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Shop Tile by Look

Sometimes you know the look before you know the material: the herringbone floor you saw, the hexagons in a powder room, the wood plank that turned out to be porcelain. This page is organized around that. Two kinds of things live here, and it helps to know which you are looking at.

Verde, Calacata T Fine Textured Large Herringbone Marble Mosaics 12 7/8x8 9/16

In stock and ready to ship

A best-seller from each look, with plenty on hand for a full room.

Clearance, by look

Marked-down lots in the shapes and finishes on this page. What you see is what remains of each one.

See all clearance

Shapes and patterns

Hexagon, penny round, basket weave, herringbone, chevron, brick and square are the shape of the piece or the way the pieces are laid. They come in many materials, so a herringbone can be marble, ceramic or porcelain. Shape changes the rhythm of a surface: herringbone and chevron pull the eye along a direction, hexagons and penny rounds read as texture rather than line.

Surfaces that imitate another material

Wood look, marble look, concrete look, stone look, limestone look, slate look, travertine look, terrazzo look, zellige look and fabric look are printed and textured porcelain or ceramic. You get the appearance of the material with the practical side of porcelain: no sealing, very low water absorption, and a surface that suits wet rooms and heavy traffic.

Choosing between the real thing and the look

  • Pick the real material when depth and variation matter, and you accept sealing and a little care. No two pieces of stone are alike.
  • Pick the look for wet rooms, heavy traffic, radiant heat and places where wood or soft stone would not last, such as a laundry or a pool deck.

Finishing pieces matter here too: trim and interlocking shapes keep a patterned wall from ending in a raw cut.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between herringbone and chevron?

In herringbone, rectangular pieces meet at a right angle, so the ends are staggered and the pattern looks woven. In chevron, the pieces are cut at an angle and meet point to point, forming a continuous V. Chevron reads as more formal and directional.

Does wood look tile really look like wood?

Modern wood look porcelain is printed and textured from real planks, so at normal viewing distance it is convincing. What it does not do is dent, warp or need refinishing, which is why it is common in bathrooms, laundries and entries.

Is marble look porcelain better than real marble?

It is not better or worse, it is a different trade. Porcelain does not need sealing, does not etch from lemon or wine, and costs less to maintain. Real marble has depth and variation that printing cannot fully reproduce, and each piece is unique.

Which pattern makes a small room look bigger?

Larger pieces with fewer grout lines, laid in a simple straight or brick pattern, make a small room feel larger. Running a directional pattern such as herringbone along the longer dimension also stretches a narrow room.

Are hexagon and penny round tiles hard to install?

Not especially: both usually come as mesh-mounted mosaic sheets, so many pieces go down at once. They need more cuts at the edges than a square tile, so allow extra material and time for the perimeter.

Can I mix two patterns in one room?

Yes, if one of them leads. A common approach is a quiet field tile on the floor and a patterned mosaic in one place, such as a niche, a backsplash or a shower floor. Two strong patterns competing in a small room rarely works.

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