In this world of online shopping, there are still some products that are best purchased in store. Tiles are most definitely one of these products. There are so many variables that must be considered when selecting tiles that need to be discussed with a knowledgeable sales person to ensure the right tiles for the projects concerned. It’s also always recommended that tile samples be taken home and viewed in-situ before confirming an order as the appearance of the tile, a bit like paint, can vary considerably depending on the light levels and surrounding colour schemes. That said, there is still a place for digital technology to enhance and simplify the tile selection process.

In 2016 The Tile Depot launched NZ's first tile visualiser and which was upgraded in early 2018 to a 3D visualiser. It’s a very easy to use, smart digital design tool that enables the user to create tiled bathroom, living, bedroom and kitchen spaces with tiles from within The Tile Depot's range. It already knows what tiles are suited to walls and floors so the user simply selects the style of room that is closest to the project design and then clicks either on the wall or the floor, and all the tiles suitable for that surface will appear on a pick list. Easy.

If designers have already spotted a tile either on The Tile Depot website or in store, then they can also search for it by name and apply it to the appropriate surface. Being a 3D visualiser, tiles can be chosen for all the walls and the floor in the room and the user can move throughout the space. The selected tiles and even layout patterns, grout size and grout colour can be very easily changed. Individual tiles can also be selected out and replaced, thus really customising a design.

It’s a fantastic digital tool that designers can use to narrow the range of tiles being considered for a project and even start playing around with combinations and layout. The only limitations of the 3D visualiser are that it doesn’t yet have the ability to apply unusual shaped tiles or more complicated layouts like herringbone. Similarly, keeping the visualiser up to date with the speed of the Tile Depot range changes is a major task, so if a tile isn't on there yet, just drop The Tile Depot a Facebook message and their staff will prioritise its addition.

So go have a play with The Tile Depot visualiser and enjoy creating some tile combinations. Watch out — it’s a little bit addictive!