Choosing tiles from a screen only gets you so far. Colour shifts depending on the light it is seen in, a matt finish can feel far rougher in the hand than it looks in a photograph, and a pattern that seems bold on a single product image can look surprisingly calm once it is repeated across an entire floor. These small differences are exactly what lead to expensive regrets once tiles have been fixed and grouted. That is why we opened our tile showroom at Devonshire House on Honeypot Lane, Stanmore.
Our showroom gives homeowners, designers and tradespeople the chance to walk around, pick tiles up and compare them side by side before committing to a full order. The Axar Tiles team brings more than ten years of experience in indoor and outdoor tiles, so the advice you receive is based on what actually performs well in real homes, not simply on what looks attractive on a display board. Whether you are renovating a compact cloakroom, planning an open-plan kitchen extension or laying a new garden patio, a visit is the quickest way to narrow down your options with confidence.
Why visit a tile showroom before you buy?
Buying tiles is a long-term decision. Most people live with the same floor or bathroom for ten years or more, and replacing tiles is disruptive and costly. When you visit a tile showroom, you remove most of the guesswork that comes with ordering online.
See the true colour. Screens vary enormously in brightness and colour balance, and product photography is usually taken under carefully controlled studio lighting. In person, you can see how a warm grey leans towards beige, or how a white tile looks next to your chosen worktop or sanitaryware.
Feel the texture and finish. Matt, gloss, polished and textured finishes all behave differently. A polished marble-effect tile reflects light and makes a room feel brighter, while a textured stone-effect tile adds grip and hides everyday marks. These differences are much easier to judge by touch than by description.
Understand scale and pattern. A single sample cannot show how veining flows across several large-format tiles, or how the variation between wood-effect planks creates a natural look. Seeing multiple tiles together helps you picture the finished room.
Get practical advice in one conversation. Our team can talk you through tile sizes, grout colours, slip resistance, suitability for underfloor heating, quantities, delivery and trade pricing, all in a single visit rather than a string of emails.
What you will find at our showroom
Our range covers indoor and outdoor tiles for almost every room and project, including:
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Porcelain tiles for floors, walls, wet rooms and outdoor spaces
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Ceramic tiles for walls, splashbacks and lighter-use floors
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Marble-effect tiles that give a luxury look without the upkeep of natural stone
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Wood-effect tiles that combine the warmth of timber with the durability of porcelain
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Stone-effect tiles for a natural, textured finish indoors and out
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Mosaic tiles for shower niches, feature walls and splashbacks
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Outdoor tiles for patios, garden paths and terraces
Every tile in our collections can be ordered for delivery across the UK, so you can see a design in Stanmore and have it sent directly to your home or site.
Floor tile showroom: see flooring at real scale
Floor tiles are one of the biggest decisions in any renovation because they cover the largest surface in the room and are the hardest element to change later. Our floor tile showroom lets you see how porcelain, stone-effect, marble-effect and wood-effect tiles look when placed together, rather than as a single isolated sample. As a dedicated tile flooring showroom, we also focus on the practical questions that decide whether a floor will still look good in years to come.
Choosing the right floor tile size
Larger tiles, such as 600x1200mm, create fewer grout lines and give a clean, contemporary look that can make a room feel more spacious. They do, however, need a very flat subfloor and careful installation. Sizes such as 600x600mm and 300x600mm are versatile and suit most kitchens, hallways and living spaces, while long plank formats such as 200x1200mm and 160x1000mm give wood-effect tiles a realistic floorboard look. Smaller tiles and mosaics are useful where a floor needs to fall towards a drain, as in a walk-in shower or wet room. We can help you balance the look you want with the condition of your floor and the size of your room.
Slip resistance explained
For kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and outdoor areas, slip resistance matters as much as appearance. Tiles are often given an R rating from R9 to R13, where a higher number means more grip. As a general guide, R9 suits dry indoor areas, R10 is commonly chosen for kitchens and bathrooms, and R11 or above is preferred for wet rooms, pool surrounds and outdoor paving. In the UK, the pendulum test is also widely used, with a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) of 36 or more indicating low slip potential. Ask our team to point out suitable options for your space.
Floor tiles and underfloor heating
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are among the best floor coverings to use with underfloor heating because they conduct and retain heat well. Unlike some timber or laminate floors, they are not prone to warping as temperatures change. If you love the look of wood but want a warm floor, wood-effect porcelain is often the ideal compromise.
