Blue tiles.

The breadth within blue. Navy, teal and pale sky blue are three different briefs and three different rooms. Navy is heavy, formal and architectural. Teal is mid-tone, characterful and slightly retro. Pale sky blue is light, coastal and breezy. Decide which one before you sample.

Coastal versus urban blue. Navy and petrol blue suit inner-city bathrooms where the reference is tailoring and joinery. Pale blue zellige suits coastal Australian homes where the reference is the water itself: the tile echoes the ocean visible from the window.

Pool surrounds. Always specify an R12 slip-rated blue for pool coping and surrounds. Blue reads darker underwater than dry, so most clients go a shade or two lighter than their first instinct.

Dark blue in small spaces. A navy feature wall in a powder room reads as luxe rather than claustrophobic, the same principle as black or dark green. Small rooms carry dark colour well because the eye reads them as jewel boxes.

Matte versus gloss on blue. Matte reads deeper and more textile. Gloss catches light beautifully but shows water marks and fingerprints under strong Australian sunlight. For splashbacks, gloss zellige is the photogenic choice. For floors and high-traffic walls, matte porcelain.

What white pairs with blue. Cool white pairs with cool blue: navy, pool blue, teal. Warm white against any blue reads khaki and muddy. Match undertones throughout the room. Order samples →