While travelling through Portugal last month, I was introduced to a new use of tile. What we would consider to be decorative interior floor and wall tile, the Portuguese use on the exterior walls of their homes. This can be particularly striking when done with the proper colour coordination and design pattern.

While I do not expect many British homeowners to run out and attach tile to the façade of their building, I do recommend considering the application in small doses. For example, if you have garden structures, the tiles could prove to be a wonderful accent piece around the windows. Actually, there are quite a few places that the tiles could enhance a structure considerably. So, if you are interested in creating a standout feature, consider an alternative use of decorative tile.