Selecting the right tile based on a small showroom sample can be risky if you don't take the time to test it in your actual environment. Lighting is the biggest variable; a tile that looks cool and neutral in a bright showroom might look drastically different in the warm or dim light of your kitchen or bathroom. Take the sample home and place it in the room where it will be installed. View it in the morning, afternoon, and evening to see how its color and sheen shift with your home's specific ambient light and shadow. Beyond color, you must evaluate the functionality of the surface. Run your hand over the texture to determine if it will be easy to clean or if it will trap dirt. If it is for a bathroom or wet area, check the slip resistance—does it feel gritty enough to provide traction when wet? Finally, examine the edges of the sample. Are they rectified for thin grout lines, or are they pillowed for a rustic look? Ensure that the sample reflects the batch quality you expect. If the tile has a lot of variation between pieces, ask for a few additional samples to see the full range of the product's character before committing to a full order.
Key considerations
- evaluating tile samples
- choosing tile color
- tile lighting test
- how to pick flooring
- sample
- color variation