★★★★★
Fast delivery and beautiful sample
“Fast delivery and a beautiful sample, well worth getting to see the colours at home.”clare hughes · Verified
From sage hexagons to deep emerald zellige, green brings the calm of the natural world into the bathroom.
From sage hexagons to deep emerald zellige, green brings the calm of the natural world into the bathroom. Pair with brass fittings and warm timber for a look that feels grown, not decorated.
Based on 559 verified Trustpilot reviews
★★★★★
“Fast delivery and a beautiful sample, well worth getting to see the colours at home.”clare hughes · Verified
★★★★★
“Good, helpful service in the shop. Great quality product with speedy delivery.”Jo · Verified
★★★★★
“Great variety and quick to send out. Good value for money.”Mr David Thomas · Verified
Encaustic tiles are patterned tiles whose design is made from the material itself — traditionally, coloured clays or pigmented cement pressed into the tile body so the pattern is structural, not printed, and wears through decades of footfall without fading. The word covers two distinct things today: genuine encaustic cement tiles, handmade and matt with soft, chalky colour; and encaustic-effect porcelain, which reproduces those designs in a vitrified tile that needs no sealing and suits bathrooms, kitchens and underfloor heating. This collection brings both traditions together, with designs from Bert & May at Fired Earth, Ca'Pietra's Cuba range and Minoli's Cementine spanning chequerboard, geometric, block-print and Moroccan-influenced patterns.
Genuine encaustic cement rewards patience: it must be sealed before grouting and periodically after, it patinates beautifully, and no two tiles are identical. Best for hallways, living spaces and low-splash areas.
Encaustic-effect porcelain gives the same visual language with none of the maintenance — non-porous, hard-wearing and suitable for showers and wet rooms. If you're tiling a bathroom floor or a busy kitchen, porcelain is the practical choice, and it pairs happily with underfloor heating.
The classic applications are Victorian and Edwardian hallways, bathroom floors against plain white walls, fireplace hearths, and kitchen splashbacks where a single band of pattern lifts plain cabinetry. A 20 × 20cm format is traditional; lay out from the room's centre line rather than a corner, and allow around 10% wastage for cuts and pattern matching. Free cut samples are available on every tile — particularly worthwhile with handmade and patterned designs, where colour softness and variation are part of the appeal and hard to judge on screen. Orders over £1,000 qualify for free UK delivery, and our Ascot showroom team can advise on laying patterns, grout pairings and sealing.
A tile whose pattern is formed from coloured material running through the tile body — originally inlaid clays in medieval floors, later pigmented cement — rather than a printed or glazed surface design.
Genuine encaustic tiles are handmade cement and need sealing; encaustic-effect tiles are porcelain reproductions that are non-porous, harder-wearing and maintenance-free.
Cement encaustic tiles do — before grouting and periodically thereafter. Encaustic-effect porcelain never needs sealing.
Encaustic-effect porcelain is ideal for bathrooms, including showers and wet rooms. Genuine cement encaustic suits bathroom floors outside the wet zone if sealed correctly.
Porcelain versions, yes — they conduct heat efficiently and are fully compatible with wet and electric systems. Cement encaustics can be used with underfloor heating run gradually, but porcelain is the safer pairing.
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