1860 Chequerboard Collection 1860 Chequerboard Collection

By October, there’s no mistaking the change in season. The mornings have a little more bite. The light has shifted. Leaves are collecting at the edges of pavements and leaving the house without a jacket is starting to feel overly optimistic. With the autumn equinox behind us, the days are getting shorter and the evenings darker. Summer feels firmly over, and we’re spending more time indoors as autumn settles in. Windows that have been thrown open for months begin to close. Lamps are switched on earlier. The sofa suddenly looks much more appealing than the garden chair. We start craving interiors that feel warmer, richer and altogether more cocooning. Summer’s breezy blues and fresh whites don’t have to disappear, of course. But this is the time of year when burnt terracotta, forest green, plum, ochre and coffee brown start looking especially good. Here are five Baked Tiles designs helping us settle very happily into the season. REAL TERRACOTTA If autumn were a tile, Baked Real Terracotta Parquet would have a fairly convincing claim to the title. Its handmade, sun-baked terracotta tones echo the rusts, browns and burnt oranges appearing outdoors, while natural variation gives the surface the sort of depth that feels instantly established. The elongated format is made for movement, whether you choose parquet or herringbone. Picture it with creamy walls, a vintage wooden table, piles of logs and a wool rug and you’ve essentially got our autumn mood board sorted. Better still, real terracotta responds beautifully to underfloor heating - exactly the sort of detail that becomes increasingly persuasive as the mornings cool. Products Shown: Baked Real Terracotta Parquet 1860 PLUM There are summer colours and there are autumn colours. 1860 Plum most definitely belongs in the second camp. Its deep plum hue has the richness we start craving once daylight becomes softer and evenings arrive earlier. Plum is also a useful reminder that an autumn palette doesn’t have to mean a sea of orange and brown. Pair it with creamy neutrals for something elegant, bring in aged brass for extra warmth, or sit it beside a muted green for a scheme that feels taken straight from the hedgerows. Products Shown: 1860 Plum, 1860 Vanilla, Cottage Sea Grass Gloss KITKAT LUSTRE CARAMEL Caramel is one of those shades that comes into its own at this time of year. Rich and warming without feeling too dark, these slender KitKat tiles have a lustrous glaze that gives the colour real depth, shifting subtly as the light moves across the surface. Paired with warm neutrals, natural wood or deeper browns, they make a convincing case for bringing a little more richness into the room. Products Shown: Kitkat Lustre Caramel JOURNEYMAN ZELLIGE GREEN As leaves turn outside, there’s something appealing about holding on to a little green indoors. Journeyman Zellige Green does it in a rich, glossy way, with tonal and textural variation designed to catch the light. And autumn light is exactly where glossy tiles come into their own. As lamps replace daylight, reflective surfaces take on a new character. Use this green in a kitchen with natural timber, on a bathroom wall with warm metal finishes, or around a feature area where its depth can really be appreciated. Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige Green BIBURY STONE FOSSE WAY And finally, our newest addition to the Baked Tiles product collection, Fosse Way. There’s something particularly cosy about this stone. Its warm, earthy tones and softly tumbled finish make us think of autumn weekends in the Cotswolds – wellies by the door, leaves underfoot and coming home to somewhere warm after a long walk. Of course, good tiles aren’t seasonal. These are colours, textures and materials that work beautifully year-round, we just happen to think they really come into their own in autumn. So, close the doors, pour yourself something warm and settle into the season. Products Shown: Bibury Stone - Fosse Way Limestone Tumbled

