Subway 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.

A subway tile is a rectangular tile, classically around 75mm x 150mm or 100mm x 200mm, with a smooth, usually glossy surface. The name comes from early 20th-century New York subway stations, which used this shape and proportion on platform walls. It's typically laid in a brick or running bond pattern, with each row offset from the one below, though a stacked (grid) layout is also common for a more contemporary look.

Because a subway tile is a fixed rectangular shape, a running bond layout on longer tiles can cause visible lippage (a slight step between offset edges) if the tiles or the substrate aren't perfectly flat, which is why many installers now offset by a third of the tile length rather than half on larger formats. A gloss subway finish also shows water marks and soap scum more readily than a matte tile, and the sheer number of grout lines on a small format means more grout to keep clean.

No. Subway tile has stayed in continuous use since the early 1900s precisely because the shape is simple and pairs with almost any style, from a classic white kitchen splashback to a coloured or handmade-look version in a contemporary bathroom. What has shifted is the finish and layout: matte and coloured subway tiles, plus stacked or herringbone layouts instead of the traditional brick bond, keep the format feeling current rather than dated.

"Metro tile" and "subway tile" describe the same rectangular, brick-proportioned shape. Metro is the more common term in the UK, while subway is the standard term in the US and Australia, but they're referring to the same product. Any difference between two specific ranges sold under either name comes down to size, finish or colour, not the terminology itself.

Subway tiles are defined by their shape and smooth surface; brick-look tiles are defined by a textured, often mottled surface designed to mimic real brickwork, and can come in various proportions, not only the classic subway ratio. A subway tile laid in a brick bond references brick visually through layout alone, while a brick-look tile references it through the tile's own texture. See brick-look tiles for the textured option.

The classic 75mm x 150mm size suits smaller feature areas and traditional-style bathrooms, while larger formats like 100mm x 200mm or 100mm x 300mm cover more wall per tile and read as slightly more contemporary. Larger subway formats also mean fewer grout lines for a similar look. Choosing between them usually comes down to the scale of the wall and how traditional or modern the rest of the room is meant to feel.