Common sizes in metric and imperial
| Metric (mm) | Metric (cm) | Imperial | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 x 300 | 30 x 30 | 12 x 12 in | Shower floors, small wet areas |
| 300 x 600 | 30 x 60 | 12 x 24 in | Bathroom walls, small floors |
| 600 x 600 | 60 x 60 | 24 x 24 in | The global volume size — all rooms |
| 600 x 1200 | 60 x 120 | 24 x 48 in | Large format floors and walls |
| 800 x 800 | 80 x 80 | 32 x 32 in | Large rooms, commercial |
| 800 x 1600 | 80 x 160 | 32 x 64 in | Open plan, feature walls |
| 1200 x 1800 | 120 x 180 | 48 x 72 in | Slab format, cladding |
| 1200 x 2400 | 120 x 240 | 48 x 96 in | Big slabs, worktops |
| 200 x 1200 | 20 x 120 | 8 x 48 in | Wood plank, stair risers |
| 300 x 1200 | 30 x 120 | 12 x 48 in | Stair treads, plank floors |
| 200 x 200 | 20 x 20 | 8 x 8 in | Patterned and decorative |
Why large format makes a small room look bigger
The instinct is the opposite — small room, small tiles — and it is wrong. What makes a room feel small is visual interruption, and a grout line is an interruption. A 2x2 metre bathroom floor in 300 mm tiles has more than forty joints in it; the same floor in 600x1200 mm has three. The eye reads the second as one surface and the first as a mosaic of small units, and the surface reads as larger.
The same logic applies to walls. A large-format tile floor-to-ceiling in a small shower, with tone-matched grout, makes the enclosure feel considerably more open than the same area in 150 mm squares.
There is a genuine limit. A tile bigger than the room can accommodate means cut pieces along two edges instead of one, and a heavily cut layout looks worse than a smaller tile laid whole. As a rough guide the tile should divide into the room dimension with at least half a tile left at the edges — and the setting-out point should be chosen so the cuts land where they are least seen.
Recommended size by room
| Room | Recommended | Also works |
|---|---|---|
| Small bathroom | 600 x 600 | 600 x 1200 |
| Large bathroom | 600 x 1200 | 800 x 800 |
| Shower floor | 300 x 300 or mosaic | Needed for the fall |
| Kitchen floor | 600 x 600 | 600 x 1200 |
| Living room | 600 x 1200 | 800 x 1600 |
| Open-plan living | 800 x 1600 | 1200 x 1800 |
| Bedroom | 600 x 600 | 600 x 1200 |
| Hallway | 600 x 1200 lengthwise | 200 x 1200 plank |
| Balcony | 600 x 600 | 300 x 600 |
| Terrace | 600 x 600 or 400 x 800 | 20 mm pavers |
| Staircase | 300 x 1200 tread | 200 x 1200 riser |
| Commercial floor | 600 x 600 | 600 x 1200 |
What changes as tiles get larger
- The substrate has to be flatter — a large rigid tile cannot follow a dip. Any unevenness shows as lippage between neighbours.
- Laying takes more skill and more labour — large tiles need two people, a levelling system and back-buttering. The labour cost goes up even though the tile count goes down.
- Waste goes up on complicated rooms — every cut wastes more material when the piece is bigger.
- Rectified edges become essential — a non-rectified large tile needs a wide joint to absorb its size variation, which defeats the purpose.
- Handling and breakage increase — allow more spare on large format, and expect some transit breakage on slabs.
- The room reads as more continuous — which is the whole point, and why the extra cost is usually worth it.
Frequently asked questions
What size tile is best for a small bathroom?
Larger than instinct suggests — 600x600 mm, or 600x1200 mm if the room takes it, with tone-matched grout. Fewer joints make the floor read as one surface and the room feel bigger. Keep small tiles for the shower floor, where you need them for the fall.
What is 60x120 in inches?
Roughly 24x48 inches. The metric figure is the exact one — 600x1200 mm — and imperial equivalents are always approximate because the tile is manufactured to metric dimensions.
Do larger tiles cost more to lay?
Usually yes, despite there being fewer of them. They need a flatter substrate, a levelling system, back-buttering and two people to handle. The material cost per square metre may be similar; the labour cost is higher.
What is the largest tile you produce?
1200x2400 mm slabs. Above 800x1600 mm the product is really a slab rather than a tile, and it needs a contractor experienced with the format, a purpose-built handling frame and appropriate cutting equipment.
Can I mix tile sizes in one room?
Yes, and modular patterns that combine two or three sizes in a repeating layout look excellent. They need setting out carefully on paper first, and both sizes must be from the same range so the thickness and shade match.
How many tiles do I need?
Measure the floor area in square metres, add ten per cent for cuts and breakage — fifteen for a patterned or diagonal layout — and divide by the coverage per box printed on the packing list. That is all a tile calculator does, and doing it by hand lets you allow for the awkward room rather than a rectangle.
Need a size we have not listed?
We manufacture to OEM specification, including custom formats. Tell us what you need and we will quote the tooling and the run.
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