Colour has always been a fantastic way to inject individuality into your home. And when it comes to kitchens and bathrooms, using bold coloured tiles and applying a method known as “colour blocking” is one way you can make a statement in your space.

Colour blocking is the art of using colour to define an area. Although the term is often associated with the fashion industry, more and more colour blocking is applied in interiors with designers using everything in their repertoire, from furniture and accessories to paint and tiles, to transform and elevate spaces. Simply put, colour blocking is a way to draw the eye and make features pop – and there’s no more sophisticated way to embrace this style than with coloured tiles.

1. Colour blocking on a large scale

If you’re looking to achieve a truly bold and undeniably stylish finish, then large scale colour blocking could be the answer. This daring approach is best achieved by using colourful tiles on walls and floors, and any other available surfaces such as bath surrounds and windowsills.

This beautiful example features our striking Onyx Nouveau Amber and Onyx Nouveau Amethyst, onyx effect porcelain tiles with a realistic onyx-like glow and retro vibe. By colour blocking with the same effect tiles in two different colours, as seen here with Amber on the walls and Amethyst on the floor, the defined areas are balanced whilst also contrasting, creating impact on a larger scale.

2. Colour blocking on a small scale

Colour blocking can also be utilised in smaller spaces.

One way in which this can be achieved on a small scale is by pairing coloured tiles with white (or almost-white) tiles. This bathroom cleverly combines a variety of our Riad porcelain tiles with our Pebble White Porcelain to create a subtle feature wall.

Riad Yellow and Riad Terracotta are tiled with Riad White to form a colourful pattern that instantly draws you in. The Pebble White Terrazzo style tiles in a large square format then provide the balance that doesn’t compete with the featured colours, softening the ensemble whilst also adding exquisite detail when up close.

Another way this style has been adopted is with our Norse Midnight Blue Ceramic and our Terrazzo Nouveau Cobalt Porcelain. This technique of using the paler, larger format tile on the floor and half way up the wall masterfully creates the illusion of space.

3. Separate a space and define an area

With open floor plans, larger spaces and rooms with quirky layouts, you can separate individual areas by colour blocking. This wet room has been defined by tiling the shower area with our Hoxton Burnt Orange Porcelain and contrasting Amazon Green Gloss Porcelain. By using coloured tiles in this way, the eye automatically orders the room into separate areas at first glance. It also allows you to experiment and use multiple tiles in a single space.

The same method is used in this bathroom with our Hoxton Bottle Green, an intense glossy subway tile. Colour blocking the walls where the toilet and sink is situated within an alcove helps to give the area its own identity.

4. All-over colour blocking

Rather than colour blocking to define certain areas within a room, try using one vivid tile colour throughout the room. In this example, not only are the walls tiled in rich navy but so are the floors, adding depth, warmth and creating the illusion of space and grandeur.

This shower room incorporates our Oska Navy Matt with our Oska Navy Matt Hexagon. By tiling the floor in the hexagon variation but in the same navy shade as the wall tiles, the colour is extended creating the illusion of space whilst also allowing the eye to distinguish between wall and floor.

Other examples of tiling with a single colour throughout is with our Oska Jungle Green Porcelain and our Paintbox Canary Gloss Ceramic. Both use coloured tiles floor to ceiling to expand the space and create an inviting, modern bathroom. This can then be broken up or intensified by using similar or complementary accents of colour, such as a yellow bathtub or green bench.

5. Statement splashbacks

Whether it’s in a kitchen or bathroom, coloured tiles can be used as statement splashbacks.

Create a feature by drawing the eye to a certain area of a room. In this bathroom, Zappa Green Porcelain has been used to enhance the wall behind the basin. Tiling above the green tiles with our Zappa White Porcelain intentionally focuses the eyes on the basin and making the area standout.

A more subtle example of this is our Oska Powder Pink Matt Porcelain tile which has been used as a softer backdrop to this stylish basin.

Colour blocking is a simple and remarkably effective way to bring style and substance to your home. For advice or to browse our extensive tile range, visit one of our 14 UK tile showrooms where our friendly and knowledgeable teams can help you select the coloured tiles for your project.