Interior Interviews: Metro Tiles

You launched in 2019, what’s the story behind how Metro Tiles came to be?

We previously owned an online tile company for 11 years, sadly our biggest supplier went into administration and it had a knock-on effect on us. Our brand was very successful and was purchased by a competitor and now belongs to part of the UK’s largest tile group. We remained with the company for a short period but decided it wasn’t for us and Metro Tiles was born!

What might people not know about Metro Tiles?

We store our samples in our conservatory!

Claire and Mark from Metro Tiles UK

What made you choose the name Metro Tiles for the business?

One of the most popular tiles out there is the Metro Tile so we felt the name was perfect.

What would you say makes you different from other tile companies?

We are family run and we answer enquires 24 hrs a day 7 days a week (apart from when we’re sleeping)

What’s the best part about running the business for you?

We are passionate about tiles and what we do, so seeing the end result of our customer’s project is great satisfaction and drives us forward to search for the perfect tile ranges.

What’s something a lot of people don’t realise about tiles? Do you have any advice for people shopping for tiles?

After tiles have been manufactured a plastic coating/glue is spread over the gloss part of the tiles, this is to protect them from scratching, a lot of customers think they are seconds, but they aren’t. Our advice would be, once you think you have chosen a tile, leave it in the area for a few days and see how you feel about it every time you walk past it. If you still love it after a few days then that’s the one!

What’s something you get asked a lot by your customers?

How much wastage to allow – the general rule is 10% and 15% for hexagon tiles.

Would you recommend that people have a go at tiling themselves if they are confident in doing so? What tips would you give them?

Yes defo! Why not! Lots of our customers do! Probably lay them out on the floor first if they are floor tiles, if they are wall tiles then stencil the wall first just to plan the layout!

Which tiles have been popular in 2020?

Our hexagon water lily pad tiles and Palm Springs are easy winners there!

When picking tiles, what should people consider?

The size of the room and the light probably but also what the room will be used for and how easy it is to keep the tiles clean.

What does a day in the life look like for the Metro Tiles team?

Get woken up at 6 am by the dogs! Cuppa tea together and answer social media. Get the kids to school, go through the orders, pack samples, answer emails and phone calls! Fit another cuppa in somewhere and repeat! End the day with a glass of vino wondering how we fitted it all in!! 

What does the rest of 2020 hold in store for Metro Tiles?

We have more stunning ranges coming soon and a new bathroom and tile website going live in August called The Naked Bathroom.

https://www.metrotiles.co.uk/