
Victorian Floor Tiles
Victorian Tiles.
Whether you own a period home or something more modern, Victorian floor tiles can add beauty and an individual style to your home. It was in the late 1800’s that the Victorians mastered the production of vast quantities of tiles, in many colours and shapes.
The options available are reclaimed, recycled or reproduction of the original tile, with a classic design and a range of finishes and colours. To give character to your home.
The monochrome design is the traditional choice and works well in both period properties and new homes alike. Whilst reclaimed bricks look good in country-style properties.
Paths and hallways
When the Victorian middle classes wanted to show off their wealth, they would inevitably opt for the intricate patterns with a variety of colour in the mosaic tiled floor. Often the tiles would run from the pathway into the hallway making extending splendor even further.
You will still see today many of these pathways have survived. Restoring and renovating these paths and hallways is something a specialist can look at. It's worth noting that manufacturers make tiles in both metric and imperial measurements, so you do need to double check you are choosing the right tiles if you are renovating.
This look can be replicated using modern Victorian style mosaic tiles, they come in a variety of colours and tile shapes, where you can design your own style of find inspiration from historical floors.
Bathrooms
In Victorian times, bathrooms didn't exist for the masses; it would have been a case of a tin bath in the middle of the floor in front of the fire. Let's not go into who would go in first! The saying don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater is poignant.
If you want a Victorian feeling for your bathroom, choose black and white or cream for both on the floor and walls. A popular tile is the white brick shaped tile with black or grey grout on the walls and a black and white mosaic pattern Victorian floor tiles or terracotta quarry tiles on the floor.
Kitchen Tiles
The Victorian style would have been one of function and not decorative, the decorations were saved for rooms where they would welcome visitors. Most popular was the terracotta in red or alternatively in a red and black chequered pattern.
Fireplace Tiles
It was down to practical reasons why the Victorians had tiled fireplaces, it was to stop the house from burning down. Traditionally you would find colourful patterned panels around their fireplaces and tiles on their hearths.
The tiled panels would be one tile wide and several deep, they would often depict mythical ladies, musical instruments or flowers. The hearth tiles would have been in colour to complement the panels.
Hints and Tips
● Lay a pattern diagonally to make a room appear wider.
● In living spaces, combine tiles with wood creating living zones
● Use the right cleaning products on your floor as they will have been formulated to clean the floor and help seal the stone. We have recommendations which are available in our store.
● Wipe up any spills on unglazed floors immediately or they might cause a stain.
● Remove stubborn marks with white spirit, make sure you do a spot test first.