Using 1200 x 1200mm tiles to elevate open-plan design is a must if you want your home to feel more modern and less like a collection of separate rooms. There’s a simple secret ingredient that will make your abode feel more cohesive, luxurious, seamless and open up space like never before. This is all about connecting spaces and bringing them together and that secret ingredient is the flooring you choose.
In a contemporary, open plan design the decisions you make around flooring are of the utmost importance – because you are running the same material through different spaces eg living, cooking and dining areas, perhaps even the hallway, snug and downstairs WC too. This means your flooring needs to work across so many rooms and on so many levels – think practicality, cleaning, look, feel, finish, colour and more.
On the practical front, porcelain tiles are about as functional as you can get. Superbly hardwearing, scratch and stain resistant, fade resistant and easy to clean, porcelain is without doubt one of the easiest materials to live with.
Aesthetically, good quality porcelain tiles excel. They are available in an array of styles, colours and finishes all of which combine to make up the tile design. The one crucial detail we haven’t included here is tile size. And that is because it is tile size that will elevate your open plan design and defines modern open plan living.
Large spaces demand larger format tiles. Because the larger the tile, the less grout lines and the less grout lines the more spacious a place feels. Smaller tiles will visually chop up an area with grout lines and that will make your open plan space feel busier rather than calm, cohesive and uninterrupted.
Every decision about your floor is magnified when it is across such a large area. This is where 1200 x 1200mm tiles come in. This is a format that is beautifully large – each tile covers a substantial 1.44sqm reducing the number of joints substantially and creating a unified look and feel that defines the modern space.
When you are looking for flooring for an open plan area the key is to use the same tile across the area to create a single, smooth canvas. You are looking for continuity, so by using a large format tile you dramatically reduce grout lines. By using a co-ordinating grout you can achieve that coveted upmarket, near seamless look and feel. All this makes the area more expansive giving you a wonderful canvas upon which to build your dream space.
Rather than using different flooring to create zones, you can use furniture, rugs or room dividers giving you a cohesive aesthetic with subtle shifts in space.
If you are using 1200 x 1200mm tiles inside then for the ultra in continuity you want to think about using the same size tile outside too. This way you can create a truly seamless transition from inside to outside your home – now you not only have a cohesive floor inside across your ground floor, you also have that same cohesiveness outside onto the patio unifying your living area with your outside patio or terrace.
You will find 1200 x 1200mm 9mm thick tiles in matt finishes for inside spaces and 2cm thick antislip finishes for outside spaces in our collections. Check out the gallery below for more.
There are some real benefits to using the same large tile flooring across your ground floor:
1. Easy cleaning
Porcelain tiles are a cinch to keep clean and 1200 x 1200mm tiles are even easier with their minimal grout lines. All our 1200 x 1200mm large format porcelain tiles feature rectified tile edges – this means that the edges of the tile are straight and this allows you to opt for super thin grout lines.
2. No joins or thresholds
Using the same large format porcelain tiles across several rooms negates the need for thresholds. This in turn means there are no joining strips to connect different flooring making cleaning super easy and giving a clean, spacious look and feel. This is another reason using the same large format tiles across your space makes it feel expansive.
3. Potential cost savings
Using one tile helps reduce material waste – larger format tiles generally require a higher level of wastage with a typical percentage of around 20%. If you are using several different tiles across an open plan area then you need to factor in wastage for each tile. It is worth considering using the same tile across your open plan area and even possibly for bathrooms too. You can the ring the changes for bathrooms with wall tiles.
4. Adding value to your home
There is no doubt that the right flooring can add value to your home and porcelain tiles are key to this. From boosting first impressions – a well-chosen floor immediately makes a property feel cared for and invested in – to signalling quality and longevity, neutral, timeless tiling appeals to a wide range of home buyers and makes your home easier to potentially sell. Porcelain tiles are also highly fade resistant so if you want to rearrange furniture or look to sell your property there are no unsightly lighter or darker patches on floors.
5. A hardwearing canvas
For those of us with pets, the benefits of porcelain tiles are many – from the puppy stage where accidents are easily mopped up to bowls being moved across the floor, your porcelain tiles will hold up a treat. For those of us with busy homes, this material is a must – it is hardwearing and will take the daily beat of feet in its stride.
6. The ultimate in comfort
Porcelain tiles work with underfloor heating a treat acting a bit like a thermal brick ensuring toes and feet are warm! Porcelain tiles are also cool in summer. So you have the best of both worlds.
Installing this size of tile is not a standard job – it requires precision installation with the right tools and materials to ensure you get that flawless floor. Amongst other things, ensuring your sub floor is correctly prepared is key – it needs to be perfectly flat and those grout joints needs to be laser sharp and straight.
1200 x 1200mm tiles won’t just elevate your open-plan design, they are a must if you are looking to create a contemporary space with a cohesive look and feel. Minimal grout lines, an expansive appearance, no thresholds and a practical, beautiful canvas all combine with these large format tiles to deliver a modern, architectural impression. These giant tiles not only add the wow factor, they add value to your home. And porcelain is the perfect material for outside spaces too, so you can effortlessly link home and garden! To view all our collections that include 1200 x 1200mm tiles click here!
Blend cement look porcelain – putty
Click the images to head straight to these tiles on our website. Working on a project? We’d love to help! Get in touch and let us start searching for beautiful tiles with you!
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The TilePortfolio specialise in Italian and Spanish Porcelain and Ceramic tiles, in particular large format Porcelains and Porcelain tiles for inside and outside. Our carefully curated, stunning tile portfolios are beautifully presented online and supported by our fuss-free ‘go-the-extra-tile’ service. In addition, you can view our entire tile collection at our Northamptonshire Showroom. Visit our website for unmissable interiors inspiration. The TilePortfolio team are always available to chat, we’d be delighted to help with your project so please do get in touch.
Please note: We strongly recommend using a professional tiler for your project. Installation requirements may vary depending on the tiles you choose, the fixing products used and the specific conditions. Always check with your tiler regards the suitability of the tiles. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.
