Now is the perfect time of year to think about getting your outdoor space ready for some lighter evenings and time spent relaxing outside. No matter the size or shape of your exterior space, it is sometimes difficult to know how to best decorate it to maximise its potential.
Starting from the ground up, outdoor paving plays a huge role in the overall appearance of your outdoor areas, so it’s important to get it right. Especially in smaller outdoor spaces, it can be tricky to choose the right tiles which will help to open spaces up, rather than make them feel small and enclosed.
In this article, we list some tips to help you make great use of your space with external tiles. Read on to learn more!
Bright Colour Palette
A common design technique used in so many different aspects of both interior and exterior design, is the use of a light and bright colour palette to help expand the appearance of a certain area. This is no different when it comes to outdoor paving.
Opting for neutral and light colours for your external tiles will inherently reflect light to create an uplifting and airy space. In small spaces this is very important, as you want to ensure you are making good use of everything available to you. By comparison, darker tile shades can make exterior spaces look smaller, so we recommend you go for a lighter shade instead.
We have plenty of gorgeous neutral porcelain outdoor tiles ranging from beiges, to greys, to whites and so on. The Oxford outdoor tile range is an ideal choice for those who would like a selection of shades to choose from. Or alternatively, our newly-added Maidstone collection, boasts several bright colours, formats and patterns from which you can create a stunning outdoor space.
Light Grout Shade
Just as the right grout shade is crucial in interior design for kitchens, bathrooms and more, it is an equally important aspect of exterior tile design. As well as matching your selected external paving, you want the shade of your grout or jointing compound to help the expansion of your outdoor space.
Too harsh a contrast when it comes to grout lines can often draw attention to the paving and leans towards a more fragmented appearance, rather than a flush foundation.
With a variety of different shades to blend seamlessly with your external paving, we stock leading grout brands such as BAL and Ardex, whose products are suitable for both interior and exterior tiles.
Large Format External Paving
Another way to ensure your external space is on its way to feeling spacious and airy is through the use of large format external paving. Coupled with a light tile shading and grout, the size of exterior tiles is very impactful on the overall appearance of your space.
For example, square format tiles like the ones which form the Lanvale and Lakesford collections are perfect for the widening of spaces, whereas oblong tiles such as the Volten and Kingsford collections are often used to help elongate spaces by contrast. Whichever shape you opt for, large format tiles also generally means fewer grout lines, helping to make a more cohesive and flawless finish.
While we have only noted a few ways in which outdoor tiles can be implemented to help expand the appearance of your space, there are many other ways to achieve this look. The choice of certain garden accessories, furniture, space planning and more can help you maximise your small garden’s potential! Get in touch with us today if you’d like to learn more about our external paving – we’d be happy to help.
