Faking it... with Porcelain


Faking it... with Porcelain

Porcelain tiles have become hugely popular in recent years, thanks to their versatility and durability. They’re available in a wide range of designs, including those that mimic the look of other materials, such as terrazzo, wood, marble, stone, slate, metal and concrete. This makes them a great option for those who want the look of natural materials but with the added benefits of porcelain. 


Loving Porcelain

With a wide variety of sizes – including larger formats – porcelain lookalike tiles can provide a cost-effective and durable solution while still giving you the aesthetic you’re looking for. Plus, many ranges can be used outside as well as indoors. 

Porcelain tiles can be an excellent choice for walls and floors. They can easily cope with the rough and tumble of life, including muddy paws and water splashes, and come in all sorts of shapes, colours and formats. Porcelain is versatile, too, allowing it to emulate all kinds of looks. From terrazzo to wood, there’s an authentic looking porcelain equivalent. 

Terrazzo-effect tiles

The unique speckled appearance of terrazzo has made it popular for decades. However it can be expensive to install and time consuming to maintain, which is why porcelain lookalike tiles offer a great solution.

Our latest large-format terrazzo lookalike tiles – Frammento, Ceppo and Confetti – are the perfect case in point. Joining our existing collections, Reykjavik and Pebble Beach, and ranging in style from extremely subtle to joyously bold, they take everything that is good about terrazzo and make it incredibly easy to fit and maintain. 

Wood-effect porcelain tiles

Naturally beautiful, wood flooring is always stylish and works brilliantly for both contemporary and traditional interiors. It’s not always a practical choice though, such as in a bathroom where water will always be a factor. That’s why we have a range of wood-effect tiles that emulate perfectly the look of wood. 

Our Sherwood collection offers a traditional parquetry look and is available in three colours. The Southwold range offers a simple yet elegant flooring solution perfect for busy homes. The tiles come in five colourways and in either a plank or herringbone format – so you can be creative with patterns – and have a high shade variation for a natural wood-effect look. The Studland Bay range is ideal if you’re looking for softer, more muted shades that still feel like authentic wood and the Aldeburgh collection is fantastic if you’re looking to create a herringbone floor. 

Stone-effect porcelain tiles

Natural stone flooring elevates a room and today’s porcelain-effect stone tiles are difficult to tell apart from the real thing. We’ve long been adding porcelain-effect stone to our range as we know it offers a great solution for both contemporary and traditional interiors.

Our latest collections mimic travertine, limestone and Jerusalem stone. Large-format versions of stone-look porcelain tiles are perhaps the most practical to install as they require much less grouting than smaller tiles and are striking and easy to care for. 

Marble-effect porcelain tiles

Luxurious and elegant, marble has been used in home for centuries. But it can be costly for large areas and requires maintenance and it can stain.

So for busy or large spaces a porcelain equivalent, such as our South Beach or North Beach tiles, are a great alternative to traditional marble.

South Beach

Made in Italy it replicates the marble and cross cut travertine floors seen so widely in that country but works brilliantly in homes here for a natural and chic look.


North Beach

The best marble lookalike we've found worldwide. Named after the streets around the North Beach district of San Francisco whose beautiful and elegant homes inspired this collection.

Other materials

The great thing about porcelain is its ability to emulate the characteristics of other materials, so there really is no end to the styles that can be created.

Our range includes Galicia, a slate-effect tile that looks fantastic in bathrooms and kitchens. Our concrete effect tile, Reconstruction, is perfect if you’re looking to create a chic or industrial feel, as is the metal-effect Furnace range. 

Porcelain

We began our journey 40 years ago selling terracotta tiles, so it’s fitting we also have a porcelain-effect terracotta range. Arcilla is available in square and rectangle formats and has the beautiful variation you would expect to see in terracotta tiles. 

Whatever look you’re trying to achieve, then, there is a porcelain tile that will work. Today’s lookalike tiles are almost indistinguishable from the real thing and provide a cost effective, practical and durable alternative. 

Porcelain for every space

Whatever look you’re trying to achieve, then, there is a porcelain tile that will work. Today’s lookalike tiles are almost indistinguishable from the real thing and provide a cost effective, practical and durable alternative.

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