Tangier, Cotton Matte Ceramic Tiles 4×4

Tangier and Cotton are both recorded against this 4×4 ceramic tile, finished matte rather than glossy. Sixty pieces come in a box covering 6.67 square feet, and the approval list runs wider than most tiles this size carry.

Matte changes the reading

A matte glaze absorbs light instead of returning it, so colour reads as pigment rather than as reflection. On a small square that produces a quiet, textile like surface, particularly across a large area. Two colour groups are listed, which accounts for the slight variation recorded between pieces. The body is 3/8 inch and the style is logged as modern. Grout colour carries more weight on a matte tile than on a gloss one, because there is no reflection competing with it for attention.

• No reflection Matte absorbs light, so the colour reads flat and even.
• Two groups listed Tangier and Cotton together account for the slight variation.

Walls, splashbacks and light floors

Residential light floors, residential and commercial interior walls, shower walls and backsplash all appear, with bathroom, living room and kitchen recorded. Eleven boxes cover 60 square feet with cutting counted. Sixty pieces to a box is a high count, so it pays to check the quantity twice rather than assume. Ordering the full quantity together is worth doing, since a matte glaze fired in a later run can sit slightly differently against the first.

• Eleven boxes 6.67 square feet a box across 60 square feet.
• High piece count Sixty to a box, which makes quantities easy to misjudge.

Why we chose it

• Quiet surface Matte gives a wall texture without pattern or shine.
• Broad approval Walls, splashbacks, shower walls and light floors all listed.
• No sealing A glazed ceramic face needs nothing beyond cleaning.

Care

A household tile cleaner works, though matte surfaces hold marks a little more readily than gloss, so regular light cleaning beats occasional heavy scrubbing. Abrasive pads should stay away.