Terracotta tiles look set to be a big interiors trend

It’s really important to ensure you choose the correct floor tiles for your home interior. Especially when there is a big variety of stone materials out there, it’s valuable to understand the stone and its characteristics.

This in-hand can help customers make up their minds on the interior style they desire. It’s also safe to say that the interiors people see in other homes may inspire their decision to go for a specific stone or tiles for their own home. 

Industry data shows that the term ‘terracotta tiles’ is currently the most popular phrase typed into a search engine when compared to alternative stone floors in limestone and marble. Is this a sign consumer behaviour is shifting to favour a more rustic floor tile look? 

Below, the table shows the term ‘terracotta tiles’ is searched for 3,600 times every month. That is in comparison to ‘marble floor tiles’, which is Googled 2,900 times and ‘limestone floor tiles’ which is searched 1,900 times.  

Search volume indicates the number of search queries for a specific term and a higher number indicates a higher interest in that term.

What are the unique characteristics of Terracotta?

Terracotta tiles give an interior a rustic tile look. Salvaged from old buildings and rooftops, genuine reclaimed terracotta sold at Natural Stone Consulting comes from Europe and includes bricks, parquet, and square options. Terracotta flooring is a hardy material that, thanks to its rustic nature, can handle high foot traffic and simply gets better with age. Perfect for a kitchen or hallway.

You can have terracotta fitted in a variety of ways. You can go for reclaimed brick pavers which can be laid in random rows to give a more inconsistent, rugged appearance, or alternatively, you can choose parquet tiles, which can be laid in a slightly more uniform format but still with the rustic surface and edges maintaining the charm of their reclaimed history.  All choices bring a rustic sense to any space, thanks to their sandy biscuit tonal blends. This unique natural sandy appearance could be a reason why many people are turning to terracotta. 

A material often associated with interiors, Natural Stone Consulting also provides handmade, new terracotta tiles from Italy that are superior for outside use thanks to the fact they are frost-proof.

Produced using a tradition that goes back to the 16th century, the tiles are handmade using just a mixture of clay and rainwater which is pressed into wooden plates. Next, they are naturally dried to allow the water to evaporate and the clay to harden. The final process then sees them fired in a kiln for almost three days at an extreme heat of 1,000 degrees. 

Available in a pink or deeper red tone, these Italian terracotta tiles have a more consistent colour tone and a smoother surface compared with the reclaimed alternative. As well as for outside projects, they are equally suited for interior spaces. Formats available include squares, parquet, rectangles and hexagons. 

What about marble and limestone?

Despite this increase in the popularity of terracotta tiles, it would be unfathomable to not mention the beauty of both marble and limestone, for your interior floor. How different are they from terracotta?

Marble floor tiles often come in a variety of tones from bright white to deep black with pale veining, greens and pink tones. These tiles can be a great addition to flooring and is a popular choice for renovating a kitchen, hallways and bathrooms. For example, marble can be used to add colour to a space and give them new brightness, giving an illusion of greater space to the interior. Marble can also be used for walls in smaller settings as well as in much larger architectural projects. Marble tiles can range from a very modern small or large tile to a more aged appearance creating a time-worn rustic feel to the space. It is a hard-wearing durable material used for many centuries that has proven to last lifetimes and be enhanced with age. 

Limestone floor tiles are also a great versatile choice for your interior and exterior thanks to the fact they can either be finished in a contemporary smooth finish or created to replicate an old worn flagstone floor that has been used for many years with rustic edges and texture to the surface.

They also come in a variety of colours, from grey, beige, blue, black and white to cream tones. Limestone floor tiles can add warmth to schemes with light or darker walls and furniture, with flooring that will give you enjoyment for years to come. Limestone is also a low-maintenance material – you may just need advice on choosing the correct material for your home environment. Look to any limestone floor in old listed historic buildings, churches or farmhouses – they just get better with time.

There is no doubt that despite the increase in popularity for terracotta, choosing marble or limestone instead will become a beautiful addition to your home. 

About Natural Stone Consulting

Natural Stone Consulting is a family business that specialises in supplying exquisite stone flooring, tiles, and paving to residential and trade clients. They supply a wide variety of materials ranging from terracotta tiles to limestone flooring that suits the client’s needs, taking pride in offering bespoke flooring opportunities for both interior and exterior projects. 

The business started in 2009 and works with both homeowners as well as architects, designers, and landscape designers.

Natural Stone Consulting

Natural Stone Consulting are specialist suppliers of natural stone floors, wall tiles and paving. Working with factory partners in countries around the world, we have created one of the largest selections of modern, aged and antiqued flagstone floors at our showroom in Newbury, Berkshire.