Stone & marble-effect tiles · Dublin 15 showroom
Marble-Effect Bathroom Tiles: How to Choose Them
Body, finish, size and grip. Four decisions, taken in that order.
Start here
Marble-effect tiles give you the marble look, with easier upkeep.
Choose marble-effect bathroom tiles in this order: porcelain or ceramic, then the finish, then the size, then the grip if the tile is going on a floor. The first decision sets where the tile can go. The other three decide how the room looks and how it feels underfoot when it is wet.
Marble-effect tiles are porcelain or ceramic tiles made to look like marble, veining and all. Nearly everything in our stone and marble range is made this way, so you get the depth of marble with the practicality of a tile: very low water absorption in porcelain, and a surface that is easy to keep clean after a shower.
This guide takes the decisions in the order that matters, using tiles you can see at our Roselawn showroom in Dublin 15. If you are still choosing a style, our bathroom tile ideas guide compares marble-effect with wood, stone and decorative looks. When you know what you want, browse our stone and marble-effect tiles.
- Walls and floors
- Porcelain marble-effect, up to 120 x 260 cm
- Walls only
- Lighter ceramic marble-effect wall tiles
- Wet floors
- Matt tiles with a slip rating, such as R10
- Upkeep
- Easy to clean; natural stone needs sealing
The body.
Porcelain is dense and hard-wearing, and suits walls and floors. Ceramic is lighter and quick to fit, and in our range it is made for walls.
The finish.
Polished and glossy surfaces reflect light and deepen the veining. Matt and satin feel softer and give more grip underfoot.
The size.
Big tiles mean fewer grout lines and a calmer wall. Smaller tiles follow the falls of a shower floor more easily.
Effect or real stone
Marble-effect porcelain or natural stone?
Both give you a stone wall or floor. The difference is the care they need. Marble-effect porcelain is dense, has very low water absorption and is easy to maintain, so it takes a busy family bathroom in its stride. Natural stone is quarried, so every piece is unique, but it is porous and sealing is recommended to protect the surface. Our range includes both.
Marble-effect porcelain
- The marble look is part of the tile surface, over a dense porcelain body
- Very low water absorption and easy to maintain
- Suits interior walls and floors, with slip-rated matt options for wet rooms
- Available in large formats up to 120 x 260 cm, so joints are few
- Printed veining repeats across a number of different faces, so tiles are mixed as they go down
- The practical choice for a family bathroom, an ensuite or a shower wall
Natural stone
- Quarried stone, so every piece carries its own natural variation
- Porous, so sealing is recommended to protect the surface
- Needs pH-neutral cleaners, as acidic products can dull or mark some stones
- Our natural stone option, Nuvolato Grey, is a 10 x 30.5 cm tile for walls and floors
- Rewards anyone who wants the real material and is happy to look after it
Finishes
Six finishes, and what each one is good at.
The finish changes the look more than people expect, and it matters most on a floor. All six of these finishes appear in our marble-effect range, each with an example you can open.
Polished
A mirror-like shine that deepens the veining and bounces light round the room. Best on walls and on floors that stay dry. Example: Ravena Polished.
Glossy
Bright and easy to wipe, with the veining lifted by the shine. A strong choice behind a vanity or a bath. Example: Naos Glossy.
Satin
A soft sheen between matt and polished. It shows the veining without the glare and suits walls and floors. Example: Lacock Cream Satin.
Matt
No shine, so the tile reads more like honed stone. The calm, practical choice for a bathroom floor. Example: Noor Statuario Matt.
Natural
A soft, matt-like finish that keeps the marble look understated on walls and floors. Example: Ravena Natural.
Slip-rated matt
Matt tiles tested for grip and marked R10/PTV36+, listed for wet rooms as well as floors. Example: Missouri Light Matt.
Floors
Marble-effect floor tiles: grip matters more than shine.
A bathroom floor gets wet, so the finish decides how it feels underfoot. Matt and satin give more grip than polished or glossy tiles, and some tiles carry a tested slip rating. In our range, the Missouri collection is marked R10/PTV36+ and listed for wet rooms as well as floors.
Both figures come from standard slip tests. On the R scale, from the German ramp test, a higher number means more grip. On the pendulum test, a value (PTV) of 36 or more on a wet floor is the level UK safety guidance treats as low slip potential. Ask to see the rating for any tile you are considering for a floor.
Planning a level shower floor? Our wet room or walk-in shower guide covers drainage, falls and the tiles that suit them.
Size
Bigger tiles make calmer walls.
The marble-effect sizes in our range include everything from 30 x 60 cm wall tiles up to slab-scale porcelain at 120 x 260 cm. Larger tiles mean fewer grout lines, so the veining flows across the wall and the room reads as one surface rather than a grid. You can compare every size in our stone and marble-effect tile range.
- Rectified edges are cut square after firing, which allows slimmer grout joints. Many of our porcelain marble-effect tiles are rectified.
- Smaller tiles on a shower floor. Where the floor falls to a drain, smaller tiles follow the slope more easily.
- Large formats need a flat surface and more care to handle, so talk the wall and floor through with us before choosing the biggest sizes.
