Metro brick tiles:14 pattern ideas for kitchens and bathrooms

One of the well known and most popular floorings or wall covering tiles for your bathroom and/or kitchen is the metro brick tiles patterns.  The basic principle behind metro tiles goes back to underground stations of London Underground, New York Subway and Paris  Metro that were built around the beginning of the 19th century.

Roughly speaking the glazed versatile brick shape ceramic tiles were the symbol of the industry and technology in these sub-ground spaces. No sooner their popularity in the public space, they gained widespread use in residential houses, with the popularity of the Art Deco movement. Today, popularity gained its strength with this use in the domestic environment.

Metro brick tiles:14 pattern ideas for kitchens and bathrooms
www.toppstiles.co.uk

Here I will give all the details of the metro tiles’ patterns and I will also mention:

1- Historical background and importance of Metro Tiles;

2- Dimensions;

3- Reasons why you should be  confident to choose a metro tile for your room;

4- The 14 patterns that you can create with Metro Tiles;

5- Inspirations for your bathroom and kitchen;

6- What type and colour of grout you can use with metro tile;

7- Some technical and design tips that you should be aware of;

8- Inspirations from London Underground and New York Subway.

Metro Brick Tiles:14 Pattern Ideas for Kitchens and Bathrooms

1- Historical background and importance of Metro Tiles

The London, New York and Paris are three important underground, subway and metro in history. All of them opened at the beginning of the 1900s- except for London underground that has been operating already since 1863. However, they all were the representation of the industrial revolution in terms of both technology and art. The artwork such as the posters, signs, wall murals has followed the Modern Movement styles.

While the New York subway had the most colourful and fancy tiles, which were designed by George C. Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge from Heins and LaFarge architecture practice in line with Art Arts and Craft and Beaux-Art Movements, London Underground and Paris Metro have more plain and simple white metro tiles. Especially, the Paris Metro decoration had no ornament other than white tiles due to low indoor lights. Therefore, the Paris metro is famous for its entrance by the architect Hector Guimard.

2- Dimensions of Metro Tiles

Dimensions of Metro Tiles are;
1- 200 mm wide x 100 mm in height. This is the most popular and well-known metro tile and it has originated from London Underground.
2- 150 mm wide and 75 mm in height. This dimension has a historical background starting in the New York subway and Paris Metro. It is also named as half tile.
3- 300 mm wide x 100 mm in height. In later periods, people altered the original dimensions and started to produce a wider option for metro tiles.

3- Reasons why you should be  confident to choose a metro tile for your room

You should go for a Metro Tile if you like to;
– have a versatile design;
– design a vintage style;
– manage both traditional and contemporary feel at the same time or separately;
– flexible use in different spaces as the kitchen, bathroom and commercial spaces;
– create an accent wall in any room or splashback in the kitchen;
– clean easily;
– play with the patterns.

4- The 14 Metro Brick Tiles Patterns that you can create with Metro Tiles

The classic pattern of the metro tiles is the half brick layout; however, you can create more styles.

Here I list the 14 Metro brick tiles patterns that you can create:

1-  (1/2) Horizontal Running Bond (or Brick Bond aka Subway),

2- (1/3) Horizontal Running Bond  (or Brick Bond),

3- (3/4) Horizontal Running Bond  (or Brick Bond),

4- (1/2) Running Bond Vertical (Vertical Brick or Vertical Subway),

5- (3/4) Running Bond Vertical (Vertical Brick or Vertical Subway),

6- Running Bond- Alternative,

7- Horizontal Block (Stack Bond or Linear Block),

8- Vertical Block (Vertical Stack Bond or Running Bond Vertical),

9- Basket Weave  (Double Weave)- Alternative 1,

10- Basket Weave  (Double Weave)- Alternative 2,

11- Dog Bone Basket Weave,

12- Herringbone 90 degrees,

13- Herringbone 45 degrees,

14- Stretcher bond 45 degrees (or  Diagonal).

So let us look at the graphics and examples of each pattern:

1-  (1/2) Horizontal Running Bond

Metro brick tiles patterns
www.britishceramictile.com
www.tonsoftiles.co.uk

2- (1/3) Horizontal Running Bond

www.tonsoftiles.co.uk

3- (3/4) Horizontal Running Bond

https://www.tonsoftiles.co.uk

4- (1/2) Running Bond Vertical

Metro brick tiles patterns
https://www.toppstiles.co.uk

5- (3/4) Running Bond-Vertical

Metro brick tiles patterns
https://www.toppstiles.co.uk

6- Running Bond- Alternative

https://cococozy.com

7- Horizontal Block

https://www.tonsoftiles.co.uk

8- Vertical Block

https://www.tonsoftiles.co.uk
Metro brick tiles patterns
https://www.toppstiles.co.uk

9- Basket Weave – Alternative 1

Metro brick tiles patterns
https://www.britishceramictile.com/british-ceramic-tile

10- Basket Weave- Alternative 2

https://www.toppstiles.co.uk

11- Dog-Bone Basket Weave

https://www.homedepot.com

12- Herringbone 90′

https://www.britishceramictile.com
https://www.toppstiles.co.uk

13- Herringbone 45′

https://www.toppstiles.co.uk
Metro brick tiles patterns
https://www.toppstiles.co.uk

14- Stretcher Bond 45 ‘/ Diagonal

https://www.tonsoftiles.co.uk

 


8- Inspirations from London Underground and New York Subway

Metro brick tiles patterns
https://londonist.com/
Metro brick tiles patterns
https://www.hesmith.co.uk
https://www.hesmith.co.uk

Conclusion

If you like to see the Metro brick tiles patterns in our project I designed, please read my following blog: Bathroom Design and Remodelling in Edinburgh.