Herringbone Tile Pattern: What It Is and How to Use It
A herringbone pattern is made of rectangles laid at right angles, with the end of each piece meeting the side of the next, so the rows zigzag. In tile it comes two ways: as a mosaic sheet with small pieces already arranged, or as ordinary rectangular tile laid in the pattern on site. It works on a backsplash, a shower wall, a feature wall or a floor, and the choice of size decides whether it reads as texture or as a statement.
The name comes from the bones of a herring, which the pattern resembles. It is one of the oldest layouts in building. Roman builders paved floors with brick set this way, a technique called opus spicatum, and the bricks of the dome of Florence Cathedral, built between 1420 and 1436, are laid in herringbone.
Herringbone or chevron
The two are often confused, and they are not the same pattern.
Herringbone
Every piece is a full rectangle. The end of one meets the side of the next, so the joints are staggered and the zigzag has a stepped, woven look.
Chevron
The ends of each piece are cut at an angle. Pieces meet point to point along a straight line, forming a continuous row of V shapes.
Herringbone can be laid from ordinary rectangular tile. Chevron needs pieces made for it, which is why it is usually sold as a mosaic. If the sharper V is what you are after, see our chevron mosaics.
Two ways to buy herringbone
Herringbone mosaic
Small pieces are mounted on a mesh sheet in the finished pattern, and each sheet covers about one square foot. The installer sets sheets, not individual pieces, so the pattern goes up quickly and stays regular. This is the usual choice for backsplashes, shower walls and niches.
Tile laid in herringbone
Rectangular field tile, such as 3x6, 3x12, 4x12 or 6x12, can be laid in the pattern if its proportions allow. The scale is larger and more architectural, and it takes more labor: every piece is set individually, and every edge needs cuts. This is the usual route for floors and large walls.
For loose tile, the proportions matter. A herringbone closes up cleanly when the tile is modular, meaning its length works out to a whole number of widths once the grout joint is counted. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation gives a quick test: lay the narrow ends of several tiles along the long side of one, with the first and last flush to its ends. If the tiles between are packed tight, with no room for grout joints, the tile is not modular and will not make a tidy herringbone. If even gaps are left, it is modular, and that gap is the grout joint width. A 3x6 marble tile has the classic two-to-one proportion. Run the test on the actual tile first, and note that this one is listed for walls and backsplashes, not busy floors.
Sizes and what they do
| Piece size | How it reads | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Mini, 5/8 x 1 1/4 in. | Fine texture; the pattern softens at a distance | Niches, small backsplashes, accents |
| 1x2 in. | The classic small-scale herringbone | Backsplashes, shower walls |
| 1x3 in. | Slightly longer, with more movement | Backsplashes, feature walls |
| 1x4 in. | Elongated and more directional | Full-height walls, tub surrounds |
| 1x6 in. | The boldest mosaic scale | Feature walls |
| Field tile, 3x6 in. and up | Architectural; each tile reads on its own | Large walls, and floors where the tile is listed for them |
Smaller pieces mean more grout, and grout color changes the result more than most people expect. Matching grout gives a quiet, textured surface. Contrasting grout draws every zigzag. Our guide to choosing grout color shows the difference.
Smaller pieces mean more grout, and grout color changes the result more than most people expect.
Herringbone in our range
Our herringbone collection holds about ninety mosaics. Most are marble, with travertine, limestone, onyx, porcelain and glass alongside. Four examples:
White Carrara 1x2
Honed marble mosaic
The White Carrara 1x2 herringbone is the reference point: soft white marble with gray veining in a honed finish. It is listed for backsplashes, shower walls and accent walls.
Best forA kitchen backsplash or shower wall that should look classic and stay quiet.
White Carrara 1x4
Honed marble mosaic
The 1x4 version uses the same marble in a longer piece, so the zigzag is more pronounced and there is less grout. It is listed for backsplashes, shower walls and tub surrounds.
Best forFull-height walls where the 1x2 would look busy.
Nero Marquina 1x4
Honed black marble mosaic
Nero Marquina 1x4 herringbone is black marble with white veining, honed. The pattern shows in the veining and the joints more than in the color.
Best forA dark feature wall, a niche, or a contrast band beside white marble.
Ivory travertine 1x2
Tumbled travertine mosaic
The Ivory travertine 1x2 herringbone is tumbled, with softened edges and a matte, textured surface. It is one of the few herringbone mosaics in our range listed for shower floors as well as walls.
Best forWarm, relaxed bathrooms and backsplashes where polished marble would feel too formal.
Straight or diagonal
When herringbone is laid from loose tile, it can run two ways.
Straight herringbone
The tiles sit square to the walls, at 90 degrees, and the pattern steps across the surface. Edge cuts are square, not angled.
Diagonal herringbone
The same pattern turned 45 degrees, so the points of the V line up along the room. This is the look most people picture. Nearly every tile at the perimeter is an angled cut, which means more labor and more waste.
