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Tile

Tile Styles Guide

Find Your Perfect Tile

Tile is a versatile, stylish solution that brings personality and functionality to every space in your home. Whether you’re creating a stunning backsplash, a durable floor, or an eye-catching accent wall, tile has the potential to transform any area. With a broad selection of colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes, tile gives you complete freedom to customize your space. Explore choices like ceramic, porcelain, mosaic, and subway tiles—each offering unique benefits and designs to fit your taste, the application, and your lifestyle needs.

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Waterproof Tile | Dolphin Carpet & Tile

Ceramic Tile: A Versatile Classic

Ceramic tile is a versatile, durable choice for floors and walls, bringing centuries of beauty and resilience to modern spaces. With an impressive selection of textures, patterns, and sizes, ceramic tile allows you to customize your room’s style, whether you prefer classic or contemporary aesthetics. Thanks to various grout and glaze options, ceramic tile offers nearly limitless design possibilities for any room or home style.

Ceramic tile in kitchen | Dolphin Carpet

The flexibility of ceramic tile extends to decorative details, allowing you to personalize your project with accent pieces like trims and borders. Designing with ceramic tile can include creating layout patterns and selecting the ideal trim and grout colors to complete your look. From start to finish, ceramic tile provides an adaptable canvas for bringing your unique design vision to life.

Explore Our Ceramic Tile Selection

Discover a wide range of ceramic tile styles, colors, and textures to suit your unique taste.

Ceramic Tile Advantages

Durability:
Ceramic tile is highly resistant to scratches, stains, and moisture, making it ideal for high-traffic areas.
Affordability:
This tile offers a budget-friendly option for numerous applications.
Versatility:
Available in a wide array of styles, colors, and finishes to match any decor.
Easy Maintenance:
Ceramic tile is simple to clean, maintain, and lasts for years with minimal upkeep.

Ceramic Tile Applications

Flooring:
Perfect for kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, and mudrooms where durability and style matter.
Wall Tile:
Ideal for backsplashes, shower walls, and accent walls to add texture and interest.

Ceramic Tile Design

Color Palette:
Choose colors that complement your existing decor and enhance the room’s ambiance.
Pattern & Texture:
Experiment with various patterns, textures, and finishes to create depth and character.
Grout Color:
Select a grout color that either contrasts with or complements your tile for added visual impact.
Tile Layout:
Consider layout patterns such as staggered, running bond, or herringbone to introduce style and dimension to your space.

Porcelain Tile: Durability and Design for Every Space

Porcelain tile is known for its exceptional durability, water resistance, and versatility, making it an ideal choice for various residential and commercial applications. Made from 50% feldspar and fired at higher temperatures than ceramic, porcelain is incredibly dense and hard, offering a resilient surface that’s non-porous, scratch-resistant, and capable of withstanding temperature extremes.

Available in a wide range of colors, textures, and finishes, porcelain tile adds sophistication and lasting quality to any space.

Explore Our Porcelain Tile Selection

Discover a wide range of porcelain tile styles, colors, and textures to suit your unique taste.

Porcelain tile in bathroom | Dolphin Carpet

Porcelain Tile Advantages

Exceptional Durability:
Porcelain is one of the hardest, densest tiles, making it highly resistant to wear and ideal for high-traffic areas.
Water-Resistance:
Thanks to its non-porous nature, porcelain tile is highly water-resistant, which makes it perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, and outdoor spaces.
Versatile Aesthetics:
Porcelain can mimic natural stone, wood, and other materials, allowing for a high-end look without the associated maintenance.
Scratch & Stain Resistance::
Porcelain’s dense construction helps protect against scratches and stains, ensuring a long-lasting, beautiful surface.

Porcelain Tile Applications

Flooring:
Perfect for high-traffic areas, including kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and entryways.
Countertops:
An excellent choice for countertops due to its durability and resistance to moisture and stains.
Outdoor Spaces:
With its ability to withstand extreme temperatures and high moisture, porcelain is ideal for outdoor spaces, like patios, walkways, and pool surrounds.

Porcelain Tile Design

Large-Format Tiles:
Create a minimalist and modern look with large-format porcelain tiles.
Wood-look Tiles:
Achieve the look of hardwood flooring without the maintenance.
Textured Tiles:
Add depth and dimension to your space with textured tiles.
Patterned Tiles:
Create intricate designs and patterns with mosaic or patterned tiles.

