Penny tiles are making a comeback in the contemporary tile world. Although they've been around for over a hundred years, penny round tiles haven't taken off like their small hex tile counterparts… until now. Now these charming little rounds are fresh and invigorating in many spaces, particularly kitchens and bathrooms.
A cousin of the hexagon tile, penny tiles are known as a classic option that first graced many kitchens and bathrooms in the early 1900's. However, they're making a big comeback in the contemporary tile world. Once a classic, always a classic.
Here we break down three top tile trends to look out for in 2021. Clean and green. The color green in muted shades is one of the newest neutrals showing up in tile. It's a nod to the biophilia design trend that brings nature into the home, and it can be considered a sign of growth and well-being.
Penny tiles are often spotted in historic homes, but we're also starting to see them in the hippest coffee shops and hottest bars. Why? They add an interesting aesthetic, they're extremely versatile and – like any good tile – they're also easy to maintain in even the wettest areas.
Penny-round tile has been around for over a century, and is one of our Top 10 Design Trends Of 2017. Its quaint quality offers a smart look on walls, floors and ceilings and pairs especially well with brass fixtures and marble sinks.
1920's tile shapes included penny round, hexagon, pinwheel, square, subway and basketweave tile. Smaller formats were used to make spaces look larger.
Tile Sizes & Shapes
The tried-and-true 12” x 12” tiles are still popular, but tiles are tending to be larger and larger. Sizes like 16” x 16”, 12” x 24” and even 24” x 48” are becoming more prevalent. Large-format tiles have fewer grout lines to clean and help a room look bigger, more open and less busy.
“Subway tiles are classic and timeless, yet versatile, which is why they are so great. They aren't going anywhere in 2021 or beyond,” shares Erin Davis, lead designer at Mosaik Design & Remodeling in Portland, OR.
Penny round tiles can be used for a bathroom backsplash or a shower floor; they can be all one color, a rainbow of colors, or a carefully arranged pattern of just one or two colors.
This flooring is made to be durable, which means it is not going to come up on its own and it is not going to come up easily, even with help. Cleaning – Penny tiles have a lot of grout to clean which can be a lot of maintenance. This is especially true if you have them installed in a high traffic area.
I'll be honest, penny tile is quite possibly one of the most challenging to install – but not to worry! I tiled the entire counter-to-ceiling backsplash at the Edgmon Ranch kitchen – and survived to tell the tale, ha!
For paint colors, whites, grays and pale blues are most popular both as they go with the most popular tile colors and also because they are light and neutral.
Medium wood in shades like honey, copper, and blonde are gaining popularity because of their light and airy feel. Wide planks, as well as matte and satin finishes are a couple other 2021 flooring trends commonly seen with this material.
Traditional White Tile
Bright white tiles are super hot in the home, and the marble-look tile trend is going to be huge in 2022, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and commercial spaces. White tiles instantly make your room look bigger, especially if you use large format tiles.
Navy and gray are on the way out
Yes, while gray has seen an uninterrupted reign over recent paint trends, its reign may conclude in 2022. However, this shift is perhaps only expected in the interiors world, as Anthony Barzilay Freund, the editorial director at 1stDibs, explains.
Keep in mind that patterned tiles have been around for centuries, there is no way that it is going out of style anytime soon! Just remember to complement your house style and design aesthetic and you'll end up with a custom design that's perfectly you.
Checkerboard Tile
Out of all the timeless tile designs, checkerboard is perhaps the most flexible. The design can make a great impact on the floors in a space as small as a bathroom yet is bold enough to make a statement in a larger surface area like a foyer.
Gray supplanted beige as the favorite neutral for a time, but now beige is making a comeback. When using beige tile in your home, we recommend adding an interesting twist, such as choosing beige with a pink undertone or adding texture, such as the fabric-look beige tile above.
Move over, marble — it's travertine's time to shine. It may be 2021 — but you wouldn't know it from looking at the current lineup of design trends. Everything from bright colors to bold patterns to squiggly shapes have returned from the 1980s this year, pointing to a renewed embrace of the maximalist decade.
A typical 1930s bathroom is often a nostalgic bathroom with a vintage touch. The basis of the bathroom consists of 1930s tiles in a chess pattern. These are often black and white tiles, but mint green is also a popular choice.
Hexagonal Tile Patterns
Hexagonal tiles experienced a rise in popularity during the 1940s. Many homeowners and designers took advantage of their unique shape and found new, creative patterns across floors, bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and other spaces in the home.
Non-sanded grout is more like fine dust and is best used in 1/16 in. gaps. Because of the pennies' shape and placement on the penny sheets, the smaller gap where the pennies are closer to each other is about 1/16th of an inch BUT the rest of the gaps between pennies are bigger, therefore the need for sanded grout.