10 Reasons to Consider 4-by-4-Inch Tile
Designers are embracing the once common but recently overlooked square tile in kitchens and bathrooms
The heyday of 4-by-4-inch tile lasted for decades. At one point, it seemed as if the modest square was the only widely available tile option, so it’s no surprise that many people tired of it. But 4-by-4-inch tile gets a bad rap. As Houzz has expanded to countries around the world, we’ve noticed that European designers never seemed to abandon it, using square tile beautifully in cozy English country cottages and Scandinavian modern apartments alike. And lately, savvy U.S. designers have rediscovered its potential as well. Here are 10 good reasons to consider 4-by-4-inch tile.
2. You Crave Scandinavian Simplicity
Let’s look to the aforementioned European influences first. This Stockholm kitchen by Jenny André Designing is quintessentially Scandinavian — a light neutral palette accented by warm wood and a pleasing mix of simple accents. The 4-by-4-inch backsplash tile laid out in a grid pattern reads modern and plays off the checkerboard floor.
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Let’s look to the aforementioned European influences first. This Stockholm kitchen by Jenny André Designing is quintessentially Scandinavian — a light neutral palette accented by warm wood and a pleasing mix of simple accents. The 4-by-4-inch backsplash tile laid out in a grid pattern reads modern and plays off the checkerboard floor.
Find an interior designer in your area on Houzz
3. You Dream of Cozy English Country Style
Colorful square tiles add cozy country cottage charm to this home in Surrey, England. The light aqua hue of the cabinetry complements the eye-catching tiles. And the choice of wood countertops rather than something with a busier pattern allows the backsplash to be the star.
Colorful square tiles add cozy country cottage charm to this home in Surrey, England. The light aqua hue of the cabinetry complements the eye-catching tiles. And the choice of wood countertops rather than something with a busier pattern allows the backsplash to be the star.
4. You Love a Vintage Look That Nods to Modern
Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs wanted to cultivate a vintage look with a few modern nods in this Texas kitchen, and she opted for unexpected design elements that she knew would have classic staying power. The main example is her choice of 4-by-4-inch white tile in a running bond pattern instead of the expected subway tile.
Design note: Curtis used a light-colored grout to keep the tile pattern subtle.
Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs wanted to cultivate a vintage look with a few modern nods in this Texas kitchen, and she opted for unexpected design elements that she knew would have classic staying power. The main example is her choice of 4-by-4-inch white tile in a running bond pattern instead of the expected subway tile.
Design note: Curtis used a light-colored grout to keep the tile pattern subtle.
5. Your Kitchen Style Preference Is Modern Cottage
In this Los Angeles kitchen, interior designer Kelly Martin used a squared-off aesthetic on many of the elements to create a modern cottage look. The 4-by-4-inch tile fits in well with the bar drawer pulls and the edges of the countertop and open shelves.
Design note: Extending the backsplash tile to the ceiling lends a clean look in the kitchen.
Shop for bar pulls on Houzz
In this Los Angeles kitchen, interior designer Kelly Martin used a squared-off aesthetic on many of the elements to create a modern cottage look. The 4-by-4-inch tile fits in well with the bar drawer pulls and the edges of the countertop and open shelves.
Design note: Extending the backsplash tile to the ceiling lends a clean look in the kitchen.
Shop for bar pulls on Houzz
6. You Want a Tidy Bathroom With an Industrial Look
Combining 4-by-4-inch tile with dark gray grout, a vintage-style light fixture and a wall-mounted sink with an exposed P-trap creates an industrial look in this Ottawa bathroom by Amsted Design-Build.
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Combining 4-by-4-inch tile with dark gray grout, a vintage-style light fixture and a wall-mounted sink with an exposed P-trap creates an industrial look in this Ottawa bathroom by Amsted Design-Build.
