Layout Guide

There are three ingredients that make up a period floor - the pattern, border and fill. Each one is as important as the others and can be customised in almost any way.

What sets us apart from our competitors

Most companies supply these tiles by the square metre - they ask for your measurements and provide you that many tiles, plus some waste. This is easy for them and gets you a price quickly, however it leaves all the work to your tiler who has to figure out how to lay the tiles they receive in the design you want. It also doesn't give you an idea of how the colours will come together and how the design will (or won't, in some cases) fit. We nearly always draw these floors to scale with CAD software to make sure you are happy with the design before ordering. It allows you to tweak the colours and it allows us to be more accurate in what we supply. Plus, it saves the tiler time and effort.

The Fill

The fill is the very outer edge of the design, made up of plain tiles that sit between the border and the wall or edge of the design whether that is a step, path etc. It is used to accommodate for any slight irregularities in the straightness of a wall or edge and can also be made bigger/smaller to allow for more or less pattern - a crucial part of making the overall design look nice and be symmetrical.

The Border

The border is the first, "main" aspect of the overall design and sits at the edge of the pattern. It can be used sparingly, with a simple strip border to let the pattern do all the talking or you can have an equally complex border for a more ornate and attention-grabbing look. Generally, the border follows the shape of the room but the more complex (wider) the border, the harder this is in smaller spaces. We would recommend a simple strip or diamond border for fireplaces and narrow paths/hallways.

The Pattern

The main attraction. The pattern can be made as simple or complex as you like, and you can tweak the colours to suit other aspects of your home. Go with something classic like a black and white chequerboard or make it your own.

Example Layouts

Below are some examples of what we may have to do if your measurements require it, but you can choose to do them if you prefer the look.

The border following the room

In particularly small areas, it may be necessary to "square off" the pattern with the border, rather than following the border all the way around the room. Even if your area is larger, you can square off the pattern if you prefer the look.

Stairs over the pattern vs. the design following the stairs

In a hallway with stairs, it is totally up to you how you would like the border to sit - either following the perimeter of the stairs or disappearing beneath them.

Wide doorways / feature strips

If you have wide doorways or an area that is quite wide but wouldn't accommodate the pattern going into it, we can add a feature strip either with the border of your choice or some plain strips to add interest and avoid very wide areas of plain fill.

Adding or removing strips

Sometimes, particularly in small areas, it might be necessary to add or remove a strip or other components in the border to allow the pattern to fit better - typically, in a diamond/chequerboard border, there is one strip each side of the main part, of a contrasting colour, and the plain fill will be contrasting to the strips. If the pattern gets cut off awkwardly or isn't symmetrical doing this, we may add or remove a strip.