Mosaic sheets can be turned the same way: the V can point up a wall or run along it. Decide the direction before the first sheet is set. Some people find that the V draws the eye along its length, but that is a design convention and not a measured effect.
Where herringbone works
| Location | Format | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen backsplash | Mosaic, 1x2 to 1x4 | Honed or polished | The most common use |
| Shower walls and niches | A mosaic listed for shower walls | Honed or polished | Seal natural stone |
| Shower floor | A mosaic listed for shower floors | Honed or tumbled | Small pieces follow the slope |
| Bathroom floor | Field tile, or a mosaic listed for floors | Honed | Check the product page |
| Feature wall, fireplace surround | 1x4, 1x6 or field tile | Either | Larger pieces read from across a room |
On any floor that gets wet, choose honed or tumbled stone over polished. In the Natural Stone Institute's friction testing, polished finishes averaged below the wet value the tile industry uses for level interior floors in every stone type.
Installation points that decide the result
Herringbone magnifies small errors, because every piece depends on the one before it.
- Square reference lines. The pattern is set out from lines snapped square to each other. An error of an eighth of an inch at the start can throw off the whole layout.
- A centered pattern. Start from the centerline of the wall or floor so the cuts at both sides match.
- Aligned sheets. With mosaics, the joints have to line up from sheet to sheet so that no sheet outlines show after grouting.
- A plan for the edges. Where the zigzag meets a straight edge it leaves a sawtooth. It is filled with cut pieces or finished with a border such as a marble pencil liner.
- Flat tile. In herringbone, the corner of one tile sits beside the middle of the next. Any bow in a long tile shows there as an uneven edge, so check long tile for flatness.
- Stone-appropriate materials. White mortar under light marble, a sealer on porous stone before grouting, and unsanded grout in joints narrower than 1/8 inch.
Four things to settle first
- How much to order. There is no single standard figure for herringbone waste. Recommendations vary from one seller to the next. Our tile calculator uses 15% for herringbone, which suits most mosaic walls. Allow more for loose tile on a diagonal.
- Sheet coverage. Mosaic sheets cover about one square foot, but not always exactly. Check the figure on the product page and round up to whole sheets.
- One lot. Natural stone varies from lot to lot. Order the full quantity together and keep the spare sheets for repairs.
- Samples. Scale is the hardest thing to judge on a screen. Order samples of two sizes in the same stone. Samples ship free.
Herringbone tile FAQ
What is the difference between herringbone and chevron?
Herringbone uses full rectangles with the end of one meeting the side of the next, so the joints are staggered. Chevron uses pieces with angled ends that meet point to point in a straight line, forming continuous V shapes.
Is herringbone tile hard to install?
Mosaic sheets are not much harder than any other mosaic, provided the sheets are aligned. Loose tile laid in herringbone is slower and less forgiving: the layout has to be set out square, and there are cuts at every edge.
Does a herringbone pattern make a room look bigger?
That is a design convention, not something anyone has measured. What the pattern reliably adds is movement and direction, so decide which way you want the eye to travel.
Can a herringbone mosaic go on a shower floor?
Only if the product is listed for shower floors. Small pieces follow the slope to the drain well, but many marble herringbone mosaics are made for walls. Choose honed or tumbled stone, not polished.
How much extra tile does herringbone need?
More than a straight layout. Fifteen percent is a sensible allowance for mosaic sheets, and loose tile on a diagonal can need more. There is no single industry figure.
Does marble herringbone need to be sealed?
We recommend sealing it before grouting and again after. Sealer slows staining. It does not prevent etching from acids, so clean marble with a neutral cleaner. Our guide to sealing natural stone tile covers the method.
- Vocabulary.com, Herringbone
- Penn Museum, Wine, Slaves, and the Emperor at Villa Magna
- Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Dome
- Ted Todd, Herringbone vs Chevron flooring: What's the difference?
- Wood Floor Business, Know These Facts When Ordering Chevron Flooring
- Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, in Stone World, The Hidden Challenges of Ceramic Tile Patterns
- Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, in Stone World, How to Start a Diagonal Herringbone Layout
- Fine Homebuilding, For Great Tile Floors, Layout Is Everything
- TileLetter, The ins and outs of layout
- TileLetter, Working with face and mesh mount sheet mosaics
- International Masonry Institute, Large Format Tile: Dealing with Lippage
- Tile Council of North America, Grout (FAQ)
- Mapei, Tile/Stone/Grout Care and Maintenance Problem Solver #2: What is the purpose of a Grout Release?
- Natural Stone Institute, Testing Frictional Properties of Natural Stone Walking Surface
- Natural Stone Institute, Care & Cleaning of Natural Stone
- Use Natural Stone (Natural Stone Institute), A Scientific Guide to Shopping for Natural Stone
- Custom Building Products, Technical Bulletin TB19, Installing Marble Tiles
See the scale in your own room
Order samples of two sizes in the same stone and hold them where they will go. Samples ship free.
Questions? Talk to a tile specialist: 855-797-8453, Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–5:00 PM PST
Leave a comment