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.
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
3- Reasons why you should be confident to choose a metro tile for your room
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
2- (1/3) Horizontal Running Bond
3- (3/4) Horizontal Running Bond
4- (1/2) Running Bond Vertical
5- (3/4) Running Bond-Vertical
6- Running Bond- Alternative
7- Horizontal Block
8- Vertical Block
9- Basket Weave – Alternative 1
10- Basket Weave- Alternative 2
11- Dog-Bone Basket Weave
12- Herringbone 90′
13- Herringbone 45′
14- Stretcher Bond 45 ‘/ Diagonal
8- Inspirations from London Underground and New York Subway
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.