Move over cool grey. Brown is bringing warmth back to the bathroom. From milky coffee and soft taupe to terracotta, walnut and deep chocolate, brown tiles have a wonderfully grounding quality. They can make a bathroom feel cocooning without making it dark, natural without becoming overly rustic, and seriously stylish without relying on a passing fad. Better still, there isn't just one way to do brown. Whether your dream bathroom is calm and spa-like, rich and characterful or full of pattern, here are five ways to bring this earthy palette home. 1. Start softly with warm neutrals You don't need to dive straight into dark chocolate tones to create a brown bathroom. Beige, biscuit, sand, caramel and taupe all belong to the same warm family and are a brilliant place to begin if you prefer a lighter look. A stone-effect tile is particularly good at creating this softer interpretation. Manor House Antique Limestone Beige has the warmth and natural-looking variation that makes a room feel established rather than stark, while its generous format can help create a calmer, more continuous finish. Keep the rest of the palette tonal: think warm white walls, pale wood, woven storage, linen, aged brass and just a few deeper brown accents. The result feels relaxed, layered and far removed from the clinical bathrooms of old. Products Shown: Manor House Antique Limestone Beige 2. Bring in the warmth of wood Few materials make a room feel as instantly inviting as wood, but a bathroom isn't always the easiest environment for the real thing. That's where wood-effect porcelain comes into its own. For a richer look, Woodland Parquet Walnut brings those deep, nutty brown tones together with the movement of a parquet-style format. Use it to introduce warmth to the floor, or take the timber look further to create a more enveloping scheme. If you prefer something larger and more contemporary, Osaka In & Out Teak combines brown and beige tones with a wood-effect finish, making it an interesting option for a modern, nature-led bathroom. Products Shown: Woodland Parquet Walnut, Osaka In & Out Teak 3. Use terracotta as your route into brown Somewhere between brown, rust, burnt orange and clay sits terracotta - and it's one of the easiest ways to make a bathroom feel warmer. For an earthy, handcrafted look without committing to one flat shade, try Marrakesh Terracotta Brick Dark Matt. The slim brick format gives you plenty of freedom with the layout, too. Stack it for something clean and contemporary, use a traditional brick bond, or turn it into a herringbone feature. Products Shown: Marrakesh Terracotta Brick Dark Matt For a larger, bolder dose of colour, Casa Cotto Dark delivers those deeper baked-clay tones in a square format. Pair either with warm white, plaster pink, muted green or timber to keep the overall scheme feeling natural. 4. Take chequerboard to the walls Who says chequerboard belongs on the floor? Taking this classic pattern up the walls is a brilliant way to give a brown bathroom a more playful edge - especially when you swap traditional black and white for something warmer. Zellige Muse Mocha is just the shade for it. Pair its rich chocolatey brown with a contrasting cream or off-white square tile to create a chequerboard wall that feels bold without becoming stark. Try it behind the basin, around a bath or across an entire feature wall. The glossy, zellige-inspired finish brings extra depth to the pattern, catching the light and helping those warm mocha tones come alive. Keep the rest of the scheme simple with natural wood, warm metals and creamy neutrals, and let the wall take centre stage. Proof that brown bathrooms can have plenty of fun, too. Products Shown: Zellige Muse Mocha 5. Give brown some personality Earthy doesn't have to mean understated. If you want your brown bathroom to have a little more personality, introduce different scales, finishes and patterns rather than covering every surface in exactly the same tile. KitKat Lustre Cappuccino is a great example. The slim mosaic format and cappuccino colouring bring together two useful ingredients: warm brown colour and a surface with plenty of visual detail. Use it behind a basin, across a feature wall or inside a shower area to punctuate a quieter scheme. You can also pair terracotta or cappuccino shades with checks, stripes or patterned floors. Add burgundy, dusty pink, olive green or even pale blue and suddenly brown becomes the grounding colour that allows everything else in the room to shine. Brown bathrooms work because they make a room designed around water feel warmer, softer and more connected to nature. Whether you get there through stone, terracotta or a glossy cappuccino accent, the trick is to layer the shades rather than searching for one perfect brown. Products Shown: KitKat Lustre Cappuccino, Santorini Shadow Explore Baked Tiles brown tiles.

