A minimalist's dream: Could this be the next subway tile?

Scandinavian design is having a moment, and we’ve recently witnessed one trend, in particular, making waves: the square subway tile.

A staple in Swedish homes for both bathroom walls and kitchen backsplashes, the look is very friendly on the wallet and is a minimalist’s dream tile. It may be a budget staple in European Nordic homes, and we’ve seen it cropping up in the coolest spaces, from hotels and restaurants to luxury apartments.

Paired with dark grout, pretty soap bottles, brass fixtures, and luxe bathrobes, these tiles will be all over Pinterest this year. If our predictions are correct, it may even replace subway tiles as the budget backsplash of choice. Keep scrolling for our favourite square-tiled rooms.

Pictured here as a built-in shelf styled with pretty bath products and luxe towels, this square ceramic tile is combined with a thicker-than-normal dark grout, giving it an edgy urban look. Better yet, these builder-grade white ceramic tiles can be purchased for as low as $1 per square foot! Are you sold yet?

This bathroom features a half-tiled wall with an elegant double-black border. The black-and-white motif is repeated in the floors and in the chic hotel satin stitched bathrobe hanging by the door. We call this instant sophistication.

The square subway tile pairs especially well with brass sconces and minimalist fixtures. We absolutely adore these timeless angled sconces.

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Square subway tiles pair great with open shelves. Antique silver platters and terra-cotta pots bring warmth and history to this minimalist kitchen.

Another bathroom combines the white square subway tile, with a black hexagonal tiled floor. We love that the walls have a certain glossiness, but the floor is kept matte. Aesop soap bottles always make a bathroom look exponentially better, too.