Gloss or Matt?

With Modern Square, the finish can change the personality of the same colour quite dramatically.

Gloss

The gloss finish reflects light across the surface, helping lighter colours feel brighter and giving stronger shades additional depth. It's particularly effective in bathrooms, kitchens and smaller spaces where you want to maximise the sense of light.

White and Cream gloss can create an especially fresh, luminous backdrop, while Pink and Sage gain a little more visual richness from the reflection.

Matt

Matt takes the same simple format in a much quieter direction. Instead of reflecting light, the surface diffuses it, creating a softer and more contemporary appearance.

This makes Matt Modern Square particularly well suited to interiors built around natural materials—think oak, limestone, timber cabinetry, brushed metal and textured fabrics.

If gloss says fresh and light, matt says calm and tactile.

Modern Square in Bathrooms

The balanced proportions work particularly well around vanity areas.

Rather than allowing a long rectangular tile to dictate the direction of the room, square tiles create an even backdrop behind mirrors, basins and wall-mounted fittings.

Gloss finishes are particularly effective where natural light is limited, helping the wall bounce light around the room. Matt can create a more relaxed, spa-like atmosphere, particularly when combined with natural timber and warm lighting.

For a small cloakroom, don't be afraid of colour. A Sage or Pink tiled wall can make a compact room feel intentionally designed rather than simply small.

Modern Square in Kitchens

A square tile is particularly useful as a kitchen splashback because it works with the geometry that's already present.

Cabinet doors, worktops, shelves and appliances tend to create strong horizontal and vertical lines. The square format reinforces that structure without introducing another competing direction.

White and Cream are excellent choices when the cabinetry is already colourful, while Sage and Pink can provide a controlled injection of colour against neutral furniture.

For a more contemporary appearance, I'd consider a matching grout and clean-lined cabinetry. For something with more traditional character, contrasting grout and painted shaker doors can make the same tile feel completely different.

Why Square Tiles Are Having a Moment

Square tiles have an advantage that can sometimes be overlooked in favour of more elaborate formats: they create a remarkably balanced grid.

Because the height and width are equal, the eye doesn't naturally travel in one direction. Instead, the wall develops a consistent rhythm that can feel almost architectural.

That makes Modern Square particularly useful when the surrounding room already contains strong linear elements.

A long vanity, horizontal worktop or large mirror can be balanced beautifully by the more evenly proportioned grid of a square tile.

It also means the tile doesn't impose a particular direction on the room in the way a long rectangular tile does.

Making a Simple Tile Interesting

The beauty of a collection like Modern Square is that the tile itself doesn't have to provide all the visual interest.

Grout becomes much more important.

A grout closely matched to the tile colour creates a softer, more continuous surface. This is particularly effective with White, Cream and Beige when you're aiming for a calm, understated interior.

A contrasting grout does the opposite. It emphasises the square geometry and creates a much stronger graphic grid.

That can be particularly effective with a white tile and darker grout, but I'd use the approach deliberately. If the room already contains patterned flooring, strong cabinetry or heavily veined stone, a highly contrasting grid can introduce more visual information than you need.

With Modern Square, you have the opportunity to decide whether the colour or the geometry should be the feature.

Choosing Your Colour

The five colours cover a surprisingly broad range of interiors.

White is the natural starting point for a clean, versatile scheme. Choose gloss when you want brightness and reflection; choose matt when you prefer a softer, contemporary backdrop.

Cream brings warmth without becoming strongly coloured. It works particularly well with natural stone, oak and brass.

Beige takes that warmth a step further and is particularly suited to earthy interiors built around timber, stone and warm neutrals.

Sage introduces a subtle connection with nature without the intensity of a deep green. It works beautifully with oak, cream, brushed brass and off-white surfaces.

Pink is the more expressive option. Rather than treating it as a novelty colour, pair it with warm neutrals, timber or stone and it becomes surprisingly sophisticated.

A Simple Tile With Plenty of Possibilities

Modern Square isn't trying to imitate handmade ceramics, marble or natural stone.

And that's exactly why it deserves its place in the collection.

If you're looking for a flat square tile that provides a clean canvas for the rest of your design, it is difficult to beat. The choice between gloss and matt, combined with five carefully selected colours and the ability to manipulate the appearance through grout, gives you considerably more creative control than the simplicity of the tile initially suggests.

From Our Design Perspective

We'd use Modern Square when the room already has something to say. If you've chosen beautiful timber cabinetry, a statement vanity, interesting lighting or a distinctive worktop, you don't necessarily need another complicated tile competing with it. Modern Square gives those elements a clean backdrop while still allowing you to introduce colour and texture through the finish.

And if you're undecided between gloss and matt, I'd always look at the tile in the actual room. The same colour can feel surprisingly different depending on how much daylight it receives and what materials sit alongside it.

Questions customers are likely to ask

Is Modern Square suitable for a contemporary interior?

Yes. Its simple geometry is particularly well suited to contemporary spaces, especially when combined with matching grout, minimalist fittings and clean-lined furniture.

What's the difference between the gloss and matt versions?

Gloss reflects more light and gives the colour a brighter, more luminous appearance. Matt diffuses light and creates a softer, more understated finish.

Which is better for a small bathroom?

Either can work. Gloss can help a darker or smaller bathroom feel brighter, while matt can create a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere. The colour and lighting of the room are just as important as the finish.

Does contrasting grout make square tiles look more traditional?

It can. Strong grout contrast emphasises the grid and can give the installation a more classic or graphic appearance. Matching grout produces a cleaner, more contemporary effect.

Is Sage difficult to style?

Not at all. Sage is one of the easier colours to build around because it sits comfortably alongside warm whites, cream, oak, natural stone and brass.

Would you choose Pink for an entire bathroom?

It can work beautifully, particularly in a cloakroom or smaller bathroom. If you're using Pink across a larger space, balancing it with warm neutrals and natural materials will keep the result sophisticated rather than overly sweet.

Why choose a square tile instead of a rectangular one?

The equal proportions create a balanced grid without strongly directing the eye horizontally or vertically. That makes square tiles particularly useful when you want the surrounding architecture, furniture or colour scheme to remain the focus.