Most Popular Subway Tiles Styles and Benefits: 6 Design Ideas

Introduction: The Timeless Classic Back for More!

If you’ve been keeping up to date with the latest trends in Irish home improvements and interior design, then you'll already have seen these alluring tiles. Subway tiles (also known as metro tiles) are a bevelled rectangular type of tile most popular found in kitchens and bathrooms. And recently, metro tiles have seen an explosion in popularity! 

But are subway tiles just a fad? And how can metro tiles be best used in the home? 

Why are subway tiles so popular?

The tiles you’ve been seeing so much of in Irish home renovations are not, in fact, a passing trend. They’ve been in use since they were first designed for the opening of the New York subway system at the dawn of the 20th century.

Beloved by Victorians for how easy they were to clean and maintain, metro tiles were once the calling card of ‘civilized’ society. And today, they've been repurposed for the home - perfect for both traditional Irish interiors and more modern, minimalist aesthetics.

With the diversification of available materials, colours, grouting, and design styles, metro tiles are now in use in almost every Irish home with an eye for simple, timeless, classic aesthetics. In fact, they are especially well-matched to homeowners in Ireland seeking to pair timelessness with modern chic. You see, the fundamental subtlety of subway tiles helps to tone down noisier colours and patterns.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the 6 most popular pattern ideas for using metro tiles in your home, as well as our top tips for subway tile maintenance, and suggestions on where metro tiles might be best used throughout the house. Let’s dive in!

Exploring the Most Popular and Common Applications of Subway Tiles in Irish Homes

One of the most appealing aspects of subway tiles is just how easy they are to clean. They tend to be slightly bevelled (raised away from the wall), with slopes on each edge down to the grouting. This textured construction, as well as the glossy materials (ceramic, porcelain, glass) with which they’re made, makes cleaning them incredibly quick and painless.

Furthermore, the sheen of their gloss does wonders in reflecting the natural and artificial lighting of any room. This means that even the smallest, dimmest room can be brightened considerably simply with the installation of subway tiles.

Not only can they improve the natural light of a room, however, but also the shape and size. With the right layout and pattern of metro tile, you can subtly add to the width and/or height of any given room, by tricking the viewer’s eye. 

For these reasons, among many others, the most common applications for metro tiles are in the kitchen (as kitchen backsplashes) and in the bathroom.

Metro tiles are generally be used as wall tiles rather than floor tiles (due to their texture) wherever they are installed.

The 6 Key Benefits of Installing Subway Tiles in Your Irish Home

We’ve already touched on just why we at Tile Merchant, along with the best Irish interior designers, love metro tiles. But what exactly are the real benefits of installing them in your own home?

Benefit #1: There are a wide range of subway tile colours to choose from

Contrary to popular belief, metro tiles are no longer only available in uniform white, like they were in days of old. Today, you can buy subway tiles in a huge variety of colours. For example, we offer the rustic Mirage metro tile, the Nolita collection (available in many colours), and the stunningly textured Zurbaran Cobre tile, among dozens of others.

Benefit #2: Metro tiles offer a timelessly chic aesthetic

Unlike the various tile fads which burn brightly for a year before looking ugly and outdated, metro tiles have been popular in homes around the world for over 100 years. In short, their unique stylishness isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Benefit #3: Subway tiles are both easy to clean and maintain

Most ceramic and porcelain tiles tend to be easy to clean, but metro tiles are the easiest. Thanks to their bevelled shape, a simple wipe with a damp cloth is all most subway tiles take to keep them fresh and clean all year round. As such, subway tiles are truly ideal for the easily-dirtied areas of the house, such as your kitchen and bathroom.

Benefit #4: There are plenty of different grouts to choose from

Some people understandably worry about the amount of grouting which these smaller, more slender tiles require. They wonder whether this could impact the overall cleanliness and aesthetic of subway tile designs. Thankfully, however, with many different colours of grout to choose from, and plenty with antifungal properties built into them, there’s no need to compromise on style or hygiene when it comes to subway tiles.

Benefit #5: Subway tiles work excellently as frames

Subway tiles work brilliantly as ‘frames’ for your home design. Simple, block-coloured tiles arranged in a pleasing way can serve to draw the eye to aspects of your home you wish to highlight, rather than the tiles being the center of attention themselves. This can work brilliantly in the bathroom or kitchen, to frame appliances and furnishings like:

• The bath
• The shower
• The cooker and hob
• The fridge-freezer
• Your countertops
• Storage cupboards
• Mirrors and more

Benefit #6: It's easy to match subway tiles with other tiles

Metro tiles serve as the perfect companion to bolder tiles and tile designs because they tend to be quite subtle in tone and hue. This allows you to experiment and add a distinct dynamism to your home, without worrying about noise.

6 Most Popular Ways to Lay Subway Tiles: And Irish Interior Design Guide

One of the greatest advantages to installing Irish metro tiles it home is the variety and versatility of ways you can lay these tiles. From "Classic Subway" to "Herringbone" and more. Let's take a look at the best ways to lay subway tile!

Style #1 - Horizontal Brick Pattern: The Classic Subway Tile Layout

The classic. Metro tiles are laid horizontally in long lines, each subsequent line offset by a half tile width. Thus creating a traditional ‘brick-effect' design. You can use the classic subway layout practically anywhere since it’s such a timeless design. 

