150mm and 50mm x 200mm, through mid-size options like 300mm x 600mm and 300mm x 450mm, up to large-format slabs like 600mm x 1200mm. The proportion (how much longer than wide) also varies within that range, which changes how dramatic the directional laying pattern looks once installed.

Rectangular proportions suit a wider range of patterns than a square tile, including a straight stack, an offset brick bond, and herringbone. The longer and narrower the rectangle, the more pronounced these patterns look, which is why plank-format rectangles are commonly chosen specifically for a herringbone or chevron feature area.

Yes, the rectangular shape itself doesn't limit where a tile can go, that comes down to the tile's material and slip resistance rating rather than its proportions. A rectangular floor tile still needs an appropriate rating under Australian Standards (AS 4586) for the specific room, while a rectangular wall tile only needs adequate moisture resistance. Check the stated application on any specific product before ordering.