What Are the Different Ways to Lay Tiles?

The layout pattern you choose affects how the finished room looks and how much tile wastage you'll have. Here are the main options:

Stacked (grid) is the most straightforward layout. Tiles are laid in straight rows with all the grout lines aligned both horizontally and vertically. It's clean and modern, and it works particularly well with large format tiles where you want the tile itself to be the feature.

Brick (offset) is the most common layout we see in Australian bathrooms. Each row is offset by half a tile width, like brickwork. It's versatile, hides minor size variations between tiles, and suits both rectangular and square tiles. The standard offset is 50 percent, but a 30 percent or 40 percent offset can also look good with longer format tiles.

Herringbone is a V-shaped pattern where rectangular tiles are laid at 45-degree angles to each other. We see this used a lot as a feature wall or shower niche accent. It takes more time to lay and produces more wastage, so factor that into your budget.

Diagonal (45 degree) is when square tiles are rotated 45 degrees so the corners point up, down, left, and right. It can make a small room feel larger but produces more wastage at the edges.

Chevron is similar to herringbone but uses tiles cut at an angle so the pattern forms a continuous V rather than a broken one. It requires purpose-cut chevron tiles rather than standard rectangles.

We'd suggest discussing your preferred layout with your tiler before ordering tiles, as different patterns require different quantities and some require specific tile formats.

See tile options at the Buildmat Selection Centre.