Starting a new home project can feel somewhat daunting. Especially when you have a newborn to look after. There are so many decisions to make with endless products to pick from, so it’s a good idea to start with something you absolutely love. Be it a colour, material, a piece of furniture, a style, shape or pattern. For digital creator @rachael_keegan, it was a chequerboard design that was the inspiration for her new family bathroom. “I have been planning this bathroom since before we even moved into our house one-and-a-half years ago,” she explains, “so safe to say a lot of thought has gone into it. I got my inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram and I quite quickly became a little obsessed with the idea of chequerboard. “I saw a bathroom created by Amber Lewis (@amberinteriors) a while back on my explore page on Instagram with pale blue and cream chequerboard tiles and couldn't stop thinking about it. I went through so many iterations in my head though and wasn't sure if I was bold enough to actually commit to it, but I'm so glad I did, as I think it looks so beautiful and impactful, without being too much.” Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige Caramel, Journeyman Zellige Beige, Porth Wen Beige Rachael kept the general layout but the finished room has been completely transformed. Before, it was an outdated beige with chipped tiles, peeling paint, an over-bath shower and single basin. Rachael knew this configuration wasn’t up to the task so she slid the bath along, creating a new shower area in the corner where the bath originally sat. And as it’s a decent sized room, she added a double basin vanity to make early mornings a breeze and use all available space. Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige Caramel, Journeyman Zellige Beige, Porth Wen Beige A curved archway leads through to the walk-in shower, which is tiled throughout with our Journeyman Zellige Caramel and Beige. Laid in a chequerboard pattern, these tiles harness the look of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship with their rich, textured surface that creates an authentic handmade style. The two-tone effect brings spa-style quality to the bathroom and appears effortlessly relaxed yet invigorating with its complementary colour combination. Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige Caramel, Journeyman Zellige Beige The tiles continue around the room and their natural palette provides the perfect partner to Rachael’s carefully curated pieces, from the beautiful oak double vanity unit with marble top to the perfume cabinet filled with her favourite scents. Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige Caramel, Journeyman Zellige Beige “Much like dressing yourself, I think your home should also be a reflection of you and your personality and I have already been told on a few occasions that our new bathroom is 'so me' or 'me in bathroom form', which is lovely to hear,” says Rachael. “I love caramel, beige and neutral tones and wanted to create a calming and chic space, but also with some fun and personality. Also, an arched walk-in shower was always top of my list - we live in a 1930s house with a split staircase and arched landing so it is beautifully in-keeping.” The curvaceous bath is also both practical and elegant. By painting it the same tone as the walls, Rachael has achieved a sense of cohesion throughout the space, while a brushed brass shower mixer enables Rachael to bathe and hair wash her two children with ease. Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige Caramel, Journeyman Zellige Beige For the flooring, Rachael chose our Porth Wen Beige porcelain tiles, which create a calming, natural feel underfoot that helps to anchor the space and let the rest of the scheme breathe. The tiles feature subtle variations in texture and tone to mimic the beauty of natural stone while the material itself is hardwearing and durable and has that all-important anti-slip finish. “I have a very aesthetic brain,” she adds, “and knew I wanted it to look beautiful with a bit of character, but still quite calming in tone. We have two little boys so perhaps I should have thought a little more about practicality with a built-in bath. Alas, I had my heart set on a freestanding one so there is just a lot of splash control currently. The walk-in shower is really practical though and we opted for a smaller bath in the end to accommodate a larger shower area.”

