full spectrum: choosing the perfect white tile

seven indispensable tips for choosing your next white tile

the world of tile is a colorful place, a marvelous mosaic of materials and hues. at clé, we embrace the full spectrum. but in the midst of all that eye-candy color, we must confess to harboring an enduring appreciation for the nuance, character and expressiveness of white tile. over the years, pursuing our passion, we’ve assembled a staggering selection of tile in every shade of white. it's a collection we call whiteworks, and it has over 145 tiles in it (and counting). that being said, we know that choosing among them can be fiendishly hard, so we’ve created this guide to help you do just that.

from earthy to otherworldly

among the most enduring and versatile colors – a neutral tile canvas for every shift of style – white can also be a bold creative choice in its own right. clé offers white tile in a panoply of shapes, sizes and materials, each with its own expression of white-- pure and fresh, creamy and warm, ethereal and iridescent.

like doting parents, we love them all. but we recognize that not every white tile is right for every person, every use or every surface. the tile you set underfoot must meet different requirements from the one you’d place overhead. you may want pretty for the powder room and crisp in the kitchen. shower surrounds, outdoor spaces, mudrooms and stairs all pose unique challenges better met by some tiles than others.

choosing the right white

presented with options from classic ceramic subway tile and porcelain penny rounds to encaustic cement, terracotta, luxe marble and stone tile and more, the decision may seem daunting.

never fear. we’ve got a slew of resources to help you choose the right white for you.

• unsure if white tile is the right choice? read about why we love it, and why we think you will, too.
• are you a traditionalist or a thrill-seeker? looking for functional or fun? determine your “white tile profile”, zero in on your goals for your tile project, and find inspiration that may just push you beyond basic and into the extraordinary.
• explore how different materials change the look and feel of white, offering a palette of texture and dimension, light and shadow, undertone and shimmer that bring white to life.
• take a closer look at some of our favorite styles of white tile, from everyday to opulent.
• dive deep into the various types of white marble tile in our offering and how to choose amongst them.
• learn how factors from the amount and type of light in your space to the gamut of grout choices can affect the way white tile looks, and get tips for choosing what works best for your specific project (spoiler alert: sample, sample, sample).
• and, finally, get tips on installing your choice to elevate basic tile to anything-but-boring, show character-rich tile to its best effect and achieve exactly the look you crave.

want to see how others have found white tile perfection? there’s always inspiration to be found on our instagram and around the instagram universe by searching #cletile.