The ceramic tiles is currently undergoing a digital revolution, with graphically designed tiles now being printed in a plethora of finishes – including wood, marble and concrete. The results are so natural they look practically identical to ‘the real thing’, while affording the ease and practicality in cleaning and maintenance that tiles can afford.
Because tiles can be manufactured to weatherproof standards, they are now being used as much outdoors as indoors, playing a key role in the design of pools, gardens, and driveways. If you are currently working on a landscaping project and you think tiles might work alongside your vision, how can you incorporate them into your current design?
Natural Stone Flooring in Pathways
Cool, grey stone effects make a beautiful complement to lush greenery, especially in pathways and spaces for benches, outdoor fireplaces, and patios. The subtlety of large stone tiles allow for a modern, minimalistic take on traditional pebbled paths, lending the area a sense of smoothness and uniformity that goes well with perfectly manicured gardens.
This flooring looks fantastic in gardens with vertical green walls and shrub areas. They can also be present in raised areas that are discreetly separated from grassy and plant-filled areas. Top them with outdoor furniture in rattan, wood, or concrete for an exterior meeting space beneath the sun.
Tiling in Adjacent Driveways
If your front garden is your pride and joy and you like to reserve your most colorful plants and flowers for this space, then having a driveway that is on-trend is vital. If you have already used stone, concrete, or wood effect tiles in your garden and they are large-sized, you can also opt for this material in your driveway and garage.
If you are worried about the tile getting dirty, a simple cleaning and sealing solution can be applied with a sprayer or brush and washed off gently with water and a light brush. Use an active cleaning agent to keep moss and mold away from your tile to maintain a smooth and professional looking sheen.
Tiled Steps
If you have a Mediterranean-style garden, then tiled steps work well to fill a green space with characteristic blue touches. Creative blue tilework is part of Moroccan and Spanish tradition. In these countries, blue patterned artwork graces platters, dishes, glasses, and décor items.
They also embellish tiles, which are used as much in flooring as they are in walls and indoor and outdoor pieces. If you don’t have steps in your garden, you can incorporate tile work in plant pots, benches, and walls. Add impact to this space with standing candle lanterns made from wrought iron.
Ceramic Pathways
If you have a long, narrow area between two areas of your garden, or you have designed a curving path that snakes through the grassy area, why not use colorful ceramic tiles instead of standard pebbles and clay tiles along this area?
Some of the most interesting traditional designs are Moroccan and Arabian-Andalusian inspired. In this style, blue and white designs and patterns hold sway, with natural elements such as birds, pomegranates and leaves playing starring roles on the pictorial side of things. This type of tiling works beautifully in a courtyard with Moroccan arches and tiled walls bearing a distinct but complementary design to your floor tiling design.
Tiled Archways
In large gardens or those shared by communities, arches graced with tiles can serve to separate different areas – including children’s areas, sun lounging areas, and horticultural spaces.
Archways can be adapted to practically any style – including stark minimalism and joyful Mediterranean vibes. For the former, keep it simple with symmetrical tiles in hues like white or stone grey. For a happier, more tropical or Mediterranean effect, rainbow colors can bestow your garden area with the joie de vivre found in the colorful works by Gaudi in Barcelona’s famous Güell Park.
The latter is filled with cute tiled towers and graceful animals such as geckos covered in multi-colored tiles so check it out online if you need a little inspiration.
Tiled Decorative Pieces
If you are the type of homeowner who likes to give your garden a whole new look every few months or years, then investing in complex tilework may sound like too big a commitment. If so, invest in a few key pieces that can be kept either outdoors or beneath a pergola in your outdoor area.
Large vases, pottery, and fountains can work for at least a couple of seasons and when you decide the time is right for a new look, you can bring a few pieces indoors.
Slotted Tiles for Plants
Vertical walls are a magnificent way for those with smaller garden areas to grow a bevy of plants – from succulents right through to herbs, tomatoes, chili, and other popular species. Slotted tiles have a ‘pocket’ which makes the perfect home for soil, stones, and other supportive elements you need to hold up plants.
Affix a few to a vertical wall, ensuring that plants have enough free space on either side to grow without covering or bumping into adjacent leaves and branches.
Ceramic Tiles in Gaming Spaces
If you have children and you want them to spend more time outdoors, how about turning your garden into a gigantic playground? If you have the space for it, you can use black and white tiles to create a large outdoor chess board, with ‘human-size’ pieces. You can also make a ‘Scrabble board’ or ‘tic tac toe’ space using plain gay tiles.
If you like the chess idea but you don’t have much space to spare, create a small square chess board within a pathway or grassy spot that is otherwise unused. If you do set up a Scrabble board, you will also need to paint letters and points on the tiles you use to form words.
Ceramic tiles come in a variety of finishes, many of which imitate natural materials like wood and stone. This makes them ideal in practically any setting, including green spaces like gardens. Tiles can be used in pathways, driveways, and steps but ultimately, they can also add small but beautiful decorative touches to your garden.
Even if you have a handful of artistic tiles, you can put them to good use on walls and benches or hang them from your favorite tree. Finally feel free to get creative, using tiles in everything from pathways right through to archways and on decorative pieces and vertical walls. You might also want to bring a few outdoor games into the equation by using tiles to create your favorite outdoor boardgame.