Top Tile Picks With Tiles Direct

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This may sound impatient, but I cannot WAIT for spring. Life these days is one giant mud bath caused by our excitable 18 month old Springer Spaniel. True, I grew up with them so know full well what to expect but the difference was I was a child, the house wasn’t mine and the dog then generally spent a lot of time in the garage until she was completely dry and clean.

Every day from October through to April feels like a losing battle with dirt – she has two long walks a day and gets covered both times, plus our garden is in such a disgraceful state and she’s managed to dig herself a trench as she goes racing up and down it meaning that even just going out to the toilet is a very messy affair. As much as I love our Vax steam mop, I don’t love it so much when it has to come out every day just to try and keep on the top of the dirt.

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Part of the problem is our existing house layout and flooring just aren’t conducive to owning an outdoorsy dog. We have a badly fitted laminate in the dining room which we inherited from the previous owners and this is where Maddie spends most of her time during the day. Whilst we have replaced the kitchen floor, it’s only temporary and the vinyl is pale to brighten up the small space so tends to catch  the mud which my lasered eyes can see from a mile off.

Pete and I talk ALL the time about our much longed-for extension which we really need to start saving for this year. In our plans, the kitchen will become a utility/boot room – perfect for messy Maddie – and we’ll build a super new kitchen onto the back of our dining room. Of course as is my way I then start looking at all the finishing touches before we’ve even got anything built.

Assuming that self-cleaning tiles don’t exist (WHY not?), I’m all about versatility. Something which looks smart, stylish, is durable and practical AND easy to clean. Asking too much? Perhaps!

I’ve been having a nosy round the Tiles Direct website and there’s so much to choose from – I’ve spotted so many for when we turn our en-suite into a wet room and also revamp the main bathroom so they may have to pop into another post. For now, I’m concentrating on what might work for our utility room and kitchen space.

Grey. Yep, good old dependable grey. It’s a practical colour for a pet-filled household and these Brazilian Slate tiles measure 40 x 40cm so would hopefully be quite straightforward to keep clean.

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But I also have all the heart eyes for this pared-back but more sophisticated Icon Porcelain Tile in Dove Grey – the seamless finish looks so stylish.

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IF we didn’t have a pet with more to come and were more of a glamorous pair than we are (I’m actually chuckling writing this looking at us both vegging out in our hoodies and sweatpants, we couldn’t be further from glamour if we tried!) then the Velvet Blanco tiles are oh-so-swanky.

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Last but by no means least, the earthy colours and warmer tones of the Zelve Effect Porcelain Tile – as much as I love the grey in the top choice I sometimes worry grey may be too dark and these are a great-looking alternative.

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I have no idea how we’re ever going to get round to making decisions when the time comes but it’s exciting to think that in about 5 years time our home will look very different indeed!

This is a collaborative post but all words, thoughts and opinions are my own.

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16 Comments

  1. January 13, 2016 / 1:30 pm

    Ha! This is one of the reasons I STILL haven’t got a puppy. I still really want one but the extra mess scares me enormously as our house is already a tip. Beware slate tiles – we have them in our kitchen and they show literally every single crumb. If I ever get to choose my own floor tiles again, I’d always go for a soft terracotta colour, so much more forgiving. I choose these for my last kitchen and still miss them x #HomeEtc

  2. January 13, 2016 / 2:01 pm

    I really like the sound of your plans Lins. The tiles in the final picture are not dissimilar in colour to our kitchen flooring and it doesn show up the dirt much at all. We have no dog yet (the boys and The Bavarian would LOVE one) but we have sets of muddy boots coming into the house every day lately, so I know all about trying to keep floors clean 🙂 #HomeEtc
    P.S. Are you happy with your steam mop? I am planning on getting one.

    • Lins
      January 18, 2016 / 10:32 pm

      Ooh sounds like a dog may be on the cards then?! I can totally recommend the steam mop, it’s really changed my life in terms of being able to clean quickly and efficiently X

  3. January 13, 2016 / 8:20 pm

    Oh we are so having the same problem, everytime Toby goes outside he comes back so muddy and had to have his paws washed it is driving me mad. I would love seamless tiles I hate scrubbing the grout especially with a messy muddy dog x

    • Lins
      January 18, 2016 / 10:28 pm

      Grout is such a massive pain isn’t it? I can see me opting for the easiest to clean option and realise I may have to sacrifice on style along the way X

  4. January 13, 2016 / 8:32 pm

    Oh gosh I read this nodding away. I would have lived the shiny white tiles but they were out of the question when we picked ours, we have a mud loving black lab. I so feel your pain. Our kitchen units are white and three or four times a day, he shakes himself dry all over them. It’s a good job they are cute isn’t it?!?! I love the ones you have picked out, practicality wins xxx

    • Lins
      January 18, 2016 / 10:27 pm

      Oh the shaking! And how do they have a habit of doing it just when you’ve cleaned everything too?! I definitely agree on the praticality front Xx

  5. January 14, 2016 / 2:36 pm

    I have to say that when it comes to tiles, I think grey are the way forward for showing up minimal dirt- a winner if you have pets and small children! We went for Karndeen wood flooring in the end, but if we’d gone for tiles, they would have been grey! x

    • Lins
      January 18, 2016 / 10:21 pm

      I’ve heard really good things about the Karndeen and I think the company local to us that we’ve used for the floors so far stock it so maybe I could look at that as an option. Still such a long way off but it’s good to keep dreaming! X

  6. Stephanie Robinson
    January 14, 2016 / 10:52 pm

    That’s quite a bit of mud there, and can imagine it’s a constant battle and nowhere near as much fun as when you’re a child. But a dogs gotta do what a dogs gotta do, so the sensible option is tiles. How exciting to plan for something new x #homeetc

    • Lins
      January 18, 2016 / 10:17 pm

      Oh yes, at least I was under no illusion what we signed up for! It all feels quite far away at the moment but one day hopefully Xx

  7. January 15, 2016 / 1:53 pm

    Yep. This is why we don’t have a dog!! LOL! I’m waiting for my massive country pile — with an actual boot room that the dog can live in. A girl can dream can’t she?! Plus, in our tiny cottage, I think the proximity would be a little too close for our cats!!! 😉 Love your ideas pet — I’d like flagstones here — they don’t show the dirt either… probably cos they look permanently dirty!! 😉

    Thanks so much for linking up with us! xx #HomeEtc

    • Lins
      January 18, 2016 / 10:15 pm

      Oooh flagstones would be so lovely, there’s definitely much to be said for something which doesn’t show the dirt in the first place 😉 At the moment it’s all very pipe-dreamy but hopefully one day! X

  8. mummyofboygirltwins
    January 18, 2016 / 2:35 pm

    We have white kitchen tiles. SO they show up every spec…but they do clean easily. Used to have the same dirt-obsessed dog too! Wow he LOVED mud ha ha 😉

    Thanks for linking up 🙂 Jess xx #HomeEtc

    • Lins
      January 18, 2016 / 10:05 pm

      Haha I will just never get over how much dogs love mud!! I’m sure by the time we actually get around to our extension and grand plans I’ll have my eye on some totally different tiles! Xx

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