Bathroom tile showroom
Bathrooms need tiles that look good on the day they are fitted and continue to perform in wet, steamy conditions for years. In our bathroom tile showroom, you can compare wall tiles, floor tiles and mosaics for shower enclosures, bath panels, splashbacks and feature walls, and see how different combinations work together.
Tiles for small bathrooms
It may seem counterintuitive, but larger tiles often suit small bathrooms better than small ones. Fewer grout lines make walls and floors feel less busy, which helps the room appear larger. Light colours and gentle sheens reflect more light, while running the same tile from floor to wall can blur the edges of the room and create a more open feel.
Shower walls and wet rooms
For showers and wet rooms, low-porosity porcelain is usually the most reliable choice because it absorbs very little water. Pair it with a textured or higher slip-rated floor tile, and consider using mosaics or smaller formats on floors that need a fall towards the drain. A contrasting tile in a shower niche or on a single feature wall is an easy way to add personality without overwhelming the space.
Kitchen tile showroom
Kitchen tiles take daily knocks, spills, splashes and heat, so durability and ease of cleaning are just as important as style. Visit our kitchen tile showroom to see splashback tiles alongside worktop and cabinet colours, together with hard-wearing floor tiles that stand up to busy family life.
Kitchen splashbacks
The splashback is where a kitchen can show real character. Gloss wall tiles reflect light and are simple to wipe clean, marble-effect tiles bring a luxurious finish at a fraction of the cost of stone, and patterned or mosaic tiles add a focal point behind the hob or sink. Bring a cabinet door sample, a worktop offcut or a paint swatch if you have one, as it makes choosing much quicker and far more accurate.
Kitchen floor tiles
Kitchen floors should be tough, stain-resistant and comfortable to keep clean. Porcelain tiles in matt or lightly textured finishes are a popular choice because they resist scratches and spills while offering good grip. In open-plan spaces, continuing the same floor tile from the kitchen into the dining or living area creates a seamless, spacious feel, and choosing an outdoor tile in a similar tone can carry the look through to the patio.
Ceramic tiles showroom: ceramic or porcelain?
Ceramic tiles remain a fantastic choice for walls and lighter-use areas, offering a huge variety of colours, glazes and patterns at affordable prices. As a ceramic tiles showroom, we display ceramic alongside porcelain so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.
The key difference lies in how the tiles are made. Porcelain is produced from finer clay and fired at higher temperatures, which makes it denser, harder and far less absorbent. Ceramic tiles are lighter and easier to cut, which can make installation quicker and more economical.
When it comes to strength, porcelain is very dense and hard-wearing, so it copes well with heavy footfall, dropped pans and furniture being moved around. Ceramic is lighter and softer, which is exactly what makes it easier for tilers to cut and shape around sockets, pipes and corners.
Water resistance is where the two differ most. Porcelain has very low water absorption, so it is the safer choice for shower floors, wet rooms and any area that is regularly splashed. Ceramic absorbs more water through its body, although its glazed surface still makes it perfectly suitable for bathroom walls and kitchen splashbacks.
For outdoor use, porcelain is the clear winner, provided the tile is rated for exterior use, because it resists frost and does not crack as water freezes and thaws. Ceramic tiles are generally not recommended outside in the UK climate. On price, porcelain usually costs more, while ceramic tends to be more affordable, which makes it a smart way to stretch a budget across large wall areas.
In simple terms, choose porcelain for floors, wet areas and anywhere outdoors, and consider ceramic for feature walls and splashbacks where it offers excellent value and design choice.
Outdoor tiles for patios and gardens
Outdoor tiles have to cope with rain, frost, sunshine and heavy use, so they need to be selected with extra care. Our outdoor tiles are 20mm (2cm) thick porcelain in a 600x900mm format with a matt finish. That is roughly twice the thickness of a typical indoor floor tile, giving them the strength to be laid on sand and cement or on pedestals. It is frost-resistant, does not fade easily in sunlight and is far easier to clean than many natural stone patios.
At our showroom, you can compare stone-effect and contemporary outdoor designs in shades of grey, beige, ivory, white and anthracite, and check the surface texture of each option before you choose. Picking an outdoor tile in a tone that complements your indoor floor helps create a smooth visual link between a kitchen or living room and the garden beyond.
