For a recent bathroom project, we discovered that the very affordable denim blue ceramic tile we had picked out for the walls was no longer available due to the factory having recently closed in Spain. This set me off on the hunt for replacement tile that was on budget, available immediately, and hand-glazed. I crowd-sourced some great options from my audience and compiled in hopes it helps others. For reference, I deem affordable as being $10/square foot or less. Yes, you can get plain white subway tile for less than that at Home Depot, but I’m looking for one step up from that, where the tile looks handmade and has colour options, and preferably in a long skinny brick size, my preference for ceramic tile.
One other note, I love high-end ceramic tile and have many times before worked with Fireclay tile, when the budget allows and it is 100% worth the added expense. That being said, not all projects have the budget for high-end tile, hence the below list!
I broke up the below list into two categories, the first are tiles that are available directly for order online, and the other are some brands that you need to go through a tile shop to purchase. I tend to prefer when I can order online and not need to visit the showroom, but sometimes it’s worth it.
Online Options
Fireclay Tile
Fireclay is one of my all time fave sources for ceramic tile (seen in my bathroom here and kitchen here), and they just released a new collection of $10 Essentials tiles that are really beautiful and available in both a 3×6 and 3×9 on quick ship!
Tile Bar
The Tile Bar has some very good options available online, including Manchester in a 3×12 for $8/square foot, Portmore in 3×8 (more iridescent) and Toppacio in 2×10 for $9/square foot.
Cemento Collection
I have ordered from Cemento Collection previously and had good experiences with sourcing budget-friendly ceramic (and cement) tiles. A few faves include this glossy emerald brick style for $10/square foot, and a light grey 2×8 tile.
Tile Shop
The Tile Shop has a pretty wide range of colours in their ceramic tile, as well as a few sizes. The longer tile is a bit larger than I typically like (4×12), but they do sell a good variety of trim pieces, which helps a lot to create a custom look. Also, the price is good at $7 a square/foot. Two fave colours (that I have samples for) are gunmetal and slate blue.
Equipe Ceramicas
Equipe Ceramicas carries more options directly through showrooms, but you can buy some of their tile on Wayfair, including Manacor 3×6 for $10/square foot in a variety of colours, and a 3×8″ ceramic brick style in light blue.
Artistic Tile
I added Artistic Tile to the list, even though their ceramic tiles are a bit over the $10/square foot threshold because they are a very beautiful option. I love the A Train 2×10 field tile in Indigo and Azul, and the more handmade looking B Train Field Tile in the same colours. There are some black and white options that are at the $8/square foot range.
Bedrosians
The Cloe tile has been very popular for a few years, but with good reason. I especially like the Cloe in the blue and green colourways. Bedrosians carries some other ceramic tiles, but I do find that they tend to be larger than I prefer.
Showroom Options
One note, getting current prices for all the below brands has not been super easy, so please take as directional from a pricing perspective.
- Tile America carries the Wellfleet in a wide range of colours and the Brixton in a few different sizes
- DDS sells the Zuesanne Stipple in a variety of (fairly vibrant) colours, starting at $5/square foot
- Heritage Tile sells some gorgeous ceramic tiles that are designed for historic restoration projects
- Crossville Tile has a collection that is designed to look handmade called Handwritten
- Nemo Tile has a few collections, including the Cape Cod and Riviera
Hope this is helpful for you! I know, I have a lot of tile samples headed my way. If you have any others to add, please drop them into the comments.
And… if you’re looking for some less budget friendly options, some recommendations include Mercury Tile and Clay Imports.
This is really timely – I too am searching for a denim/slate blue tile 🙂 Although, to find someone that ships to Canada is another story, ha. Either way, saving this post for later!
great post and a wealth of information – thanks for sharing
I’m in the midst of renovating my bathroom and we don’t have a big budget. Thank you for making this blog, I love expensive things but since I’m tight on money, affordable tiles that look expensive is the way to go!