12 of the best tile designs for 2023

Highly durable yet natural-looking, Ca’ Pietra’s innovative new ‘Reform’ range is made in a carbon-neutral factory from 60 per cent recycled stone materials. The subway-style tiles come in a range of muted colours and the gradations in the finish make for a relaxed, elegant effect when used in a simple grid formation. From £165 per sq m, capietra.com

The latest tiny additions to Mutina’s ‘Phenomenon’ collection by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka, including ‘Air Fango’ (pictured), reference patterns found in nature, including honeycombs and snowflakes, and come in both chalky and glossy finishes. From £60 per sq m, mutina.it

Eye motifs that Jean-Philippe Demeyer encountered on his travels inspired his collaboration with Balineum. The ‘Fearless Eye’ collection – a reference to the eye as a protective symbol against evil – features 15 designs, decorated by hand by Balineum’s artisans in Stoke-on-Trent. £1,133 per sq m, balineum.co.uk

The tiles in Marazzi’s ‘Memoria Blu Struttura Stamp’ porcelain stoneware collection are made with the latest technologies to replicate the authentic look and feel of a handmade tile. Use in the same way as a textured wallpaper to introduce a tactile element into a scheme. Price on application, marazzitile.co.uk

Named after the craft of stone carving, Clé Tiles’ ‘Lapidary’ collection of sculptural shapes, smooth-cut ovals and mosaics draws inspiration from 1970s Milanese interiors. Perfect for an accent wall, the elegant curves of the red travertine ‘Cabochon’ tile strike a sophisticated note in pared-back and maximalist interiors alike. Price on application, cletile.com

Prized for their durability and powdery matte finish, hand-poured encaustic tiles usually feature crisp, geometric patterns, but 2LG Studio’s ‘Lovely’ collection for Maitland & Poate breaks new ground with its fluid, expressive designs. Some have an ombré effect, while others swirl across walls and floors like the ripples of watermarked silk moire. From £180 per sq m, maitlandandpoate.com

On a mission to modernise the world of ceramic tiles, Gilles de Brock uses a computer-controlled digital printer that precisely applies liquid glaze directly onto tiles in their biscuit state. The finished results on the two bestselling designs – ‘Marble’ and ‘Rain’ – have a hyperreal, pixelated quality and come in a kaleidoscopic range of colours. £242 per sq m, gillesdebrock.nl

Zellige tiles are known for the way they are fitted to ensure no visible grout, creating great washes of uninterrupted colour. Now, artisan tile studio Otto Tiles gives the typically rustic product a contemporary edge with a series of geometric patterns. The Bauhaus-style circles, triangles and half-moon shapes of its ‘Patterned Zellige’ range are so complex that only a small number of master craftspeople are skilled enough to chisel the eye-catching designs. £288 per sq m, ottotiles.co.uk

Traditionally robust and rustic, terracotta takes on a new sensuality in the hands of Italian designer Cristina Celestino. For the ‘Scenografica’ collection for Fornace Brioni, she created ‘Illusione’ – a softly curved tile with a velvety finish that has its own satisfying sculptural geometry. The clay used to make the tiles comes from the Po River Valley in northern Italy; its quality gives it a rich character with greater depth. Price on application, fornacebrioni.it

Sometimes the classics can feel truly modern – just see Mandarin Stone’s monochrome marble ‘Violetta’ tiles for proof. When used to dramatically envelop a bathroom, they make a bold statement, with delicate deep-purple, green and brown veining adding dimension and warmth to the black-and-white stone. From £86 per sq m, mandarinstone.com

The ephemeral beauty of the natural world is perfectly preserved in the ‘Empreintes Végétales’ collection from Emery et Cie. Founder Agnès Emery worked with artisans in Morocco on the colourful handmade tiles, which are imprinted with leaves, wild grasses, palm fronds, reeds and bamboo – each one unique and with its own form of stylised geometry. From £21 per tile, emeryetcie.com

Unapologetically 80s-looking with their striking diagonal lines and pop-art palette, these handmade encaustic cement tiles can be laid in many different arrangements to create an eye-catching statement on a wall or floor. £2.80 per tile, claybrookstudio.co.uk