There's an age-old question when it comes to designing a space: do you go bold, or do you go quiet? Some people are drawn to rich colours and patterns that really define a space and express their personal style. Others feel more at home in a scheme that's calm and grounded, a neutral base that can hold whatever sits within it, calming and endlessly accommodating. There's no right or wrong answer here, both instincts are valid. But tiling is often a decision people want to get right, since you'll be living with it for years to come, and there's real confidence in choosing something you know you'll love for a long time. Some of our favourite and most popular collections sit right in that sweet spot, bringing in pattern and texture without ever tipping into too much. Santorini Shadow Santorini Shadow is one of those tiles that rewards a closer look. Pulled from a traditional mosaic pattern, the small pieces come together across the floor or wall to form a continual motif. From a distance, it looks like a simple neutral base, but stepping closer you'll see a subtle depth to it, with a soft pattern that's more intriguing than overwhelming. That's what makes it so versatile: because it's never overpowering, it can be used almost anywhere to anchor a space and add depth. It's a genuine favourite here at Baked Tiles, especially for kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor spaces where people want just a little personality, enough to breathe some life and character into a room without it becoming the main event. Products Shown: Santorini Shadow Villa Romana Villa Romana takes a similar idea and scales it up, quite literally. It's a larger format collection, which makes it a lovely fit for bigger spaces, and it flows beautifully across open-plan rooms. Crema and Grigio, its two colourways, feel gentle and elevated without ever tipping into loud, each with a soft tonal variation that keeps things quietly interesting. Our favourite thing about Villa Romana is the tactile, weathered texture of the tile itself, which echoes the feel of real stone mosaic and adds real depth underfoot or on the wall. Products Shown: Villa Romana Crema, Villa Romana Grigio Country House Herringbone & Cobbles Country House Herringbone and Cobbles are a delightful addition to the wider Country House collection. They take that warming stone effect and translate it into two beautiful formats: cobble and herringbone. Their strength lies in being a strong, versatile neutral, one that looks beautiful on its own, while the classic herringbone layout and cobbled texture add a personality that only reveals itself on a second look. It's a lovely way to add instant depth and character to a space, more than you'd get from a larger flagstone floor. Products Shown: Country House Herringbone, Country House Cobbles Journeyman Zellige Journeyman Zellige brings a different kind of character to the mix. The collection spans a broad tonal range, from deep greens and vibrant navy through to warm, burnt amber, alongside softer neutrals like beige and white. Because each tile sits as a flat, plain colour, it's remarkably easy to work into almost any scheme, especially in a neutral tone. We love to advise customers not to use spacer pegs when laying them, as this creates a tighter, more condensed feel that plays homage to the real laying techniques of genuine Zellige. The tiles sit slightly unevenly, some proud of others, so the wall takes on a beautifully irregular surface. When light hits it, the shadows shift and play across the texture in a way that feels alive. It's a lovely way to take one simple, considered colour and layer in a huge amount of personality. Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige White, Journeyman Zellige Pelt Haven Matt Haven Matt brings the same quiet confidence to a softer, more painterly palette. It takes the light, gentle texture of our popular Haven collection and finishes it in matt, with dimmer, more atmospheric colours like powder blue and sage green, alongside some wonderful neutrals. It looks wonderful in a subtle scheme, since even the bolder colours in the range still hold onto that neutral quality, so the tile can take centre stage without ever feeling loud. If you're drawn to colour, powder blue and sage are timeless choices, colours that have always felt at home in a bathroom. Equally, if you'd rather build a feature more quietly, the soft neutrals in the range do that beautifully too. What ties the whole collection together is how classic every colour feels: nothing here will date, and the subtle surface texture adds interest whichever tone you choose. Products Shown: Haven Matt Sand, Haven Matt Sage We love recommending these collections because they let you bring in pattern and texture in a subtle way, elevating the space and making it feel more designed, without ever overpowering it or risking something you might fall out of love with in a few years. We still think there's absolutely a place for bolder tile choices, but sometimes settling on something in the middle ground is the best way to keep your design feeling timeless for as long as possible.

