For all the wild ubiquity of subway tile, it turns out there’s still a long way to go. So what is a subway tile anyway? Where did it originate from? We did some legwork to help you know these seven interesting things about subway kitchen tiles we are sure you didn’t know yet.
1. It Began in Manhattan.
The primary subway tiles appeared subterranean—in New York City’s metro system. When it opened in 1904, planners Christopher Grand La Farge and George C. Heins were entrusted with a precarious task: design a surface that was handily cleaned yet would likewise feel recognizable, safe, and amicable to city-occupants using underground travel for the absolute first time. Their answer – tiles with marginally bent edges and a reflexive completion implied that the metro stations were clean, maintained, and brilliant.
2. You Can Get an Impression of the Original Subway Tile in an Abandoned Metro Station.
Investigators and structure obsessives who need to get a brief look at the main subway tile can go to the City Hall stop, New York City’s first-ever metro station which is presently deserted. The New York Transit Museum offers visits—yet New Yorkers have been known to secretly remain on the 6 train to get an impression, as well.
3. It Emerged from Hygiene Obsession.
Subway tiles emerged out of a Victorian-time obsession with hygiene. As a result of their polished, coated completion, they’re stain-safe, simple to clean, and reflect light. They immediately earned a notoriety for being utilitarian and sterile and turned into the wall covering of decision somewhere else, from showers and kitchen backsplash tile to butcher shops. These days, these equivalent properties settle on them the main decision for current kitchens, showers, and home renovation ventures.
4. The Exemplary Dimensions are Still Debatable.
What precisely is a subway tile? It’s somewhat hard to characterize particularly when you mean subway tile with a certain rectangular shape. While the great subway tile dimension is 3×6 inches, the definition is extending. These days, tiles that are twice the length and width are alluded to as subway tiles. What’s more, it turns out, they aren’t rectangular any longer: kitchen subway tiles can be square too!
5. It Comes in Glass and Stone, as well.
Also, in case you thought subway kitchen tiles could be characterized by how they are made, reconsider it. The official definition is a meager, low-terminated, coated earthenware tile. Yet those absolute first forms in the New York City subway were made of white glass. These days, “subway tile” is accessible in an assortment of materials, similar to glass, stone, and marble, just to give some examples. You can even find some unique patterns for your kitchen backsplash tile.
6. Subway Tile Can Cost Under $1.
Subway tiles vary fiercely in cost. The unfussy, home improvement store collections can ring in under $1 per tile or $8 per square foot. While handcrafted, craftsman translations can run upwards of $60 per square foot or more. For a collection of most popular kitchen tiles, you can surf for subway tiles in different materials.
7. Grout Matters.
After the idea and cost involved in buying and installing a tile, grout might be a bit of hindsight. However, it shouldn’t seem so. The grout you pick could totally change the look and style of your kitchen subway tile. You can get some inspiration from the numerous contemplations, ranging from dull to light and wherever in the middle at various tile stores.
So these are some interesting facts about subway tiles that we believed are new to you. Let us know if you knew or which ones were first-timer for you