Although, tiles are one of the world’s oldest building materials it’s still just as relevant to modern design as it was centuries ago. Whether you’ve settled on a bold ceramic tiles for a space or subtle laminate subway tiles selecting the right size is important to achieve the desired look. Over the past few years, tile sizes have increased dramatically. From 4×4 to 8×12 you can purchase tiles in virtually any size. So what size should you choose?

Basic Tile Size Guidelines
While there are standard shapes and sizes of tiles as you will see most manufacturers create tiles with dimensions that are tailored to their inhouse design. Sometimes the sizes are unique and you probably won’t be able to find it anywhere else. That’s why it can be challenging to determine what the ideal tile size should be for a space. However, there are some general rules to picking out the perfect tile size for a space that you should consider.

Small rooms
Often, design experts recommend using larger scaled tiles in small rooms. Large format tiles in a small space will visually expand the area making it seem bigger than it actually is. This is because larger tiles allow for fewer grout lines breaking up the flow of the floor. However, if the room is tiny than floor tiles larger than 18 inches will overwhelm the space.

Long Room
What about a long, rectangular shaped space? Installing plank style, large tiles on galley-like rooms creates depth, makes the room appear wider and spacious.

Texture
If you desire to create interest and texture than you might want to opt for small mosaic tiles. With smaller tiles there will be more grout lines but the space will flow smooth since small shaped mosaic tiles can be easily fitted in corners and around fixtures. In this way, small tiles are similar to carpet and it can really create a proportionate and harmonized look.

Defining A Space
If you really want to define a space whether big or small you can use smaller sized tiles to create an accent or border around large format tiles.

Selecting the right size tile is largely dependent on the desired look that you’re seeking to achieve!