AW26 is the season tiles stop sitting politely in the background. They are framing floors, climbing onto ceilings and carrying colour across entire rooms. Pattern is no longer being rationed to a single feature wall, while stone-effect surfaces are becoming far too interesting to disappear behind the furniture. Baked Tiles is calling it now: the tiled room is back. Lesley Taylor, founder of Baked Tiles and BIID registered interior designer, says: "The plain tile with one decorative feature has had a very long innings. There is nothing wrong with it, but people are ready to have more fun. "Tiles are becoming the starting point for the room rather than the practical surface chosen at the end. A floor can dictate the colour palette, a border can change the proportions of a space and a heavily veined stone can do the job that wallpaper or artwork might once have done. My advice for AW26 is to choose the tile you cannot stop thinking about first, then build the room around it." Here are the tile looks Baked expects to lead the season. Floors get their frame: Borders are returning, but forget anything fussy or overly traditional. The new tile border is cleaner, bolder and often created using the same tile as the main floor. A change in direction, format or tone can be enough to frame a room, define a dining space or make a straightforward layout appear completely bespoke. Lesley explains: "I love a border because it gives a floor a proper full stop. Without one, a pattern can sometimes appear to run away into the edges of the room; frame it, and the whole layout suddenly has confidence. "It does not have to involve another decorative tile. Turn a rectangular tile through 90 degrees, introduce a narrow strip in a deeper version of the same colour or take one shade from the main pattern and use that around the edge. Draw the complete layout first, including every doorway and cabinet run, because an awkward half-border will undo all the cleverness." Products Shown: 1860 Templeton Floral Decor 15cm x 15cm, 1860 Templeton Border 15cm x 15cm, 1860 Templeton Corner 15cm x 15cm One colour is no longer enough: Colour drenching is loosening up. AW26 schemes will use several related shades rather than repeating one exact colour across every surface. For tile, this opens up far more interesting combinations: blush with oxblood, sage with bottle green or pale clay against a darker rust. Gloss can sit beside matt and smoother surfaces can meet more irregular finishes without leaving the colour family. "Matching everything perfectly can kill the character of a room," says Lesley. "You want the colours to feel related, not cloned. "Tile is brilliant for this because a glaze naturally changes with the light and a patterned surface can introduce several versions of a colour at once. Put every sample together in the actual room and remove the one that looks too neat. The slight odd one out is often what stops the scheme feeling flat." Products Shown: Little Italy Sky Blue 6.5cm x 20cm, Khadi Earthen 22.5cm x 22.5cm, Little Bricks Gloss Blue 5cm x 15cm, Little Bricks Gloss Sky 5cm x 15cm Pattern stops asking permission: The single patterned feature wall is giving way to rooms where several prints happily live together. A tiled floor might meet striped fabric, a small-scale wallpaper or a second tile used in a different format. The aim is not to make every surface compete, but neither is it to dilute the scheme until the pattern has lost its point. Lesley says: "Pattern mixing only becomes chaotic when everything is shouting at the same volume. Let one pattern be the boss and give the others a supporting role. "A large repeat on the floor can cope with something smaller on the wall because furniture breaks up the floor and changes how much of it you see. Colour is what holds it together, so take one less obvious shade from the main tile and repeat that elsewhere rather than matching the most dominant colour." Products Shown: Lava Burgundy 6.5cm x 20cm, 1860 Malvern 15cm x 15cm, 1860 Josephine 15cm x 15cm Take the colours of the coast and leave the costume: Coastal interiors are moving away from anchors, rope and anything that announces itself as seaside décor. The AW26 version borrows weathered blue, chalky white and faded terracotta, with uneven glazes bringing the softness of colour that has spent years in the sun. "No anchors. No signs saying 'beach'. No ornamental fishing nets. Take the colours of the coast and leave the costume behind. "A handmade-look blue tile with natural variation will give you far more atmosphere than a wall of nautical accessories ever could. Mix tiles from every box before they are fixed so the deeper and paler tones are scattered naturally rather than gathering in obvious patches." Products Shown: 1860 Blue 15cm x 15cm, 1860 Vanilla 15cm x 15cm, Rapture Gloss Blue Grey 3.8cm x 23.5cm, Elysse Denim 20cm x 20cm Stone gets loud: Stone-effect tiles have spent years being sold as the safe neutral. AW26 gives them a much bigger role. Stronger veining, richer colour and larger formats allow stone markings to travel across a surface