These are the three best red brick tiles to bring into your home. Each lends some rustic charm, but homeowners can face difficulty deciding on a specific brick tile. They might ask themselves what sort of atmosphere the tile will bring, if they are durable enough to use in areas of the house and if they match the furniture.
Whether you need a gentle push, or a bit of assistance imagining the look you want, we are here to help.
The Quick of It
- Best brick tiles for an authentic and rustic feel: the Shire Blend.
- Best brick tiles for a warm and inviting atmosphere: these 68 Blend brick tiles.
- Best brick tiles for a sophisticated look with clean corners: London Old Red Brick.
A Bit of Information about Brick Tiles
There are a couple of types of tiles that imitate bricks. The first is brick slips, which are tiles cut from actual bricks. These brick slips can come from historic bricks that are over 100 years old or recent demolition projects. A second type is true brick tiles made from porcelain and manufactured to look like real bricks.
Brick tiles are a bit different from brick slips due to the distinct qualities of ceramic and porcelain tiles. Both are durable, and homeowners can use them in places that see a lot of water such as bathrooms. Porcelain is denser, less porous and thus is more stain-resistant than brick slips.
Brick tiles made from porcelain are also more durable than brick slips because of the process it endures during manufacturing.
Brick slips may cost more than brick tiles depending on the company and product. The Shire blend brick slips and the London Old Brick tiles have similar prices, but one is brick slips made from reclaimed brick, and the other is porcelain brick tiles.
Shire Blend Brick Slips
Manufacturers have reclaimed these bricks, meaning they salvaged the bricks from local demolition projects and give them a new life. If the idea of having a brick wall made of authentic bricks—that have a history no less—appeals to you, consider this type.
The Shire Blend is a popular brick slip, featuring a distinct weathered look that utilises dark and light browns and a spattering of surface mortar. These brick slips create a definitive rustic feel.
The colouring of the Shire Blend is red-leaning into neutral brown tones, with a bit of the light coloured mortar. If you are looking for a more neutral colour scheme or an accent wall that can go with any colour, the Shire Blend may be just what you need.
Because these are reclaimed bricks, they have quite a bit of natural weathering on them. The weathering means their shapes are chipped and irregular, the colour is not uniform and all bricks are distinct. Their distressed appearance will add a prominent declaration of age to a room, which will make the home feel more historic than it may be.
If historical buildings entrance you, the Shure Blend will be a great fit for your space. A fireplace of weathered red brick tiles to cosy up by might be just what you are after. If you are unsure, the product’s page has a few photos of the Shire brick slips after being installed in various settings. You can also browse the general brick slip selection the company offers.
Imagine, if you will, walking into a room that features a wall of these bricks. How the sight of them instantly makes you feel like you walked into a place with some history. Not only historic but a home with a bit of charm and some grit.
These red brick tiles create the rustic atmosphere you would want for a room meant to see a lot of action and use. Have a finished basement that you host game night in? A kitchen that sees frequent activity? Just want a wall that looks like it can withstand a beating? The Shire Blend will give that room that final bit of character to tie everything together.
Blend 68 Brick Slips
This traditional range of classic red brick slips features a more uniform red colour throughout that darker tones and some (more muted) yellow spots accentuate. Blend 68’s creators also use real bricks to make their brick slips, so know that Blend 68 brick slips are cut from real clay bricks.
If you are wanting an authentic brick look with a little less erosion from weathering, this blend may be the best for you. It still has the rustic quality a brick tile brings, and the interest of colour variations placed throughout. The variation of shape between bricks is a lot less than the Shire Blend, however.
Blend 68 may also be better for rooms that need some colour accents. If you are trying to bring in some warm tones—perhaps even a muted yellow—this blend may go better with your furniture.
If your room is neutral-toned already and you are looking to warm it up, this blend may be exactly what you need. Not only can you warm up the room with some colour, but adding bricks can create a rustic, homey atmosphere.
Could you imagine a room with these brick slips lining a wall? A nice carpet or rug that feels soft under your feet. And the sunlight coming through the window that warms the room while highlighting the colours on these lovely bricks gives you a feeling of being at home.
These Blend 68 tiles give a comforting feel to a room. They would be ideal for rooms meant to be inviting. If you host family gatherings and dinners, perhaps putting these bricks in your preferred hosting room can add the final touch to a room meant for memories.
London Old Red Brick Effect Tiles
These brick effect tiles are made from premium porcelain and have a mix of dark and light tones to them. Though they are not authentic bricks, the manufacturers still designed them to have the charm of real bricks. Each is manufactured with current inkjet technology and simulates true reclaimed bricks, featuring an uneven edge and variation in tone and colour that creates the same effect as real brick.
If creating clean and sharp corner edges is crucial for you, these porcelain tiles might be good to consider. They can be mitred at 45-degree angles to create neat corners, and because they are manufactured they also have more consistency to their shape than reclaimed (particularly heavily weathered) brick.
The uniformity does not take away from the interest that a wall of these brick tiles would create. There is plenty of variation among the colours of each brick to draw the eye. Not to mention the colour variation provides that old-timey brick feel just as much as the reclaimed brick options.
The colours of these brick tiles are a bit darker than the other options listed and would look nice in a room intended to be quiet and calm. Put these tiles as an accent in a study or bedroom to create a sophisticated and rustic effect.
A room with these tiles on a wall would be polite as it welcomes you in, offering a dark leather chair to sit in as you do some writing or studying. Perhaps you have a home library and would like to introduce a bit more texture. These darker red bricks would keep the quiet, sophisticated atmosphere the room already has, if not increase that feeling.
These red brick tiles are great for someone looking for a cleaner but still rustic look. The London Old Red Brick effect tiles still offer that old-timey charm that reclaimed bricks have but with a modern twist.
Before You Buy
If you have found that perfect red brick tile, consider ordering a sample to make sure everything is looking how you imagine. While photographers do not alter product images, there may be differences between the appearance in-person versus online. Samples are cheap and can help you ensure the brick you have chosen is the right option.
The Shire blend sample is £5. Blend 68 is £6 each, with a link to add a sample to your cart right next to the product description, or you can browse the company’s samples page to see if their other products interest you. The London Brick effect tiles product page also has a button to add a sample directly to your cart, and the website estimates the price once you enter your postal code.