Why Metro Tiles Have Never Really Gone Away

Walk into any well-loved kitchen in Britain and there is a fair chance you will spot a metro tile. It is the humble 10cm x 20cm rectangle, usually gloss white, laid in a staggered brick pattern just like the Underground stations it was named after. It has been in and out of fashion more times than most of us care to count, yet it always comes back — and there is a good reason for that. A metro tile is honest, hard-wearing and quietly flattering to almost any kitchen.

The real appeal is in the light. Gloss metro tiles bounce daylight around a room that is often short of windows, and because they are made in large batches, replacing a cracked one five years down the line is rarely a problem. If you want a kitchen that still looks considered in a decade's time, this is a sensible place to start.

Choosing the Right Size, Finish and Edge

The classic size is 100mm x 200mm, but the market is now full of variations, and each one changes the feel of the room:

• Standard 100 x 200mm gloss: the traditional choice, brilliant for a bright, period-style kitchen.
• Smaller 75 x 150mm: pretty and cottage-like, but the extra grout lines make a small splashback look busier.
• Larger 100 x 300mm: fewer joints, a calmer surface and quicker to fit — a good option for tall runs of tiling.
• Bevelled edges: a soft chamfered profile that catches light and gives the wall gentle texture. Bevelled tiles take slightly more grout and need a steady hand.
• Flat or matt finishes: less reflective, more contemporary, and forgiving on walls that are not perfectly true.

Think about colour too. Pure white is the safe, timeless answer, but off-white, pale grey, soft sage and even deep navy all work beautifully in a brick pattern. If you plan to sell within a few years, keep the tile itself neutral and be brave with the grout instead.

Getting the Layout Right Before You Mix a Thing

Layout is where a good tiling job is won. Take the time to work out the pattern on the wall rather than starting from the nearest corner and hoping for the best.

Brick bond — offset by half a tile on each row — is the default and suits metro tiles perfectly. Stack bond (all joints lined up vertically) gives a more modern, almost grid-like look and is very effective in a herringbone-free, minimalist kitchen. Herringbone and basketweave are striking but generate far more cutting, so budget for extra tiles and extra time.

Aim to avoid narrow slivers of tile at the ends of a run and at the corners. Set your centre line from the middle of the hob or the window, work outwards, and check that the top row finishes neatly under the wall units or the extractor. On a typical kitchen, order around 10 to 15 per cent more tiles than the measured area to cover cuts, breakages and future repairs.

Grout: The Detail That Does All the Work

Nothing transforms metro tiles quite like grout colour. White grout on white tiles gives a soft, seamless, very traditional look. Swap to mid-grey or anthracite and the same tiles suddenly look sharper and more contemporary — the joints become part of the design.

Practical points worth knowing:

• Keep joints to around 2mm for a crisp, even grid. Wider joints on a bevelled tile can look charming, but narrower than 2mm with uneven tiles is asking for trouble.
• Check your wall first. If it is out by more than a few millimetres across the run, build it up with a levelling compound or a thick-bed adhesive before tiling — metro tiles show every ripple.
• Choose a mould-resistant, water-repellent grout for splashbacks, and consider an epoxy grout behind the hob if you fry a lot. It costs more but cleans up with a wipe rather than a scrub.
• Finish the bottom edge where tiles meet the worktop with a bead of silicone, not grout. Grout cracks; silicone flexes.

Practical Accessories That Finish the Room

Metro tiles look their best when the surrounding details are simple. Keep the eye moving along the tile rather than competing with it.

• Trims: a slim brushed steel or antique brass edge strip tidies up exposed corners and window reveals far better than a wobbly cut.
• Sockets and switches: plan these into the tile layout so they sit centrally within tiles rather than straddling awkward joints. A white or brushed metal faceplate disappears nicely.
• Shelf and rail: a single oak or white shelf across the splashback adds warmth and gives you somewhere to put the things you actually use.
• Lighting: an under-cabinet strip or two will graze the tile surface and bring out the bevel. It is the cheapest upgrade in the whole scheme.
• Upstand: matching the worktop upstand to the tiles, or leaving it out altogether, keeps the lines clean.

Care, Cleaning and a Few Honest Warnings

One of the great joys of a glazed metro tile is how little it asks of you. A warm damp cloth and a mild pH-neutral cleaner will handle almost everything. Avoid abrasive powders and scouring pads, particularly on gloss and on any metallic trim, as they dull the surface permanently.

Seal the grout in a busy family kitchen and re-seal it once a year if the manufacturer recommends it. Wipe up splashes of turmeric, beetroot and red wine reasonably promptly — on white grout they can leave a faint mark if left overnight.

Finally, be realistic about the work. Metro tiles are cheap to buy but fiddly to lay well, and a full splashback with sockets, a window and a hob to work around is not a first-tiler's job. If you are doing it yourself, practise on a board first and hire a wet cutter rather than relying on a manual score-and-snap tool for the trickier cuts. Done properly, a metro-tiled kitchen will look lovely the day it is finished and just as good ten years later — which is exactly what a classic should do.