One question that’s likely to pop up when you are thinking about tiling an area in your home is whether to opt for fully tiled or half tiled walls? It’s a vital question that needs answering before you even consider looking for your dream tiles. With numerous pros and cons to both options, we’re offering some sound advice to help you make the best choice to create the perfect tiled space.
Design options for small areas
The first thing to factor in is the size of the room, as this will play a huge part in which is best way to go in terms of half or fully-tiled. If for instance, you have a small area, such as a downstairs toilet then the half tiled approach is often the more favourable option – leaving you with a larger area to paint to complement your tiles and make the space feel bigger. On the flip side, with small bathrooms, fully tiled walls are often considered the more modern choice and can create the illusion of more space, particularly if you choose large format ceramic wall tiles – with less grout joints it can make an area look less busy.
Make the most of a large area
In contrast, if you’re lucky enough to have a large bathroom to tile, then both fully tiled and half tiled are valid options and both work well depending on the style of home decoration you are aiming for. One of the obvious advantages of fully tiled walls is that the area will be fully waterproofed and easy to clean – a big benefit for bathrooms and wetrooms.
Choosing a neutral coloured porcelain wall tile can make large areas appear even more spacious, light and airy. However, by half-tiling you can break up vast wall space and add different decorative styles to your walls with paint, wallpaper and accessories that will bring more interest and texture to the room.
An easy option for greater flexibility
Another advantage of opting for half-tiled walls is that you can have greater flexibility with your interior style. With fully-tiled walls you’re committed to that design for some time, as updating a tiled wall is more costly and time consuming. However, with half-tiled walls you have the option to paint or wallpaper above the tile line as and when you choose – making a bathroom update quick and cheap.
It also gives you the choice to go bold with your interior design, with bright decorative tiles complemented by neutral tones above, or the other way round – you can make a real statement and easily change it if you don’t like it
As with most decisions for home improvement, the decision ultimately boils down to personal preference. Everybody has their own style, taste and preferences, and with such an array of tiles to choose from these days, you’re sure to find the perfect solution that suits your needs.
I've seen that happen with hardwood floors, followed by linoleum, followed by carpet, followed by tile, and then tore up to reveal the original hardwood floor again. I think that's the definition of insanity.
Ron