Shop for wall-mounted bathroom sinks
7. Your Home Is Spanish Revival or Mediterranean
The design pros at Rollins Andrew Interiors maintained the original spirit of this 1920s Spanish Revival house in California. Square tiles were commonly used in Spanish Revival style, and this mix of handmade deep green 4-by-4-inch tiles honors the home’s history.
Design note: The imperfections and color variations in handmade tile give it character.
See more photos of this house, including of other bathrooms that use square tiles beautifully
The design pros at Rollins Andrew Interiors maintained the original spirit of this 1920s Spanish Revival house in California. Square tiles were commonly used in Spanish Revival style, and this mix of handmade deep green 4-by-4-inch tiles honors the home’s history.
Design note: The imperfections and color variations in handmade tile give it character.
See more photos of this house, including of other bathrooms that use square tiles beautifully
8. You Love Monochromatic, Minimalist Bathrooms
The scheme in this Melbourne, Australia, bathroom by Fido Projects is simple and straightforward: mostly white with a few key black accents providing sharp contrast. Simple shapes rule — circles for the mirror and fixtures, large squares on the floor and 4-by-4-inch tiles in the shower.
Shop for wall-mounted bathroom faucets
The scheme in this Melbourne, Australia, bathroom by Fido Projects is simple and straightforward: mostly white with a few key black accents providing sharp contrast. Simple shapes rule — circles for the mirror and fixtures, large squares on the floor and 4-by-4-inch tiles in the shower.
Shop for wall-mounted bathroom faucets
9. You Want to Incorporate a Mix of Styles
“I wanted to have a little fun with this space and go unexpected rather than totally classic,” says Jena Bula of Delphinium Design. So instead of going with classic subway tile, which so many of her clients request, in her own guest bathroom in North Carolina, the interior designer gave 4-by-4-inch tile a try. The shower’s white tile in a running bond pattern is one of the modern components in the room’s mix of classic, rustic and modern.
Design note: Bula finished the edges where the tile meets the drywall with a carefully applied straight line of grout.
Find a local tile installer
“I wanted to have a little fun with this space and go unexpected rather than totally classic,” says Jena Bula of Delphinium Design. So instead of going with classic subway tile, which so many of her clients request, in her own guest bathroom in North Carolina, the interior designer gave 4-by-4-inch tile a try. The shower’s white tile in a running bond pattern is one of the modern components in the room’s mix of classic, rustic and modern.
Design note: Bula finished the edges where the tile meets the drywall with a carefully applied straight line of grout.
Find a local tile installer
10. You’re Ready for a Change From Subway Tile
According to their comments, many Houzz users are firmly in the “subway tile forever” camp, while others crave alternatives (some even note that they don’t like thinking about subway stations when they are taking a shower). “Many of my clients are tired of the standard 3-by-6-inch subway look, so I have been suggesting 2-inch-by-8-inch or 4-by-4-inch tiles,” designer Tracey Stephens says. “I prefer to install the 4-by-4s in a brick pattern for a more interesting layout.”
According to their comments, many Houzz users are firmly in the “subway tile forever” camp, while others crave alternatives (some even note that they don’t like thinking about subway stations when they are taking a shower). “Many of my clients are tired of the standard 3-by-6-inch subway look, so I have been suggesting 2-inch-by-8-inch or 4-by-4-inch tiles,” designer Tracey Stephens says. “I prefer to install the 4-by-4s in a brick pattern for a more interesting layout.”
Share: How do you feel about 4-by-4-inch tiles? Do they bring back good memories, or do they make you think of designs you’d rather forget? Did any of these ideas make you look at them in a new way? Let us know in the Comments.
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Here’s the classic 4-by-4-inch tile in an original 1952 home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The pale blue color, bullnose trim, and integrated toothbrush and soap holders make many of us nostalgic for the homes we grew up in or our grandparents’ homes, which gives the tile a certain charm. But even if this kind of tile is something you’d want to take a sledgehammer to on the day of closing, stay with me. There are wonderfully updated looks to choose from in the examples that follow.
Find 4-by-4-inch multiuse tiles in the Houzz Shop