Exterior Wall Tile Design Ideas

Image: Reside Beige 24×48 Outdoor Porcelain Wall Tile and Reside Brown 12×24 & 24×48 Porcelain Floor Tile from Arizona Tile

Designing an exterior is just as much fun and exciting as an interior. It’s a fun way to add pizzazz to your space with colors, textures, shapes, and themes. Using durable long-lasting products that are easy to maintain, like porcelain tile, is just an added bonus. Whether you have a grand outdoor kitchen, a quaint covered patio, or even a pool in your backyard, exterior wall tile will greatly emphasize any area.

Pool Tile

Like indoors, porcelain and some natural stone tile can be used in either wet or dry environments. So, let’s first think about a pool. The day of a “basic” pool liner is behind us. Of course, it is still an option if that fits your wants and needs, but if you want something to exude a more luxurious, long-lasting, low-maintenance option, tile is a stellar choice. It doesn’t simply add a striking aesthetic, but with its durability, using tile can easily outlast other materials. While the upfront cost may be higher, your lifetime cost and benefits will likely be less. Pool liners are a less expensive product, and easier to install, but they can easily puncture and are costly to fix. The life span of a liner is also much less—around only 10 or so years.

Image: Reside Beige Straight Stack 1×12 on Pool Waterline, Reside Beige 24×48 R11 Anti-Slip Finish Large Format Pool Desk & Patio Tile from Arizona Tile

A tile pool exceeds any expectations… They’re luxurious with their sheen finish and polished appearance; tile pools are customizable with colors and designs—think personalization; they are durable and hold up well to lots of use—even with kids, pets, and the outdoor elements to worry about; they are resistant to mold which would create the need for strenuous cleaning; they clean easily, and, when cared for properly, can last an entire lifetime.

Bar & Fireplace Exterior Tile

An outdoor gathering area seems most fitting to include a bar. At this bar, there need not be any template to follow, but a place where your creativity can flow. When we think about what a bar might be made of, we may first think of wood. While bars made from wood are charming, they’re not the best for outdoor use. Enter tile: just like in a pool, tile can hold up to the elements and consistent use with just some simple care. No need to worry about rotting, warping, or splintering because tile doesn’t come with any of those pitfalls. Tile can make up the entirety of your bar, or just the exterior surfaces and will look amazing. Our 3D Mesh Mount Natural Stone Stacks provide a perfect look for the front-facing, lower wall, behind the bar, and the backsplash area. With almost 20 color and texture options to choose from, you can choose from lighter or darker colors, and warmer or cooler tones, and get the unique look offered with the varied heights of these 3D products.

Image: Ocean Storm Marble Split 3D Stack Tile from Arizona Tile

A permanent fireplace helps to set the ambiance of your outdoor space and provides that same sense of permanence. A bar, a fireplace, some cozy chairs, friends, and family… is there anything more to say for a perfect outdoor setting? Cementine Posa porcelain tile has a way of making a focal area truly pop. Posa 3 around your fireplace and 3D Mesh Mount Natural Stone around the bar would make a stunning exterior tile look.

Image: Cementine Posa 3 Outdoor Porcelain Tile Fireplace Surround from Arizona Tile

Large Format Tile

If you’ve been reading some of our other blogs, you’ve probably read about large format tile as flooring; however, exterior walls are also a great place to let this bold tile make a statement. Regardless of whether your large format tile is laid horizontally or vertically, it still offers a look of expansiveness. Plus, with large format tile there are fewer grout joints, cleaning is easier, and the look is simple and sophisticated.

Both Borgo and Reside USA  are versatile considerations for use as interior and exterior walls, flooring, and wet (thanks to our R11 Anti-Slip Finish) or dry spaces. If you’re not seeking a wild array of colors and patterns, but desire a clean, modern, sophisticated approach, either of these series are perfect for your exterior vertical surfaces. It truly just depends on which selection you prefer, and you can even mix colors and series from one area to the next.

Image: Reside Brown 12×24 Porcelain Pool & Garden Wall Tile from Arizona Tile

Here’s another great use for our 3D Mesh Mount Natural Stone Stacks!  If you have a garden feature, including one of these in either marble or travertine creates a natural ambiance to complement the characteristics of Borgo and Reside USA.

Image: Scabos Split 3D Stack Outdoor Porcelain Wall Tile from Arizona Tile

Never Too Many Ideas

Having ideas and inspiration only opens your mind to options and design strengths, if not for one project, then maybe it’ll inspire another. From porcelain tile to natural stone, you can create stunning exterior wall features that get everyone’s attention, but, really, as long as your design speaks to you, that’s all that matters. For more ideas, explore our Outer Limits brand specifically tailored to outdoor living, and browse through our Inspiration By Use outdoor section.

Image: Trav Sand Matte 12×24 Exterior Cladding & Borgo Caldo 2cm Thick 24×24 Outdoor Porcelain Paver from Arizona Tile

When you reach the design phase and want to select materials, swing by an Arizona Tile store or slab yard to see our products first-hand. When you have some ideas in mind, use our Just Imagine Tile Visualizer to develop a more cohesive vision of an exterior tile presentation. If you have questions at some point, please send us a message and our knowledgeable staff will be happy to help.