Inspiring Interiors

Square tiles, dark grout.

Today I’m small on words, but big on pictures! After putting together my previous post about that amazing Swedish apartment, I got to thinking about how nice square tiles are—whether aligned in a grid or in a running bond pattern, and especially when paired with a dark grout. It’s a much more contemporary look than subway tile, isn’t it? So fresh.

Here’s a little collection of favorites…

doorsixteen_squaretiles_lottaagaton2
Skåne home styled by Lotta Agaton and photographed by Pia Ulin for Residence Magazine (see more)

doorsixteen_squaretile_stadshem
Photo from a real estate listing at Stadshem (now sold)

doorsixteen_kitchenfloor_lovelylife
Photo by Lönngren/Widell for Lovelylife

doorsixteen_squaretile_mandymilks
Photo by Michael Graydon for House & Home

doorsixteen_squaretiles_charlesmellersh
London townhouse interior by Charles Mellersh Design Studio

doorsixteen_squaretile_countryroad
From the Country Road 40th anniversary lookbook

doorsixteen_squaretiles_nannalagerman
Interior designer Nanna Lagerman’s home, photographed by Marcus Lawett for TrendHome

doorsixteen_squaretiles_lottaagaton1
Skåne home styled by Lotta Agaton and photographed by Pia Ulin for Residence Magazine (see more)

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27 Comments

  • Reply maggie July 2, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    The dark grout really makes all of these pop for me. Love this modern take on wall tiling.

  • Reply Stephanie July 2, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    This is so chic, I just got inspired for my kitchen’s finishing touch. Xx

  • Reply AnEmilyB July 2, 2014 at 1:49 pm

    Totally inspired by this post to darken the boring white grout in my boring white-tiled bathroom. Love these!

  • Reply Daniel @ Manhattan Nest July 2, 2014 at 2:08 pm

    Oh man, that last picture! I want to know the secret to making outer corner that flawless. Unf.

    You know, I have white 4×4 tiles with black grout in my apartment kitchen… 😉

    • Anna @ D16 July 2, 2014 at 2:30 pm

      I know you do! I think you’ll recall I helped you put some of them there. 😉

      I think the secret to make the corner so super-sharp is using a really good tile saw, and also flipping the cut tiles around so the factory edge is on the outside. (I bet if you were looking at that corner in person it wouldn’t look SO perfectly-perfect, though…)

  • Reply Emily July 2, 2014 at 2:14 pm

    Love white tiles, love white grout, however, unless square tiles are done with a running bond they look VERY 80s to me. And not really in a good way.

  • Reply Tracey July 2, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    In Detroit we have a bunch of these 1950’s white box burger stands, all with white square tiles and black grout. I have a growing collection of Polaroids of these places. I love them.

    http://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/miburger.html

    • Anna @ D16 July 2, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      WHOA!! Holy cow, they’re AMAZING!!

  • Reply Iris Vank July 2, 2014 at 4:16 pm

    I love it too. A friend of mine actually tiled one of her bedroom walls. And it really works too: so cool!

  • Reply Kristin July 2, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    Funny timing. My husband and I are working on the drawings for our kitchen renovation / dining room
    addition and I’m showing square white tiles in a running bond pattern on the wall.

    http://www.thirdstoryies.com/2014/05/13/im-doing-it-again/

    I love the look. It reminds me of the glazed clay bricks in our neighborhood – in former dairies and corner stores.

    One of my favorite images that I thought I might see in your roundup is here: http://www.thirdstoryies.com/2014/04/14/kitchen-material-inspiration/

    It’s a really beautiful look.

  • Reply Michelle July 2, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    Can anyone name the flippy Helvetica clock in the Nanna Lagerman photo? It’s so unapologetically practical and dorky, green weekend day and all. I love it.

  • Reply Elizabeth July 2, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    My kitchen is tiled with square white tiles and dark grout. The backsplash AND the countertops. It looks like a bad gas station bathroom. And just to make it worse, half a dozen of the backsplash tiles have little flowers on them. It’s a late-80’s nightmare.

    After reading this post I took another look at my kitchen, trying to envision it as chic and modern. Maybe if I stained the cabinetry black? Maybe if I replaced the faucet with a brass one? Maybe when I install better lighting? Maybe if I mop the floor?

    But no. Apparently there is a time and a place for everything, and my kitchen is not the place for square white tiles. Thank you for showing me how great they can look when used well!

    • Anna @ D16 July 2, 2014 at 10:58 pm

      It’s all about the context, I know! (“Maybe if I mop the floor?” made me laugh…)

  • Reply The Vintique Object July 3, 2014 at 12:21 am

    You are making me feel so much better about my square white tiled, dark grouted kitchen counters. I’ve always read them as 80s.

  • Reply Alisha KP July 3, 2014 at 1:40 am

    Ah I ADORE square white tiles. This is an excellent collection, thanks!

  • Reply Monnaie Ernakulam July 3, 2014 at 7:58 am

    Nice interior designing and interior furnishing!

  • Reply Ilse July 4, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    Tiling with square tiles and dark grout next weekend! All the materials are allready in so I’m excited to see this post pop up just now! 😀

  • Reply Jen July 5, 2014 at 10:52 am

    I’m another one where all I can see when I look at stacked square tiles is my childhood bathroom (even though those were chocolate brown tiles with white grout). Scarred for life, I guess!

  • Reply elena +deco July 7, 2014 at 8:28 am

    I love back and white but last year I did a bathroom with square white tiles and yellow grout for a client and it looks amazing too!

  • Reply loreen July 9, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    What is that soap? In the black bottle – photo 2 and 3? Want it.

  • Reply South Cypress July 22, 2014 at 1:01 pm

    This bathroom looks awesome! Practically speaking, I would use it as one giant dry erase board since thats where all the best ideas happen!

  • Reply Anna August 11, 2014 at 11:38 pm

    The faucet…. I read in another blog (I cannot remember which and I’ve searched several of my regulars) where the blogger bought a nice chrome plated faucet and had the chrome removed to reveal the unfinished brass. Genius! Probably SOOO much cheaper than buying brass to start with and just as nice in the end.

    • Anna @ D16 August 12, 2014 at 6:51 am

      Anna, check out the post that inspired this one—there are several examples of what you’re talking about in the comments. 🙂

    • Anna August 13, 2014 at 1:21 pm

      Wow – nice! I am a brand new reader of your blog – love it! 🙂

    • Anna @ D16 August 13, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      Thank you, Anna! Welcome. 🙂

  • Reply Cindy September 24, 2014 at 1:28 am

    Hello, love the tiles in the last photo! Do you happen to know what the sizes are of
    Those tiles? Currently doing bathroom and kitchen renos and would love to do tiles just like that! Thanks!!

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