Hallway Tile Ideas

Hallway Tile Ideas

A hallway is the first entry and impression of your home and hallway tiles have the ability to transform this space from being overlooked and uninspiring, to a beautiful and inviting entrance. Whether you're drawn to the timeless elegance of marble, the rustic charm of terracotta effect, or the appeal of Victorian style tiles, the perfect tile can enhance your hallway's aesthetic and functionality. In this blog, we'll explore a variety of hallway tile ideas, from classic to contemporary, providing you with inspiration and practical tips to create a hallway that truly reflects your style.

What is the best flooring for a hallway?

Our top tip on choosing the best flooring for a hallway is to choose natural stone or porcelain tiles. Both are hardwearing and forgiving floor coverings, available in various shades, finishes, formats and sizes to suit your hallway. Natural stone and porcelain are easy to maintain and are the best choice that will stand the test of time, more than floor such as carpet, wood or vinyl. These two materials are also suitable for underfloor heating which is a consideration for many when choosing hallway tiles.

Natural Stone Tiles

Starting with natural stone, limestone and marble are popular materials that have been used for centuries, from listed stately homes with rustic flagstones to private manor houses with opulent marble tiles. A subtle yet beautiful stone, the Versailles Manoir limestone tiles have a softly aged finish, yielding a pale wash tone with delicate fossil details and aged markings. Versailles Manoir is the perfect hallway tile for customers wanting the elegance of a Georgian style floor combined with a practical country twist. Alternatively, for a classic white marble hallway floor, the Parisian Manoir tumbled marble tiles provide an effortless elegance with grey marble cabochon inserts tying in with the unique grey veining running through each marble tile. Natural stone tiles as a hallway tile idea is a premium choice that is an investment for any home and will instantly add charm and value to a property.

Victorian Tiles

Victorian tiles, as the name suggests, originate from the Victorian era whereby patterned tiles were a popular flooring choice, gracing hallways and entrances from charming, terraced hallways to expansive Victorian villas. Now, Victorian style tiles are designed to replicate the look of intricate patterned hallway flooring, but often made of porcelain or ceramic for a more durable and low maintenance option. A modern take on the Victorian hallway tile is the Grosvenor Burgundy porcelain tiles with individual geometric pieces composed into one large mosaic tile for a simple installation with maximum impact across a hallway floor. If you’re looking for patterned tiles with a more rustic feel, then the Ophelia White ceramic is the perfect Victorian inspired tile with tones of off white and ivory, a delicate floral motif and an antiqued edge effect. The smaller format of this tiles design is particularly popular for narrow hallways or less spacious entrances, with its pale hues bringing a light and airy feel. Read more on Victorian tiles and our guide to choosing patterns.

Terracotta Tiles

Wanting to create a Mediterranean feel to your hallway? Choose terracotta effect tiles as an authentic replica of popular terracotta floor tiles for a rustic appearance and warm hues. The beauty of terracotta effect porcelain is that it does not require sealing like natural terracotta and is not porous, so is a wonderful choice for hallways and areas of the home that see heavy footfall. The Oliva range of terracotta effect tiles are available in three shades, Crema, Rojo and Marron as well as three formats of square, hexagon and metro, making this range very versatile for different styles of hallway flooring.

Chequerboard Flooring

A trend for hallways that continues to rise in popularity is chequerboard tiles. Whether classic chequerboard marble flooring like the Parisian Chequerboard marble tiles or modern black and white tiles such as the Demi Mono, this simple way of laying tiles can offer wonderful impact for hallways and entrances. Checkerboard flooring offers just enough pattern and design, whilst remaining timeless and complementing a whole host of colour schemes.

Herringbone Hallway Tiles

A final hallway tile idea is to choose herringbone tiles as a laying pattern. A herringbone tile is simply a thin rectangular tile that is laid at an angle to create the classic pattern. A lot of tiles can be laid as herringbone, so long as the width of the tile is half or less of the length of the tile. Herringbone flooring tends to be most effective with smaller sized tiles and can work really well in narrow hallway or entrances to make them feel bigger. Popular options include the Oliva Rojo terracotta effect porcelain tiles in a metro format for a warm terracotta hue and rustic feel, as well as the Tuscany tumbled limestone which offers a honey beige natural stone. Read more on everything you need to know about herringbone tiles.

Is it a good idea to tile a hallway?

When choosing a floor covering for a hallway, not only is this an aesthetic choice, but also needs to be practical and hardwearing. This is why it is a good idea to tile a hallway as tile flooring such as porcelain or natural stone will be much easier to clean and look after than carpet which can hold a lot of dirt and stains or vinyl that doesn’t wear very well over the years. Tiling a hallway is an investment that will add value to your property, as well as providing a wonderful first impression for your guests.

What colour tiles make a room look bigger?

Often hallways can be narrow or small areas with less natural light, so choosing a tile that will brighten and help a room look bigger is a good idea. Our top recommendation is coloured tiles that are light and neutral such as ivory, white and beige as these will help to bounce light around a hallway and create a bright and airy feel. If you are wanting a tile with a little more colour and contrast, we recommend keeping to warmer tones such as honey beige and terracotta to help the hallway feel welcoming and inviting, rather than cold and dark.