Serenity Honed Marble Tiles 2 3/4x5 1/2

Serenity at 2 3/4 by 5 1/2 is a honed white marble tile in a subway proportion, smaller than the standard 3x6. Sixty pieces come in a box for 6.3 square feet, and the approval list is one of the widest in the range.

Small format, real stone

Most subway tile is ceramic. Cutting the same proportion from marble changes what a wall does, because every piece carries its own veining and no two are identical. Variation is recorded as slight, so the effect stays quiet rather than busy. Honing leaves the face matte. Bodies are 3/8 inch and a 1/2x12 pencil liner is cut from the same stone. Marble tiles at this size also mean a lot of joints, which is a grouting decision as much as a tiling one.

• Stone, not ceramic Each piece carries its own veining instead of a printed pattern.
• Plenty of joints A small format puts a lot of grout line into a given area.

Approved almost everywhere indoors

Backsplash, residential and commercial interior walls and floors, residential light floors, bath floors and walls, shower walls and shower floors all appear, with living room, bathroom and kitchen as rooms. Eleven boxes cover 60 square feet with cutting allowed. Sixty pieces to a box means the count is high, so checking quantities twice before ordering saves a second delivery.

• Eleven boxes 6.3 square feet a box over 60 square feet, cutting included.
• High piece count Sixty pieces a box, so quantities are easy to misjudge.

Why we chose it

• Very broad approval Few tiles carry walls, floors, showers and commercial use together.
• Natural variation Real stone gives a wall depth that printed tile cannot.
• Liner to match A 1/2x12 pencil profile is cut from the same block.

Care

Seal after setting and again every one to two years. Marble etches on contact with acid, so wipe spills quickly and use a pH neutral stone cleaner rather than anything harsher.