Choosing Tile for Older Main Line Homes

Older homes on the Main Line have a design language of their own. The plaster walls, the narrow oak flooring, the original trim profiles, the stone exterior — all of it sets a tone that a poorly chosen tile can break immediately. When we help Ardmore homeowners pick tile, we're not just choosing a color or a size. We're fitting a finish into a house that already has something to say.

The first question we ask is usually about the era of the house. A 1920s Colonial calls for different tile than a 1960s split-level, and both are different from a 2010 new build. For pre-war homes, we lean toward materials with some softness: honed marble, unglazed porcelain with a matte finish, handmade ceramics like zellige, and small-format mosaics that echo period bathrooms. Crisp, glossy, large-format modern tile can work, but it usually needs to be balanced with warmer elements elsewhere in the room.

Handmade ceramic tile — zellige and its cousins — has quietly become one of our favorite materials for older homes. The irregular surface catches light differently throughout the day, and the subtle color variation gives a wall or backsplash real depth. It takes longer to install because every tile is slightly different, but it reads as authentic in a way machine-made tile rarely does.

For floors, porcelain that mimics limestone or terracotta works well in foyers, mudrooms, and bathrooms where the tile needs to tie back to the rest of the house. We've also installed a fair amount of natural stone — tumbled travertine, honed marble basketweave, herringbone patterns — in primary baths where budget supports it. Stone requires sealing and a bit more care, but it's a material that gets better with age.

One thing we always push back on: trendy patterns that don't belong in the era of the house. A loud geometric pattern on a tiny foyer floor in a 1925 Colonial will look dated in five years. Timeless doesn't have to mean boring — it just means the pattern should feel like it could have always been there.

If you're working on tile selection for an older Ardmore home and want a second opinion, we're happy to walk through the space with you. The best tile choices usually come out of a conversation with someone who's seen a lot of similar rooms.