In this tiling series we will be breaking down the reason you must have a certain type of tiling and a reason why you probably should not. The aim of this series is to provide you with pretty pictures but a little guidance on what might work for your space.

What is it? 

You take two rectangular tiles and you create a ‘V’ shape by resting the bottom of one tile against the side of another; ensuring the edges are flush. Repeat this over and over again. As you build a row of these V’s, the pattern takes the form of a fish spine – hence the name ‘herringbone’.

Why you must have it for your next bathroom renovation

• You want a wow factor
• Love subway tiling but you want something a little more exciting
• Marble is your preference but you want to break it up a little

Why you need to stay away from it

• You often will have double the amount of wastage so instead of 10% you will often need 20%
• Can be time-consuming to lay
• Maybe overpowering as a visual

Jack’s Hot Tips (Head Of Tiling OTB Bathrooms)

As someone who has laid more than I would like of herringbone tiling the key to getting the most out of the pattern is to use one flat wall. Once you have a window in the way or you are trying to take the pattern to another wall you often get way too many lines and cuts that I think can take away from the impact. One other note to take down is to try and stay away from handmade (bumpy edge) tiles laid in herringbone as it is much harder to keep the pattern and makes it look more grouty. 

For designs like this and chevron or really any pattern that takes time to get right you really want the best tiler you can get as it can go pear-shaped pretty quick especially in renovations where the surfaces are not flat or straight. Take your time, run through what you want exactly, and look at as many pictures as you can. For a full breakdown of different types of tiling click the image below.

It’s important to note that all our advice is general in nature and all bathrooms are unique so always speak to your local qualified tradesman for the best advice.

At on the ball bathrooms we love feedback so let us know what you think with a comment below or if you are looking for a bathroom renovation quote and live in Perth, Western Australia contact us on 0419964678 or email us at info@ontheballbathrooms.com.au.

This article was written by James Mc, one of the founders of On the Ball Bathrooms with over 15 years of bathroom renovation experience combined with knowledge of over a 2000+ completed renovation projects.

We hope that we have helped you in any way with some helpful renovations tips or just at least some pretty renovation pictures to look at 🙂