Mosaic Tile: Small Details, Big Impact

Mosaic tile kitchen backsplash | Dolphin Carpet

Mosaic tile consists of small tiles, usually under 2x2 inches, arranged in eye-catching patterns and designs. Known for its intricate detailing, mosaic tile can bring depth, texture, and artistry to any space. Available in a wide array of colors, shapes, and finishes, mosaic tiles make it easy to personalize any area with unique, decorative elements that reflect your style.

Explore Our Mosaic Tile Selection

Discover a wide range of porcelain tile styles, colors, and textures to suit your unique taste.

Mosaic Tile Advantages

Versatile Design Options:
Mosaic tiles are perfect for creating custom designs, from intricate patterns to borders and medallions.
Enhanced Visual Appeal:
Ideal for small accents or large, dramatic focal points, adding character to any space.
Adaptable for Small Spaces:
Mosaic tiles work well on smaller surfaces, such as backsplashes and accent walls.

Mosaic Tile Applications

Backsplashes:
Mosaic tiles are a favorite for kitchen and bathroom backsplashes, adding vibrant color and visual interest.
Accent Walls:
Ideal for creating a feature wall in living areas, bathrooms, or outdoor spaces.
Shower Floors:
Mosaic tiles provide texture, which can add traction and a decorative touch to shower floors.

Mosaic Tile Design

Color Combinations:
Mix colors to create depth and contrast, or select a monochromatic palette for a subtle, unified look.
Pattern Ideas:
Explore geometric or organic patterns for visual impact, and consider adding a decorative border to tie the design together.
Highlighting Features:
Use mosaic tile around fireplaces, mirrors, or as a border in showers to draw attention to focal points in your design.

Subway Tile: A Timeless Classic for Modern Spaces

Subway tile is a classic choice defined by its rectangular shape—typically 3x6 inches—and its simple, clean style, inspired by the iconic tiles used in New York City’s subway stations. This popular tile is known for its glazed ceramic finish and comes in a variety of colors and sizes, making it a versatile choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and more. The traditional look of subway tile is often white and arranged in a 50% offset pattern, but it also offers flexibility with different offsets and colors to suit any design preference.

Explore Our Subway Tile Selection

Discover a wide range of subway tile styles, colors, and textures to suit your unique taste.

Large format Subway tile behind bathtub | Dolphin Carpet

Subway Tile Advantages

Classic, Timeless Style:
Subway tile’s clean lines and simplicity make it a lasting design element that fits well in both traditional and modern spaces.
Versatile & Customizable:
With a range of colors, sizes, and layouts, subway tile can adapt to any design vision.
Easy Maintenance:
The glazed surface of subway tiles is simple to clean and maintains its shine, making it ideal for high-traffic and moisture-prone areas.

Subway Tile Applications

Backsplashes:
Subway tile is a popular choice for kitchen and bathroom backsplashes, creating a polished, classic look.
Shower Walls:
The water-resistant properties and easy-to-clean surface make subway tile perfect for shower and bath surrounds.
Feature Walls:
Create an accent or feature wall by using subway tiles in bold colors or unique layout patterns for visual interest.

Subway Tile Design

Layout Patterns:
While the traditional 50% offset pattern is common, consider other options like a one-third offset, vertical stacking, or herringbone for added character.
Grout Color Choices:
Grout can have a big impact on subway tile style. Light grout emphasizes the tile color, while dark grout creates a strong, graphic pattern. Experimenting with grout color can change the visual effect of your tile layout.
Mixing Sizes & Colors:
For a unique look, try mixing different sizes or colors within the subway tile family to add texture and interest to your design.

Choosing the Right Tile for Your Needs

Choosing the right tile for your space can feel like a big decision, but it’s also an exciting opportunity to personalize your home! With so many styles, materials, and finishes to choose from, selecting the ideal tile is all about balancing your personal taste, the room’s function, and your lifestyle needs. Here are some key factors to help guide your decision and ensure you pick a tile that combines beauty, durability, and practicality.

Consider the Room's Purpose

High-traffic areas like kitchens and entryways benefit from durable options like porcelain, while decorative spaces can use mosaic or ceramic for visual flair.

Think About Moisture and Water Resistance

For bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other moisture-prone areas, choose non-porous options like porcelain or glazed ceramic for better water resistance.

Assess Maintenance Needs

Some tiles require more care than others.

Explore Style and Aesthetic Goals

Tile shapes, sizes, and finishes can set the tone of a room. Subway tile offers a clean, classic look, while mosaic and large-format tiles add unique textures and visual depth.

Budget for the Entire Project

Remember to include installation costs, subfloor preparation, and any extra materials, so there are no surprises down the line.


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