winter white: what’s your white tile profile?

lapidary | carrara | oval petit

the clé winter white sale is a great time for a seasonable sojourn into the surprisingly diverse world of white tile. so diverse is it, that we’ve curated a wide-ranging collection of the stuff – lovingly dubbed winter white – which features endless shades and shapes of this perennially popular hue.

alas, you may want to throw up a white flag with so many options at hand. but let us make it easy to find the right white for you, based on your style, space, and project specifics.

now it's time to get down to brass tacks and determine the right choice for you, based on your style, your space, and the specifics of the project at hand.

ask yourself: are you just looking for basic, or are you ready to go beyond? and even if you said “yes” to basic, remember that because you’re working with a reasonably limited palette, the not-so-basic can still give you the subtle-but-interesting look you’ve been dreaming about. at the same time, we have a way to make “basic” so much more than just the “b” word. 

below, a look at your options.

basic white tile need not equal boring

for most people, the first stop on the white tile journey is a classic: the penny round. these ceramic gems are a safe bet for everything from showers to backsplashes. its timeless style transcends trends and can be dressed up or down as you please, much like your favorite pair of jeans. and of course, you can play with words by pairing white and black.

the traditional white subway tile is a mainstay, but for a somewhat more elevated take on the classic, consider villa classica. it’s our first artisan-made white ceramic tile that offers more interest than simple subway. ideal when other handmade tiles are a bit too rustic, yet subway and other ceramics are not quite … enough.

a step beyond ceramic

(left) modern farmhouse brick | white matte. design: sarah sherman samuel / photo: stoffer photography interiors.(right) lapidary | carrara | rough cut standard. Design: josh manes architecture / photo: kirsten francis

if you like the functionality of subway tile, but crave a bit more character, consider a slight twist on tradition with our modern farmhouse brick.

these thin-glazed brick tiles have more surface variegation than standard subway tile, creating a play of light across the white glaze that changes with your angle and the time of day.

the effect is simultaneously more rustic and more glamorous than conventional subway tile, and yet every bit as easy to live with and love. their longer, slimmer silhouette also lends them a touch of mid-century flair. 

(left) cement | pavimenti act I | white | paradiso octagon + bouchon (bundle). (right) architect's palette | blotter

white cement tile, in the classic subway rectangle or any of the other sizes and shapes clé offers, is the secret unsung hero of white tile. silky-smooth on the surface, these hand crafted tiles feature slight variations in tone, creating a subtle visual texture to enhance any surface. or, for full-on elegance, consider our white marbles: carrara, dolomite, thassos, and calacatta gold and calacatta viola tiles, in straight-cut or beveled-edge subway styles, elongated planks, penny rounds, or even the mosaics and sculpted shapes of our lapidary collection. 

into the extraordinary

(left) eastern elements | mochi white | rectangle. design: a. naber design / photo: charlotte lea; (right) zellige | weathered white | bejmat. design: james may homes / photo: lauren konrad

now that we've got you thinking beyond ceramic, let's consider some extraordinary white tile options. and to be fair, may stretch your idea of what white can mean. stone meets penny rounds, for a look that unites white with color and texture, in multiple white marbles. our zellige collection – known, of course for two workhorse whites in weathered white and moroccan sea salt – offers other interesting whites, such as parched vellum. its creamy, warm white keeps it both bright and deeply interesting.

if you have your heart set on the aforementioned white zellige classics, no need to choose: the zio + sons mosaics offer both shades in a terracotta twosome. and, of course, the clé guild offers multiple collections of hand-glazed tiles in whites that reflect the craftsman's touch across their surfaces.