Try Subway Tile for Your Fireplace

Featured Image: Flash White 3×12 Ceramic Tile Fireplace Surround from Arizona Tile

Subway tile is a classic design with a particular material and size that has been popular since the early 1900s. Since then, variations have been adapted—like different sizes, colors, offset, etc.—but there is the same general premise: rectangular-sized tile stacked horizontally, with a mirrored offset above and below each row. Using this premise around a fireplace can enhance the aesthetic of a room and conform to so many styles.  

A fireplace creates a great atmosphere to relax, enjoy, and get cozy. Whether this feature is inside, outside, or both, its aesthetic can be a personal preference based on your needs and desires. Sitting around a fireplace is a great place to rest in silence or a social space to gather around, and with it being such a gravitating feature, accentuating your fireplace should automatically follow suit in design.

Inside and Outdoor Fireplace Features

For ages, porcelain and ceramic have been a beloved material for many applications in commercial and residential settings. They’re popular because of their versatility and durability. Porcelain is a little bit denser than ceramic from the manufacturing process, making it less porous, highly resistant to stains, scratches, and water. It’s great for high-traffic areas like floors. Given that the concept of this design is a wall feature, ceramic is also a great choice and opens the door to so many styles, patterns, colors, and sizes. Both porcelain and ceramic can withstand extremely high temperatures, so there isn’t need to worry about the heat from the fireplace—as long as you care for the material properly, it’ll hold up!

Image: Castle Brick Grey Brick-Look Porcelain Tile Fireplace Surround from Arizona Tile

When planning for an interior or exterior fireplace, you will want to verify that your selection is appropriate for the elements. The majority of our porcelain and ceramic products are suitable for use both inside and out! One thing to consider when selecting between ceramic and porcelain tile is where It will be used. Ceramic is more porous than porcelain, and holds on to more water during the fabrication process, whereas porcelain is heated at a higher temperature, making it more moisture resistant. With that said, outdoor tile has to be able to withstand temperature fluctuations that come with the seasons because thawing and freezing conditions can negatively impact the material, leading to possible cracks and chips. Therefore, we recommend always checking the recommended uses on any tile series you’re interested in using to ensure it will be suitable for your application.

Be it inside or outside, however, maintenance will remain the same. Porcelain and ceramic are very easy to maintain. Naturally, depending on where their application is, you may find yourself cleaning more frequently. But the good news is it’s all the same process: wipe clean with a damp sponge, adding in a pH-balanced cleaner when needed. You will want to avoid using harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners because these can damage the tile over time. For a detailed guide, review our Care & Maintenance page.

Tile Design Your Fireplace

Whether you are looking for a feature piece in your design, or a nice way to tie your fireplace into the surrounding wall and space, there are so many options with subway tile. Whatever your vision and needs, a subway tile fireplace will give your room the style element it’s been missing.

Image: 50% Offset Glam Black Glossy Porcelain Subway Tile

Classically, subway tile is placed with a 50% offset, meaning the edges of the tile above and below align with the center of the in-between row of tile. This also looks like a traditional brick-lay pattern. Over the decades, a way to play with the design has been to use different offsets, creating beautiful variations. For some ideas on what offset you prefer, and some history on the subway tile, visit here.  

Now, to find the tile you love to create a dreamy subway tile fireplace: The Flash series is a ceramic wall tile that is best used indoors. With a graceful elegance, this tile features a gentle texture and soft glaze, emulating hand-crafted tile. In eight stunning colors, letting your creativity run with this series is easy. Because Flash is designed to look like hand-crafted tile, there is a noticeable variation in structural appearance from piece to piece.

Image: Concerto Cocoa Matte & Concerto White Matte Glazed Porcelain Wall Tile from Arizona Tile

The Concerto series is a porcelain wall tile, recommended for indoor and outdoor use, that is available in seven neutral, smoky hues. With matte and glossy finish options, you can tailor this tile to your design preference. Because of the exceptional neutrality, the Concerto series pairs well with natural stone and other tile series.

Image: Gioia Sky, Azure, & Navy Porcelain Wall Tile from Arizona Tile

Want some color? The Gioia series offers tons of them! Sixteen radiant colors of the rainbow and gentle, neutral colors are all options in this porcelain tile series. Great for use around your indoor or outdoor fireplace, creating a subway tile pattern will be a beautiful accent to designs from traditional to ultra-modern.

Image: Glam Black Glossy 2-1/4 x 9-1/2 (upper back wall), Glam Black Matte 2-1/4 x 9-1/2 (lower back wall), & Glam Taupe Glossy 2-1/4 x 9-1/2 (right wall) Porcelain Subway Wall Tile from Arizona Tile

The Glam series displays a slight undulating texture and a glaze with organic variations. This tile series is pressed porcelain tile, so there are slight size and calibration differences between pieces. The fun texture and versatile color palette presented in the Glam series will add excellent dimension and style around your fireplace, both indoors and outdoors.

Castle Brick will warm a space with its rustic feel, perfect for an industrial or farmhouse aesthetic. With five colors in this series, you can embellish any fireplace to host a subway-style layout that contrasts with the surrounding features of the space or blends your fireplace into the brick wall surrounding it.

Warm Your Space With Fireplace Tile

A fireplace offers a warm, cozy space in many settings and can be a stunning feature, especially with a subway tile embellishment. Hopefully, you discovered the perfect fireplace subway tile above.  To see more options, visit an Arizona Tile showroom or slab yard.. We also have our Just Imagine Tile and Slab Visualizer  so you can get a better feel for how various tile and slab products look in your space. If you have questions along the way, send us a message—we would love to assist you!