The Classic Subway Tile pattern is especially useful in situations where you plan to cover large areas with metro tiles. It can also help to make smaller rooms look a taller and wider than they actually are.

The classic subway pattern for metro tiles is especially attractive when coloured tiles are paired with a grout of a different colour or tone. This allows you to embellish your subway style and draw attention to the alternating layout.

Style #2 - Horizontal Stacked Pattern: Perfect with wooden floors

The Horizontal Stacked Pattern offers an alternative to the classic brick layout. Metro tiles are laid one atop the other in a grid, with an emphasis on the horizontal axis. 

A mite less subtle than the ‘Brick’ or classic ‘Subway’ pattern, you can use this style to emphasise the crisp angles and modern minimalism of your home. We think the Horizontal Stacked Pattern looks especially good when combined with the swirling lines of natural wood.

Style #3 - Herringbone Pattern: Something a bit different!

Herringbone subway tiles are undoubtedly the most complex pattern for any tile installation. As such, laying subway tiles herringbone should be left to professional tilers.

That said, Herringbone Subway Tiles look all the more magnificent for the extra work. The herringbone style is achieved by laying metro tiles at right angles to each other to create a repeating zig-zag pattern (which resembles herring bones). 

This style might be a little too loud for an entire room. Nevertheless, a herringbone backsplash in a kitchen, or herringbone subway tiles as a shower backdrop, can add a powerful sense of movement and energy to spaces which are otherwise synonymous with work and chore.

Style #4 - Vertical Brick Pattern (Vertical 3⁄4): Pushing up the ceilings

Turn the classic Subway Tiles pattern on its head, and what do you have? The vertical brick! Tall vertical columns of metro tiles are offset by a half-tile height to give them a rotated brick aesthetic. 

This pattern is quite unique, and may not be the favourite of many, but for those brave enough it can pay off dividends.

Use the Vertical Brick Pattern to frame your bathroom vanity or build a gorgeous kitchen backsplash. Better still, this vertical brick pattern pushes the floor away from the ceiling. In doing so, it opens up any space to make it feel bigger and brighter.

Style #5 - Vertical Stacked Pattern: Best for small bathrooms

The 'Vertical Stack' is arguably the most unusual pattern for subway tiles. To lay subway tiles in a vertical stack, install them in uniform vertical rows to create a strict grid pattern. Though strange, this pattern can actually have some truly impressive applications. From heightening small, squat bathrooms, to accenting the modern minimalism of a sharp, angular kitchen, the ‘vertical stack’ is unusual without being faddish.

Style #6 - Diagonal Brick Pattern (Vertical ½): Dynamic flow and texture

Like the herringbone metro tile pattern, laying your subway tiles diagonally takes a lot of work, and a lot of very precise cutting. This one is best left to professionals unless you’ve heaps of DIY experience! Like its herringbone companion, the diagonal brick design energises spaces like nothing else. This makes the Diagonal Brick Subway Tile pattern perfect for dull, lifeless, small spaces you're unsure what to do with. 

This pattern achieves its full aesthetic potential when created with a duality of colour. Choose two or more different coloured subway tiles to highlight a feature wall, for example. Doing so draws the eyes dynamically across the entire expanse of the tiled area. You'll be the envy of all your neighbours!

Our Top Tips for How to Clean Subway Tiles and Maintain Metro Tiles

Here at Tile Merchant, we’re often asked two things about our gorgeous range of subway tiles. 1) Are metro tiles really that easy to clean? And, 2) Is the amount of grout required for subway tiles an issue when it comes to cleaning? Let's find out!

Are metro tiles easy to clean?

Yes! In fact, their inherent cleanliness was the reason they were designed in the first place! Back in 1904, when the New York subway first opened, the designers wanted a tile which could be easily maintained and kept glossy and attractive over many years, so as to make people unfamiliar with underground travel feel more comfortable with the idea. Wipe your metro tiles regularly with a hot, damp cloth, and they’ll be perfect for decades to come.

Is the amount of grout required for subway tiles an issue?

No! In fact, by carefully choosing the right grout to accompany your subway tiles, not only will they keep as clean as any other, larger tile, they’ll look better than most, at the same time.

These days, there are plenty of grouting alternatives with inherent antifungal properties. Choose one of these, and keep the tiles and grout clean with a hot, damp cloth (as above), and you’ll experience no trouble with mould or fungus, even in the dampest, most humid areas of your house (such as the kitchen backsplash, bathroom sink, shower or bath).

There are even a range of colours (in addition to the traditional black or white) with which you can grout your subway tiles.

Conclusion

At Tile Merchant, we’re always happy to assist you on your hunt for the perfect colour, style and application of tile, from grout to design. Browse our extensive range of metro tiles today and find out for yourself!

Alternatively, pop into one of our three Irish showrooms, browse our online shop for tiles, or contact us via our website. And don't forget, we offer a Free Cut Sample Service, too, so you can try before you buy. Happy hunting!

Why Tile Merchant?

We offer extremely competitive pricing on our entire range of tiles and likewise. We stock a huge range of wall and floor tiles and our prices are competitive for retail and trade. Our stock is widely available in our tile stores in Dublin and Ashbourne (Co. Meath) which are open 7 days a week.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to shop our tiles online, we can supply you with samples delivered for free.

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