Wood look tiles for living halls and bedrooms: size, colour, surface

The living hall is the room visitors see first and the one the family lives in most. In a terrace house it runs from the main door to the staircase. In a condominium it opens onto the balcony, and in a new launch unit it often shares one long space with the dining area. Bedrooms are the opposite: smaller, quieter, and the rooms where people walk barefoot.

Most of our Malaysian posts cover the hard floors, the wet kitchen, the bathroom, the car porch. This one is about the dry rooms, where the choice comes down to plank size, colour and surface.

Why owners choose tile over timber in these rooms

Even in a dry room, solid timber has a hard time in a climate that is humid all year. MetMalaysia describes Malaysia's climate as one of high humidity. Boards take up moisture, cup at the edges and open gaps, and termites find timber floors at ground level. A wood look tile floor needs no sealing or polishing and does not swell in the humidity.

There is a comfort reason too. Ceramic stays cooler underfoot than timber, which many Malaysian families prefer in a living hall where the fan runs all day.

Choosing a plank size for the room

The size of the room decides the plank, not the other way round.

• 200x1400mm: our longest board, four to a box covering 1.12 m². At 200 x 1400 mm the plank crosses a terrace house hall with fewer joints than the 1200 mm size, which reads as a calmer floor.
• 200x1200mm: five to a box covering 1.20 m². A good all-round size for a condominium living and dining area.
• 200x1000mm: five to a box covering 1.00 m². Suits bedrooms and smaller halls where a longer plank would be cut at both walls.
• 150x900mm: the narrowest plank and the closest to a sawn timber board, for a smaller bedroom or a study.

Lay the planks along the longest wall, usually from the main door towards the back of the house, so the joints lead the eye through the room.

Choosing a colour

Think of the timbers you already know.

• Golden Honey: the warm golden brown of chengal before it silvers. It keeps a north-facing hall bright. NR-142008 is a Golden Honey Satin Texture design in the long 200x1400mm board, with 12 random faces.
• Nutmeg and Warm Chestnut: mid browns closer to nyatoh and meranti. They hide dust and footprints in a busy family hall.
• Merlot and Tuscan Coffee: the deep reddish brown of merbau. They suit a large hall with plenty of daylight; in a small bedroom they can make the room feel tighter.
• Grey and White: for a modern condominium with white walls and black fittings.

Choosing a surface

• Satin Texture: a soft sheen over light grain relief. Our first suggestion for living halls and bedrooms.
• Satin Plain: smooth with a low sheen and no relief. Works in dry bedrooms and on walls.
• Matt Texture: grain relief you can feel and the most grip. Use it where the hall meets the wet kitchen or the balcony, or where elderly parents walk in socks.

Where it is not the right choice

If the family sits and plays on the floor, tile is harder than timber or vinyl; a rug in the living hall and by the bed solves most of that. In a condominium, tile is louder than a soft floor for the neighbours below, so check the management's rules on hard floors and underlay. And if you want to change the colour in ten years, tile cannot be sanded and restained the way solid timber can.

What to check before ordering

• Random faces: ask how many faces the design has. In a long hall, more faces means the same knot does not repeat in one sight line.
• Edge type: our curve edge is formed in the mould and needs a 3 to 5 mm joint, which reads as the shadow between two boards.
• Water absorption: ask for the tested figure. Ours is 6 to 8% under the glaze, group BIIb under EN 14411.
• Batch: order the hall and the bedrooms from one batch if the floor runs through.

Every design is in the downloadable catalogue.

Laying notes

• Quarter offset. Offset each row by a quarter plank (350 mm on 200x1400mm), never a half.
• Arrows one way. Every plank has an arrow on its back; keep them all pointing the same way.
• Joints of 3 to 5 mm. Use spacers of at least 3 mm and a grout close to the tile colour.
• A flat base. Long planks show every dip in the screed. Your contractor should check the floor is flat before laying.
• One calibre per room. Each box carries a calibre code; do not mix calibres in one room.

The short version

Choose the plank for the length of the room, the colour for the light, and Satin Texture for the dry rooms, with Matt Texture where the hall meets water. You can see every design we make, or contact us for samples and lay them in the hall in daylight and lamplight before you decide. For the ground floor and the climate argument, read why owners switch to wood tile flooring.

Frequently asked questions

Which wood look tile size is best for a living hall?

The 200x1200mm or 200x1400mm plank, laid along the longest wall. Longer planks mean fewer joints across a terrace house or condominium hall.

Are wood look tiles good for bedrooms?

Yes. Satin Texture has a soft sheen and light grain relief that suits bare feet. Add a rug by the bed if you want a softer step in the morning.

Which colour makes a small room look bigger?

A light tone such as Golden Honey or White. Dark colours like Merlot suit large halls with plenty of daylight.

Are wood look tiles cooler than timber?

Yes. Ceramic stays cooler underfoot than timber, which many Malaysian families prefer in the heat.

Can I use the same tile in the living hall and the wet kitchen?

Yes, if you choose a Matt Texture design, which has the grip a wet floor needs. Order both rooms from one batch so the colour matches.

Do wood look tiles need polishing?

No. The design is fired under the glaze, so there is no polishing, sealing or varnishing. Sweep and mop as usual.