Collection: Countrywide

Countrywide doesn't try to make the handmade look overly obvious. The edges have just enough irregularity to take away the hard, mechanical lines you get from a perfectly uniform tile, without making the finished wall feel uneven or heavily rustic.

That subtlety is actually one of its strengths. From a distance, the wall retains the clean rhythm of a 7.5 × 30cm tile. As you get closer, the small differences around the edges become more noticeable. It gives the installation a softer quality without making the tile itself the centre of attention.

This can work particularly well alongside modern cabinetry, sanitaryware or brassware. The fittings provide precision, while the gently imperfect edges stop the whole room from feeling overly manufactured.

At 30cm long, Countrywide creates fewer joints than a smaller brick-shaped tile, so the finished wall has a relatively calm rhythm. That's useful if you like the character of handmade-effect tiles but don't want a highly detailed or busy-looking surface.

The horizontal format feels particularly natural across kitchen splashbacks and longer walls, where the length of the tile follows the architecture of the space. Turn it vertically, however, and the same proportions become much more directional, drawing the eye upwards.

The interesting part is the contrast between the orderly format and the slightly irregular edges. You get enough structure to keep the room feeling clean, with just enough imperfection to prevent the wall becoming too rigid.

Sage and Duck Egg introduce colour without demanding all of the attention, while Bone and Mushroom bring warmer, earthy notes to a scheme. White provides the most neutral starting point and can be used almost anywhere.

Rather than trying to find an exact match for the tile, look at the temperature of the surrounding materials. Warm timber, natural stone and creamy paint shades can bring out the softer side of the collection, while darker cabinetry or metalwork can give the lighter colours more definition.

The slight gloss is worth considering too. It catches a little light across the wall, which helps the softer colours retain some depth. In a room with limited natural light, this can make a noticeable difference compared with a completely matt surface.

There's a reason handmade effect tiles continue to be popular: perfectly straight lines aren't necessarily what make a room feel comfortable.

Countrywide introduces a small amount of visual irregularity without disrupting the overall order of the wall. Your eye still reads the clear horizontal lines of the format, but the edges aren't so precise that everything feels digitally perfect.

That can be particularly effective in kitchens and bathrooms, where there are already plenty of hard, straight surfaces. The slightly softer tile edge creates a useful contrast against worktops, cabinetry and sanitaryware.

It's a small detail, but those small details are often what stop a room from feeling like every element came from the same showroom display.