Not-So-Basic Subway Tile

Posted by Ben Thompson on 04.30.18

Subway tile is a design element that looks and feels both retro and modern at the same time.  That’s what makes it so versatile as a backdrop in either a traditional or contemporary space. And even though it’s been around for over 100 years, its popularity has surged over the past decade and shows no signs of slowing down just yet. The most common way to install it is in a horizontal brick pattern, but if you’d like to add a little pizzazz, here are a few ideas from recent remodels we’ve completed with no-so-basic subway tile designs.

Vertical Subway Tile

In this bathroom remodel, the shower tile was laid vertically on the walls, which is not only a departure from the typical horizontal configuration, but it also creates a sense of height.

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Herringbone Subway Tile 

In this kitchen remodel, an eye-catching herringbone pattern is used to create a framed pattern above the range. 

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Subway tile with decorative border

In this kitchen remodel, we used a wider sized taupe subway tile accented with a vertical mosaic tile border that runs the entire perimeter of the wall.

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As you can see, subway tile can go beyond the basic white brick laid pattern.  There are also a wide variety of colors and textures that you can use if you want to break away from the expected.

If you are interested in learning more about subway tile, you might enjoy this blog. For more tile ideas, check out Tile Design - Beyond the Subway Tile Movement.


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Topics: Featured, bathroom remodeling, kitchen remodeling, tile, white subway tile, subway tile, thompson remodeling grand rapids mi, tile trends