with fewer interruptions. The result can carry an entire shower wall, fireplace or kitchen backdrop without needing much decoration around it. "A bold vein needs elbow room. There is no point choosing the most expressive stone in the collection and squeezing it into a splashback barely wider than the basin. "Use enough of it for the markings to travel and make sense. Always ask to see several tiles from the design before ordering, because one small sample cannot show the movement, variation or how the repeats will meet across a full wall." Products Shown: Bordeaux Marble 60cm x 120cm, Kitkat Lustre Speckled White 29.5cm x 28.4cm, Venetica Terrazzo Taupe 60cm x 60cm Tiles reach the fifth wall: In bathrooms and cloakrooms, tiles are continuing beyond the walls and onto the ceiling. It is a gutsy move, but it can make a compact room feel far more complete by removing the strip of painted ceiling that would otherwise cut across the scheme. Continuing one tile overhead works particularly well in showers and smaller rooms where every surface is seen at once. Lesley explains: "The ceiling is the surface everyone forgets until the room is nearly finished. In a small bathroom, that white rectangle can break the spell completely. "Continuing the wall tile overhead can be fantastic, but this is one trend where design enthusiasm has to meet technical common sense. The ceiling must be able to carry the weight and the preparation and adhesive need to be right for overhead fixing, so involve the installer before choosing the final tile." Products Shown: Tuscany Lattice 20cm x 20cm, Tuscany White 20cm x 20cm, Zellige Muse Mocha 10cm x 10cm, Zellige Muse Creme Brulee 10cm x 10cm The smallest room gets the biggest idea: Cloakrooms and powder rooms are becoming the testing ground for the strongest tiles of the season. Because the area is limited, homeowners can use a richer colour, bigger pattern or more premium surface without committing to it across a vast room. One confident choice will usually make more impact than several smaller decorative gestures. "A cloakroom is not where you need to behave yourself," says Lesley. "It is often the only room guests see on their own, so give them something worth looking at. "Start with the tile and plan the sanitaryware around the best part of the pattern, rather than choosing a beautiful design and then hiding its central motif beneath the toilet. Lay the floor out dry before anything is fixed and decide exactly where you want the eye to land." Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige White 10cm x 10cm, Bordeaux Marble Novo Matt 60cm x 60cm, Zellige Muse Mocha 10cm x 10cm, Zellige Muse Creme Brulee 10cm x 10cm

Whether you're renovating a single room or transforming your entire home, our Spend & Save promotion helps you get more of the tiles you love for less. Utility Tiles: These are some of the tiles (and trends) that we can't get enough of Planning a new kitchen? Don't forget the utility room. Often overlooked, it's one of the hardest-working spaces in the home, and with the right tiles, it can be just as stylish as your kitchen. Create a seamless look by carrying your favourite flooring through both spaces and choose a complementary design for a practical room that doesn't compromise on style. Products Shown: Farmhouse Terracotta Square 15cm x 15cm, Mano Antigua Modernist 20cm x 20cm Restaurant-Inspired Interiors: Bring the atmosphere of your favourite restaurant home. Rich textures, warm tones and beautifully crafted tiles create inviting spaces that feel effortlessly stylish from morning coffee to evening entertaining. Our Olive Grove tile features a delightful pattern, whilst Journeyman Zellige adds drama with its deep tones and subtle texture. Products Shown: Journeyman Zellige Green 10cm x 10cm, Olive Grove 45cm x 45cm Tile Drenching: Tile drenching is one of our favourite trends right now. By using the same tile across both walls and floors, you can create a beautifully seamless space that feels calm, cohesive and effortlessly luxurious. Take tiles all the way up the wall for a fully immersive feel, or keep it half height and pair your wall tiles with your floor tiles, a lovely option for bathrooms. Products Shown: Mano Antigua Retro 20cm x 20cm, Venetica Terrazzo Cognac 60cm x 60cm Tiled Seating: We know it's only summer, but it's never too early to think ahead to cosy autumn evenings. Built-in tiled seating is a practical way to make the most of your space, creating a bespoke feature that's as beautiful as it is functional. By using a few extra tiles from your project, you can create stylish, integrated seating that saves on buying additional furniture while giving your home a seamless, considered finish. Products Shown: Stucco Talc 60cm x 60cm, Zellige Muse Mocha 10cm x 10cm Serene Scene: Create a space that feels like a true retreat. Soft, natural tones and tactile textures bring a sense of calm, while our Nomad Ivory tile creates a beautifully understated backdrop that's perfect for modern, minimalist interiors. Products Shown: Haven Matt Sand 20cm x 6.5cm, Nomad Ivory 60cm x 120cm