- Mix the boxes as you go. Printed veining repeats across a set number of faces, so tiles from several boxes are blended to avoid two identical tiles side by side.
- Match the grout to the background of the tile rather than the veins for the most natural finish.
- Order a few spares from the same batch for cuts and any repair later on.
Sizes in our range
- 30 x 60 cm
- A practical wall size, in ceramic and porcelain.
- 30 x 90 cm
- Tall ceramic wall tiles, several with a matching décor tile.
- 60 x 60 cm
- The versatile square for walls and floors.
- 60 x 120 cm
- Large format, with far fewer joints on a wall or floor.
- 100 x 100 cm
- Big squares for a floor that flows.
- 120 x 260 cm
- Slab-scale porcelain, such as Ravena Polished.
Colour
White, warm or dark: pick the mood first.
The background colour and the veins set the temperature of the room before anything else goes in. These are the colour families in our range worth comparing side by side.
- White with grey veining, the classic Statuario look, keeps a small bathroom bright and sits well with chrome or black brassware. Noor Statuario, pale with subtle grey veining, is in the range alongside Marble Art White.
- White with warm gold veining, like the showroom display pictured above, pairs naturally with brushed brass taps and fittings.
- Cream, beige and almond tones such as Lacock Cream and Keith Almond, or the travertine-effect Travertino Classic Beige, feel softer and suit oak furniture.
- Greys such as Missouri Grey and Marble Art Grey give a cooler, contemporary look and sit well with chrome or black brassware.
- Black marble-effect, such as Tessino Black, makes a dramatic feature wall. It needs good lighting to keep the room from feeling closed in.
- Colour is there too: Saphire Jade brings a deep green and Onyx Sky a cool blue, best on one feature wall rather than the whole room.
Feature walls
One marble wall can carry the room.
You do not need marble-effect on every surface to get the effect. A single wall behind the vanity or the bath, tiled floor to ceiling, often does more than a whole room of it. Several of our ceramic ranges, including Marble Art, Ravena and Belladonna, have a matching décor tile made to sit beside the plain tile on a feature wall.
The metal finish matters here too. Brushed brass lifts gold veining, while chrome and black suit grey veining. Our brassware range covers taps and mixers, and our vanity unit guide shows how to pair furniture with the wall. For patterned feature tiles beyond marble, see our decorative tiles.
Before you order
Lay out several tiles before you choose one.
Printed veining changes from tile to tile, and one sample on a board never shows how a whole wall will read. Seeing several tiles laid out together, and checking them in daylight as well as under showroom lights, is the surest way to judge the pattern, the colour and the finish.
Our showroom at Roselawn Shopping Centre, Dublin 15 has marble-effect walls and floors on display in finished bathroom settings, and samples are available on request. Bring your room measurements and a few photos, and our team will help you choose the tile, the finish and the size, and plan the installation with you. Our renovation planning guide covers the order of work.
FAQs
Marble-effect tile questions Irish homeowners ask.
Are marble-effect tiles porcelain or ceramic?
They can be either. In our range, porcelain marble-effect tiles suit walls and floors and come in the largest sizes, up to 120 x 260 cm. Our ceramic marble-effect tiles are lighter wall tiles, several with a matching décor tile. Both are easy to keep clean, while natural stone is porous and should be sealed.
Can marble-effect tiles go on a bathroom floor?
Yes, if the tile is porcelain and rated for floors. Where the floor will get wet, choose a matt or satin finish over polished, and check the slip rating. Tiles marked R10/PTV36+, such as our Missouri range, are listed for wet rooms as well as floors.
Are white marble floor tiles a good choice for a bathroom?
Yes, in porcelain with a matt or satin finish. A white marble-effect floor keeps a bathroom bright, and a matt surface gives more grip when it is wet. Missouri Light Matt is a light marble-effect porcelain rated R10/PTV36+, and Noor Statuario Matt gives a pale Statuario look for walls and floors. Polished white suits walls and floors that stay dry.
What size marble tiles suit a bathroom?
Larger tiles usually suit a bathroom better than small ones, even in a small room, because fewer grout lines let the veining flow. 60 x 60 cm and 60 x 120 cm are versatile sizes for walls and floors. On a shower floor that falls to a drain, smaller tiles follow the slope more easily.
Do you sell natural stone as well as marble-effect tiles?
Yes. Most of our stone and marble range is porcelain or ceramic with a marble or stone effect, and we also stock a natural stone tile, Nuvolato Grey. Natural stone is porous, so sealing is recommended to protect the surface. Marble-effect porcelain gives a similar look with easier upkeep.
Can I see marble-effect tiles before I buy?
Yes. Our showroom at Roselawn Shopping Centre, Dublin 15 has marble-effect tiles on display in bathroom settings, and samples are available on request. The showroom is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm.
Visit the showroom
See the veining in person. Then choose.
Visit New Look Tiles & Bathrooms at Roselawn Shopping Centre, Dublin 15 to compare marble-effect and stone-effect tiles in every finish, with design, supply and installation support from our team. Or call us on 01 685 5559.