Looking for the biggest tile showroom near me?
When people search for the biggest tile showroom near them, what they usually want is plenty of choice, clear advice and a straightforward way to buy. Size alone does not guarantee any of those things. A useful showroom is one where you can see tiles that genuinely suit your project, speak to someone who understands both design and installation, and order samples or full quantities without any fuss.
Our Stanmore showroom is easy to reach from Harrow, Edgware, Kingsbury, Kenton, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Mill Hill and across North West London. Every tile you see can be ordered with delivery throughout the UK, so the choices you make in the showroom are just the first step towards your finished room.
How to plan your showroom visit
A little preparation makes a showroom visit far more productive.
Before you visit:
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Measure each area you want to tile, including length, width and wall heights, and note any windows, doors or built-in units
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Take photos of the room in daylight, including fixed items such as kitchen units, bathroom suites and existing flooring
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Collect samples of paint, worktops, cabinet doors or fabrics you want to coordinate with
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Think about your budget and your timescale, especially if you are working with a builder or tiler
During your visit:
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Look at tiles both close up and from a few metres away, as patterns and variation read differently at a distance
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Compare finishes under natural light near a window as well as under showroom lighting
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Ask about slip ratings, thickness and suitability for underfloor heating or outdoor use
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Discuss grout colours, as they can change the overall look of a tile dramatically
Working out how many tiles you need:
Multiply the length by the width of each area to find the square metres, then add at least 10% to allow for cuts, breakages and future repairs. For diagonal layouts, herringbone patterns or rooms with lots of corners, allow around 15%. It is also wise to buy all your tiles in a single order, as colour can vary slightly between production batches.
Free tile samples
Not ready to make a decision on the day? Order free tile samples so you can see them in your own home, in your own light and next to your own furniture before placing a full order. Samples are particularly helpful for rooms with unusual lighting, such as north-facing kitchens or bathrooms without windows, where colours can look quite different from the showroom.
Trade and bulk orders
We work with builders, tilers, architects, interior designers and property developers as well as homeowners. If you are managing a larger residential or commercial project, contact our team to discuss bulk pricing and delivery planning. Seeing a range in person with your client can also help speed up approval and avoid costly changes once work has started.
Why customers choose Axar Tiles
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Over a decade of experience in indoor and outdoor tiles
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Free tile samples so you can decide with confidence
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Price match promise: find the same tile cheaper at another UK retailer and we will match or beat it
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Free UK delivery on orders over £500
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100-day returns on complete orders sent back in their original, unopened boxes
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Bulk and trade pricing for builders, architects and interior designers
Plan your visit
Axar Tiles Showroom Devonshire House, 582 Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, HA7 1JS
Phone: 0203 355 1197 Email: info@axartiles.com Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. Saturday, 9:00am to 1:00pm. Closed Sunday.
FAQ
Where is the Axar Tiles showroom?
Our tile showroom is at Devonshire House, 582 Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, HA7 1JS, in North West London. It is convenient for customers visiting from Harrow, Edgware, Kingsbury, Wembley and surrounding areas.
Can I see floor tiles laid out in the showroom?
Yes. Our floor tile showroom lets you compare porcelain, stone-effect, marble-effect and wood-effect floor tiles side by side, so you can judge colour, texture, finish and scale before you buy.
Do you have bathroom and kitchen tiles on display?
Yes. You can see wall tiles, floor tiles and mosaics suited to bathrooms, showers and wet rooms, as well as splashback and floor tiles designed for busy kitchens.
What is the difference between ceramic and porcelain tiles?
Porcelain tiles are denser, stronger and more water-resistant, so they suit floors, wet areas and outdoor spaces. Ceramic tiles are lighter, easier to cut and often better value, which makes them a good choice for walls and splashbacks.
Which UK tile brands provide the best samples and showrooms to help choose designs?
The most helpful tile companies offer three things: free samples, a physical showroom where you can compare tiles in person, and staff who give practical advice on your specific room. Axar Tiles offers all three, with free samples delivered to your door, a showroom in Stanmore, and a team with over ten years of experience in indoor and outdoor tiles.
Can tiles be used with underfloor heating?
Yes. Porcelain and ceramic tiles work very well with underfloor heating because they conduct and hold heat efficiently and do not warp with temperature changes.
