We’re always singing the praises of tiles. They make every space better, they offer so much personality to design, and they’re fun to include. But not every tile is made for every interior. So imagine – you’re picking tiles for your home and you don’t want to make a decision you’ll regret in a few weeks, months, or years? Here are some tile mistakes and how to avoid them.
1) Small tiles in high moisture areas
Unless you’re well monied with a full cleaning staff, the chances are you want as little surface area to scrub as possible. In order you minimise surface scrubbing, you’re going to want to minimise grout. If you pick small tiles, you’re going to have a lot of grout.
Small tiles in a shower? Bad idea. This high moisture zone is just waiting for an excuse to grow mould, so you don’t want to have a lot of grout to maintain. Pick large, or extra large tiles with a simple pattern to make cleaning much, much easier. The mosaics may look lovely when they’re first installed, but if you don’t keep on top of maintenance they can become grimy and grisly real quick.
2) Small tiles in high traffic areas
Minimising grout lines is equally as important for areas that see a lot of footfall. Small mosaics on a hallway floor? Very bad idea. All the dust and dirt from daily life is just going to gather in the grout and make maintenance a nightmare. Instead it’s best to opt for larger tiles and forgiving colours so you don’t drive yourself mad.
3) Tiled countertops
They’re so beautiful, creating picture perfect kitchens and whimsical interiors, but a tiled countertop is asking for a headache. The majority of tiled countertops use fairly small tiles, creating a city map of grout lines for crumbs and cooking residue to accumulate in. You want your kitchen or bathroom clean, and you want it easy to clean, so avoid the siren song of a tiled counter.
4) Tiled sinks
Again, a tiled sink is a wonderful thing. They’re unusual and look amazing, giving you a highly personal space, but for the average house owner they’re just too much upkeep. There’s a higher chance they’ll crack or get scratched or chipped, if the grout fails it’ll be an expensive and awkward fix, and as ever – there’s a lot of grout to keep clean!
5) White grout
As you may have gathered, most tile issues are actually grout issues. White grout exacerbates all of those issues. It shows dirt, mould, dust, mineral deposits, and imperfections easily. It may give a crisp clean look, but if you don’t stay on top of it, it’ll probably age really badly.
An new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, November 2025.