Looking for a tile brand with originality? These are the ones to know…

This might just be the coolest Italian tile brand you’ve never heard of. Every tile the Modena-based company produces bears the mark of its maker, from uneven glazes to the shadow of a fingerprint. Our favourite is ‘Rondò’, a collection typified by graphic semi-circles that can be installed to form circles or an undulating curved pattern. Coat a whole wall for an expanse of glossy texture. From approx £135 per sq m, opificioceramico.com

Lovers of a maximalist pattern should put tile-maker Cevica in their decorating directories. The Spanish brand blends craftsmanship with the possibilities afforded by modern machinery. Customisation is its superpower, with the ‘Cevica Lab’ app allowing adjustments to size, shape, colour and finish. Take its ‘Groovy’ collection (pictured), inspired by 1960s hippie culture, as your starting point for experiments. From approx £50 per sq m, cevica.es

Renowned for its mosaic tiles, this brand recently opened its flagship store in London on 60 Sloane Avenue, so there’s no better time to explore the luxury it can bring to a bathroom. Its ‘Bliss Red’ collection by multidisciplinary studio Autoban took inspiration from busy road networks – translating speed and structure into fluid lines to create a dynamic surface made from tiny pieces of honed marble. From £1,512 per sq m, bisazza.com

Founded in Caltagirone by the Parrinello brothers, this atelier merges traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Its ‘Alfabeto’ collection, designed by Margherita Rui, features graphic motifs across terracotta and Etna-lava-stone tiles in 13 colours. Each tile is fired at 950C, meaning they’re highly durable and suitable for wet rooms. Production is solar-powered, using lead-free glazes and recycled materials. From approx £165 per sq m, ninefifty.it

There’s a reason neutrals have been used in the bathroom for decades: they create a calming atmosphere. But for a modern look, why not go for neutrals with exaggerated texture? Sculptural surfaces can add depth and artistic flair to a shower, above a vanity or in an alcove. We’re fans of this Mexico-based brand’s collaboration with LA-based artist Cindy Hsu Zell. Approx £200 per sq m, lofa.com.mx

This Danish company’s entire offering is made from naturally occurring lava stone, sourced from Mount Etna, or traditional terracotta. Its aesthetic combines Japanese, Danish and Mediterranean influences. Alongside tiles, it produces basins and countertops in the same materials – go for contrasting shades such as the ‘Solid Glazed’ tile in ‘Cream’ and speckled burgundy countertop (pictured). Tiles £600 per sq m; countertop (as pictured) £4,200, madeamano.com

The grand stonework of French neoclassical architecture was the inspiration behind this well-known British tile brand’s new ‘Louvre Marble’ series. This influence can be spotted in the soft veining and brushed-matte finish, which evoke the timeless elegance of Parisian interiors. Available in classic rectangular formats as well as smaller mosaics, it’s a versatile yet subtle choice for bathrooms with a refined aesthetic. £140 per sq m, firedearth.com

This heritage brand is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, and its new ‘Terramater’ collection takes the classic subway tile and gives it a contemporary edge, with seven earthy tones and special glazes that blend with the red-clay body of the tile during firing. Made in Italy from raw porcelain and 60 per cent recycled material, the design adds warmth when teamed with wooden furnishings and brass fixtures. Price on application, marazzitile.co.uk

Former graphic designers Gilles de Brock and Jaap Giesen founded this tile brand in 2021 with a singular vision: to reinvent ceramic tiles with a custom-built digital-printing system, which gives the tiles a unique ombré gradient that comes in more than 300,000 colour combinations. The tiles’ hazy appearance works as an antidote to hard surfaces in the bathroom. Approx £240 per sq m, palet.shop

Named after the Japanese word for composition, ‘Kosei’ is Belgian designer Vincent Van Duysen’s latest range for Mutina. Rooted in his minimalist design DNA and inspired by the colours and toughness of volcanic rocks, it is crafted for both indoor and outdoor use, with a matte texture that’s especially resistant to water and stains. Alternate between its five colours and six formats to create a dynamic pattern. From £184 per sq m mutina.it

Bringing cool Caribbean vibes to your bathroom is luxury Bajan hotel Cobblers Cove, which has just partnered with this British tiling brand founded by Lee Thornley (himself the owner of boutique getaway Casa La Siesta in Cádiz). The resulting collection captures the natural beauty of the island through plant motifs, wavy patterns and whimsical palm-tree prints that give a year-round holiday feel. £144 per sq m, bertandmay.com

3D tiles are seemingly having a moment, and you’d be hard-pressed to find more exciting ones than these. The young brand was launched by longstanding Polish tile company Kaflarnia Kafel-Kar, with its sculptural bas-relief pieces doubling as decorative wall art. Use the ‘Snake’ border tile from its ‘New Eden’ collection (pictured) to create a delicate, highly tactile edge around a basin or mirror. From approx £25 per tile, krolik1936.com

This Italian tile atelier has quietly been disrupting the small-format scene with its adventurous colour palettes and geometrical precision. As a case in point, see its ‘Colors’ collection (pictured), a range of porcelain tiles in eight solid shades, and the trippy ‘Fluid’, featuring seven marbled patterns that pack real punch. From approx £50 per sq m, quintessenzaceramiche.it

Traditional Moroccan craftsmanship makes its way to Monmouthshire, Wales, where this family-run brand is still based, in the form of its ‘Zellige 2022’ tiles. Their handmade finish, with subtle imperfections and uneven edges, is seriously alluring in the new ‘Black Gloss’ glaze (pictured), with deep charcoal and anthracite hues. £55 per sq m, mandarinstone.com