The Art of Mixing Tiles: A Designer's Love Story

I still remember the day I fell in love with tile design. It wasn’t at some fancy showroom or in a glossy magazine - it was in my grandmother’s 1960s kitchen, where tiny turquoise backsplash tiles danced alongside larger cream floor tiles. Back then, I didn’t know this contrast would become my design obsession, leading me to countless hours exploring every tile shop within a fifty-mile radius.

Let me take you on a journey that changed how I view interior design forever.

The “Aha” Moment

Last spring, while helping my best friend Sarah renovate her bathroom, we stood in our local tile shop, surrounded by endless options. She wanted something different - not the safe, matching tiles everyone else was choosing. That’s when it hit us: why not play with scale? We paired massive 36-inch marble-look tiles with delicate mosaic pieces, creating a symphony of sizes that transformed her ordinary bathroom into something extraordinary.

“It’s like jazz,” Sarah said, running her hand across the sample board. “The big tiles are the bass line, and the small ones are the improvised solos.” She wasn’t wrong.

A Tale of Two Sizes

The magic really happens when you understand how these different sizes work together. In my own home, I experimented first in my powder room. Walking into any tile shop now, I see the possibilities I didn’t notice before. Those large format tiles I used on the walls? They made my tiny space feel like a luxurious hotel bathroom. But it was the small hexagonal tiles on the floor that gave it personality - like adding the perfect accessories to a classic outfit.

The Plot Twist

Here’s where it gets interesting. During one of my many tile shop visits (yes, I’m on a first-name basis with Tom, the manager), I learned something fascinating. A client had accidentally ordered two different tile sizes for their kitchen renovation. Instead of returning them, they decided to experiment. The result? A stunning combination of large tiles creating a calm backdrop with smaller tiles forming an eye-catching backsplash that became the talk of their dinner parties.

Learning Through Trial and Error

I won’t pretend every combination I’ve tried has been successful. There was that one time I got too excited about mixing patterns and sizes in my sister’s entryway. Picture this: large marble-look tiles meeting small geometric patterns in a way that made your eyes cross. We laugh about it now, but it taught me an important lesson about balance.

The Breakthrough Project

The real turning point in my tile journey came when I tackled my own kitchen renovation. After weeks of deliberation and countless visits to the tile shop (poor Tom), I finally found my perfect combination. Large format gray tiles grounded the space, while smaller subway tiles in varying shades created a subtle but interesting backsplash. The secret? Keeping the color palette consistent while letting the sizes tell the story.

A New Chapter

Just last month, I visited Sarah’s house again. As we sat in her beautifully tiled bathroom, sipping coffee and admiring how the morning light played across the different tile surfaces, she turned to me and said, “You know, I never thought tiles could make me this happy.” I knew exactly what she meant.

The story of mixing tile sizes isn’t just about design - it’s about breaking rules, finding joy in unexpected combinations, and creating spaces that tell your personal story. Every time I walk into a tile shop in Singapore now, I feel like I’m starting a new chapter, ready to discover more possibilities.

Your Story Awaits

So here’s my invitation to you: Next time you’re thinking about tiles, don’t just stick to one size. Visit your local tile shop, run your hands over different textures, play with combinations. Maybe you’ll find yourself writing your own tile story, one that’s uniquely yours.

And who knows? Maybe I’ll run into you at my favorite tile shop, both of us searching for that perfect combination that makes our hearts skip a beat. Because in the end, isn’t that what great design is all about? Creating spaces that make us feel something special every time we walk into them.

What’s your tile story going to be?