11 Secrets to Mastering the Mix & Match of Decorative Tiles for Stunning Interiors

By your caffeinated, interior-obsessed copy buddy who’s not afraid to throw shade at boring beige bathrooms.

Most people have no business choosing decorative tile combinations.
Why? Because they’re winging it like it’s karaoke night and they think they can hit the Mariah Carey notes. Spoiler: they can’t.

You walk into a space and instead of feeling like you’ve stepped into Architectural Digest, it’s more like the back aisle of a clearance tile store exploded during an earthquake. That’s what happens when people don’t know how to mix and match like a boss.

But fear not, tile warrior. Because I’m about to give you the no-BS, flavor-packed, eye-candy-loaded guide to mixing decorative tiles in a way that’ll make your guests gasp and your in-laws question their life choices.

Yes, decorative tile is the star of this spicy home design saga. It’s the secret sauce. The Beyoncé of the building materials world. And if you play your patterns right, your home could become the Mona Lisa of Pinterest saves.

So buckle up, buttercup. We’re diving into 11 secrets to turn your interior from meh to mama-MIA, what is this sorcery?!

1. Start With the Diva Tile

Every show needs a headliner. One tile to rule them all. The rest? Backup dancers.

You gotta pick your diva — the decorative tile that sings the loudest. Maybe it’s a hand-painted Moroccan mosaic or a glossy emerald green subway tile that looks like it was dipped in jealousy. Once you’ve got that drama queen locked in, the other tiles? They bow down.

Don’t go trying to shove three stars into one show. You don’t need a Taylor, a Beyoncé, AND a Gaga fighting for spotlight on your bathroom wall. Choose one and let her SHINE.

2. Understand the Color Vibe Before You Commit to Chaos

Tile color is not a free-for-all. You can’t just be out here tossing pastels with neons like it’s a toddler’s art class.

Pick a palette. Not a Pinterest board full of hope and dreams — a real cohesive palette.

Stick to 2–3 colors MAX that complement your decorative tile. And pro tip: neutral doesn't mean boring. A matte charcoal paired with a handmade off-white tile? That’s sultry, baby. That’s "I have my life together" energy.

Also, never underestimate the visual punch of natural tone-on-tone with good texture. Feels expensive. Looks like you have a personal interior designer on retainer. No one needs to know it's just you, your laptop, and a rabbit hole of tile samples at 1AM.

3. Don’t Be a Pattern-Happy Psychopath

I know, I know. Patterns are seductive. But just because you can use five different ones doesn’t mean you should.

Decorative tile is already flexing hard. Throw in a clashing pattern and now you’ve got a full-blown optical assault. Your eyes don’t know where to look and your guest’s brain short-circuits.

Use one pattern as the focal point, then let the others whisper — not scream.

Also, scale matters. If your shower tile is rocking a micro-pattern, don’t put a competing micro on the floor unless your goal is a visual panic attack every morning.

4. Break the Rules — With Guts and Glamour

Now that I’ve told you the rules... break them. But like, intentionally.

Put a luxe polished marble next to a rough handmade ceramic. Pair that art deco black-and-gold bathroom tile with a rustic wooden vanity. Mix glossy with matte. Cold with warm. As long as you’ve got one unifying thread — a color, a finish, a vibe — you’re golden.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about personality.

Your home isn’t a museum. It’s a Netflix-worthy set where you’re the main character. Dress it accordingly.

5. Treat Grout Like the Spice Rack of Tile Design

Grout color? Hoo boy. That’s where the amateurs trip and fall flat on their floor tiles.

Matching grout creates calm. Contrasting grout adds drama. It can elevate a basic white tile into an edgy grid masterpiece. Or make a soft beige landscape tile pattern suddenly sing like a siren on a cliff.

You’re not “just choosing grout.” You’re making a visual impact decision that echoes through every square inch.

Choose wisely. And yes, black grout is hot. Just seal that bad boy or your white tiles will look like they’ve been through a barbecue explosion.

6. Use Texture Like a Flirtatious Wink

Glossy next to matte. Rough next to smooth. Raised against flat. Texture is the cheeky secret weapon nobody talks about enough.

You could use 100% white tiles and still have a space so seductive it makes grown men weep — all because you mixed textures like a damn wizard.

That’s the power of contrast, baby. It whispers luxury while quietly high-fiving your good taste.

7. Keep the Flow Like It’s Champagne at a Party

Jumping from pattern to pattern like you’re on a sugar high? Not cute.

Your space should flow, not feel like multiple design personalities are battling it out in an HGTV octagon.

Whether it’s a shower tile wall cascading seamlessly into the bathroom floor or a decorative tile backsplash echoing the tones of your countertop, your materials should feel like they’re in the same conversation. Not like one tile missed the memo and showed up to a black-tie event in crocs.

8. Make Space Speak with Zones, Baby

Tiles are boundary-setters. They define zones. The wet area. The cooking zone. The this-is-where-you-pose-for-Insta corner.

Use that power.

Mix up decorative tiles to mark different spaces within one room. A classic herringbone for the main wall. A splash of terrazzo in the niche. Mosaic beneath the mirror. It’s like visual storytelling for people who don’t read captions.

9. Remember the Outdoors Is Still Part of the Show

People act like their patio or walkway doesn’t deserve tile magic. Rude.

Landscape tile is the secret weapon of designers who get it. They use it to bring indoor elegance to outdoor spaces — wrapping the vibe from the living room out onto the terrace like some architectural boss move.

That transition? That’s what makes guests say, “Whoa… this whole house is a vibe.”

10. Small Spaces? Go Big or Go Bolder

Listen, if your powder room is small, that’s not a limit — it’s an opportunity to go balls to the wall with your tile.

That teeny tiny bathroom tile space? Cover it in dramatic patterns. Wrap it in jewel tones. Make it your canvas of chaos (but with style). Because when you go bold in a small space, it doesn’t overwhelm — it captivates.

You’ve got nothing to lose but your builder-grade beige trauma.

11. Think Like a Designer, Not a Sales Rack Shopper

Stop playing matchy-matchy like you’re buying socks on clearance.

Great interiors are curated. They don’t scream “I bought everything in one trip to the home improvement store.” They feel collected, designed, intentional.

Every decorative tile you choose should contribute to a feeling. A mood. A narrative. You’re not just laying ceramic — you’re creating an experience.

It’s the difference between a house that’s fine and one that makes people whisper “Ohhh DAMN” as soon as they walk in.

And just like that, you’ve been inducted into the tile Illuminati. You now know how to combine color, contrast, and charisma into walls, floors, and surfaces that look like they were plucked straight from the cover of a design mag and airbrushed by angels.

So go forth and slay that tile game.

Don’t settle for safe. Safe is for traffic cones and mayo sandwiches. You? You’re a decorative tile boss now.

And if you want the kind of jaw-dropping, double-tap-worthy, tile-slaying sorcery that turns ordinary walls into art — talk to the custom tile wizard himself.

Paul Lewing Custom Tile.
Because life’s too short for basic bathrooms and boring backsplashes.

Ready to design something legendary?

Click here to make your walls famous.