Square: Simply put, a geometry teacher would describe a square as a plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles. Square tile, however, is anything but simple because of its range of sizes and material choices.
What size fits you best? When considering large-format square field tile, common sizes are: 12"x12", 18"x18", and 24"x24". Decorative or square accent tiles are most commonly seen in 4"x4" or 6"x6". Lastly, square mosaics are often mesh-mounted in a 1"x1" or 2"x2" size.
Ceramic, marble, porcelain, glass -- Square tile is available in a variety of material types. When paired with sizing options, square tile has several common combinations. At AC, we have endless porcelain and marble options available as a 12"x12" field tile. We offer numerous glazed ceramics in a 4"x4" and 6"x6" in size. As for square mosaics, Architectural Ceramics carries a wide range of options in all material types.
Try playing with our sizes filter to see the range of in-stock or special order square tiles featured on our website. Whether using the 12"x12" product search or 24"x24" product search, we make browsing simple. And your choices don't end there. To browse all Architectural Ceramics has to offer, visit one of our DC-metro area showroom locations.
Rectangle: Quick, when we say rectangle, what do you think of? Probably a 3"x6" subway or a 12"x24" field tile. They could be considered the meat and potatoes of rectangular tile shapes. But if you're looking for more variety in your tile diet, consider other sizes such as: a 6"x24" plank, a 6"x12" elongated subway, or a 1"x2" mosaic.
Our Naturals Collection is a natural choice to showcase a 3"x6" glass subway tile option. To learn more about this collection, read our blog entry, It's Only Natural: AC's Glass Tile Collection.
As for a 12"x24" tile option, we love too many to choose just one. Use our 12"x24" product search to browse through our featured marble and porcelain collections that include a 12"x24" field tile.
Hexagon:Eat your heart out. Designers and homeowners love this six-sided shape no matter its size. Hexagons are popular as a mesh-mounted mosaic or as a larger field tile.
To see collections available with Architectural Ceramics that feature hexagon tile, visit our hexagon product search here.
Penny round:You don't have to rethink the wheel, or the penny round, when it comes to tile shapes. Typically seen as a meshed-mosaic, penny round tile is known for its small size and adaptability to various areas in your home. Penny round tile works well as a fireplace surround, kitchen backsplash, or bathroom and shower floor.
To see our featured collections that include a penny round mosaic, visit AC's penny round product search here. To explore our full offering, visit one of our DC-metro area showroom locations.
Specialty: Looking for something special? Try thinking outside the box with tile shapes that may have a few more sides or curves to them. Specialty shapes include tiles such as: diamonds, ogees (an arabesque, fan, or wave), pickets, and triangles.
To see Architectural Ceramic's variety of specialty tile, please visit one of our DC-metro area showroom locations. We offer a wide selection of specialty options from our vendors like Encore Ceramics, Pratt & Larson or Tabarka Studio. Making specialty tile is their specialty. As a result, the tiles are often made by hand and sold by the piece.
Single-Tile: A single-tile pattern is created by repeating one tile shape. It's hard for us to single out just one pattern that's our favorite. At Architectural Ceramics, we offer a range of single-tile patterns such as: chevron, diamond, herringbone, subway half-offset, subway straight-stack, and parquet.
These single-tile patterns have stood the test of time. You're welcome to spend some time with us in one of our showroom locations, playing hands-on with tile to create a pattern that fits your style.
Two-Tile: To illustrate what a two-tile pattern looks like, we look to two examples: a basketweave and pinwheel. Both patterns use just two tile sizes to create their timeless looks.
Basketweave:Popular as a shower floor option, a basketweave pattern uses a square and rectangular tile. The small-scale mosaic works well as a shower floor because the tiles themselves are less than 4 inches, allowing for a proper slope toward the drain.
While ceramic and marble finishes are most commonly seen in this pattern, Architectural Ceramics offers a basketweave porcelain with the look of marble but the ease and durability of porcelain. Our in-stock Coach Collection, made to looks like Statuary marble, features a basketweave pattern, as well as a 12"x24" and 3"x12" field tile, and a herringbone mosaic.
Pinwheel:Similar to a basketweave, a pinwheel pattern is another small-scale mosaic that uses two tile sizes. A 1"x2" rectangular tile rotates around a 1-inch square tile. If you're renovating a bathroom in your home from the 1920's or 1940's, you may be taking out this tile, because the pattern was commonly used on the floor.
If you want to return your 1940's fixer-upper back to its original character however, look to our in-stock Neri Collection. The collection features a classic black and white pinwheel mosaic, as well as other classic white field tiles.
Multi-Tile: Tile patterns that use three or more tiles are considered multi-tile patterns. A Versaille pattern, for example, uses four tiles to create its layout. It is commonly done in travertine, because the pattern and natural stone both come from France.
Our Brocade Collection includes a white and grey marble chevron mosaic.
For further questions about our products featured here, or to place a tile order, please contact sales@architecturalceramics.com. Want weekly updates about Architectural Ceramics and our product lines? Join our newsletterhere.