In our blog Subway Tile 5 Ways our designer Angela says that subway tile is like “the white t-shirt” of tile because “it’s timeless, versatile and never goes out of style!”. If subway tile is like a white t-shirt, penny tile is like your favorite pair of jeans! You know, the ones that you can dress up for a night on the town, or dress down for a weekend with the family. Just like with subway tile, there are *many* ways to include penny tile in your home – it just depends on how creative you’d like to get!

What is Penny Tile?

Penny Tiles (also known as Penny Rounds) are small, circular tiles typically ¾” in diameter (you know… penny-sized 😀). They first showed up in kitchens and bathrooms in the early 1900’s. While you can find glass, ceramic, stone, and metal penny tiles, most often they’re made from porcelain, and come in hundreds of pretty color choices!

Penny Tile in the Bathroom

The bathroom is the most common place to find penny tile. Mostly because all that grout makes the ground a little extra slip-proof! But don’t limit yourself to the floor! Other ways to get creative with penny tile in the bathroom include:

#1: Penny Tile In the Back of A Shower Niche

Adding a contrasting color or texture with a penny tile in the back of your shower niche is a perfect way to tie in a coordinating color, or bring that shower floor tile onto the walls! I love the bonus detail of those small green stripes made from penny tile in the photo on the right!

#2: Penny Tile As An Accent Band or Feature in the Shower

When you want to add a little something special to your shower, a splash of penny tile can make all the difference. It’s a great way to dress up otherwise inexpensive white subway tile! If you have a glass enclosure, it will add a piece of art to the whole bathroom. If you have a shower curtain, a fun surprise! Win, Win! How delicious is that band of coral penny tiles in the middle photo?

#3: Penny Tile As a Wainscoting Detail

Whether you decide to add a small penny tile band to a classic subway tile wainscoting, add a bold wall of penny tile wainscoting, or add a finishing touch to marble wainscoting with a trimmed out penny tile band, the result will not only be striking but a wonderful nod to classic design!

#4: Penny Tile As the Vanity Backsplash

Adding color and height can really dress up the feel of your vanity. Just take a look at these three photos of simple white vanities- notice what a difference the penny tile makes! And you can really vary the impact! Here you can see examples of a high and soft-colored backsplash, a standard height backsplash with bold color, and one that provides a contrasting accent.

 

Penny Tile in your Kitchen

While it’s more common to see penny tile in a bathroom, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use it in your kitchen! It could be a beautiful accent that adds a *little extra special* touch and reflects your true personality!

#5: Penny Tile As A Kitchen Backsplash

The folks below decided to add a contrast to the stark white cabinetry and subway tile with a textural grayed penny tile. It not only provides a touch of depth, but anchors the whole room and compliments the natural wood shelving!

 

Below, these folks filled in the space between the white textured feature tile and their upper cabinets with a green penny tile. Not only does it provide a splash of color, but it adds texture too. Thanks to the contrasting white grout which highlights the penny tile shape!

*Bonus* Even More Penny Tile: Patterns and Bold Colors!

If you really want to get wild, you can have your tile installer set your penny tile in an interesting pattern. (Talk to them first, this will add up in labor costs if it doesn’t come preset on a sheet!)

 

Another classic option? Use a penny tile border to accent the room, kind of like an area rug!

 

Want a bold splash of color? Texture provided by a penny tile softens even the brightest of colors to make that impact still friendly and inviting:

 

As you can see, there are plenty of options when it comes to using penny tile in your home! Whether you’re looking to update your wise-beyond-its-years home, or add a timeless detail to a freshly constructed space, penny tile is a not only a wonderfully classic choice, but offers a lot of modernity and innovation when used in creative ways! Want us to help sort through all your penny tile options, or pair your penny tile with the perfect paint color? We’d be happy to help you out in a virtual Design Helpline Session! Click here to schedule a session!

 

May your home (And your Penny Tile) always be happy!