If you want to tile either your walls or floors there is a remarkable variety of tiling options available to choose from these days.

Tiles can look good in any room of the house but are particularly popular for decorating kitchens and bathrooms. They provide a protective wall surface for a room like a kitchen, where there is a lot of moisture in the air and splashes from taps or cooking.

Tiles are also very hard-wearing for kitchen and bathrooms floors, plus they are easy to clean. You can even add an extra level of comfort to floor tiles these days, by installing under floor heating.

This is a net mat containing embedded electric wire that can be easily controlled by a thermostat and once installed is maintenance free. Under floor heating systems are used directly under the tiles and provides comfort and warmth underfoot.

Wall tiles are available in all shapes and sizes. A popular shape at the moment is the Metro or Brick Tile. This is so named because of its oblong shape and the fact they were used as a wall covering in the Paris Metro Stations.

They look good as a splash back area behind a kitchen hob, plus they are also really easy to wipe clean as they have a bevelled edge. Metro Tiles are also often used to tile bathroom walls as they offer a classic, clean and simple look. They can be given a modern twist by choosing a bright colour or a high-shine glaze.

Wall tiles are available in a variety of unusual materials too, including metal and glass. You can buy real stone tiles in a number of different types of stone or instead get stone-effect tiles.

Material technology has developed greatly and enabled manufacturers to produce tiling that looks like real stone, but is lighter and more practical. They are also more cost-effective as real stone like marble can be rather costly.

Wood effect Metro Tiles can also be used as a floor surface, providing an alternative to real wood or laminate flooring.

To finish a room, as well as choosing your basic tiles you may also want to choose border tiles. These can be run along a wall to add interest and create a focal point if you have used plain coloured tiles on most of the wall.

Mosaic Tiles are particularly popular for a border trim currently. They come in a variety of materials and finishes, including iridescent glass with a metallic sheen that catches the light. They are very attractive and hark back to the simplicity of ancient history, when Mosaic tiles were popular.