ALTERNATIVES TO TIMBER

Thanks to new printing technology, wood grains can now be replicated on porcelain, creating wood-effect tiles that are almost indistinguishable from natural timber. They don’t warp, stain or need sealing, and they’re easier to clean than wooden floorboards. ‘They’re also frostproof, so you can continue the same flooring outside to create decking,’ explains Jamie Robb, owner and managing director of Marlborough Tiles Makers. Here are our top three.

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‘Visions White Wood’ tiles, £72 per square metre, Marlborough Tile Makers (marlborough tiles.com) 2 ‘Studland Bay’ porcelain tiles in ‘Swanage’, £59.93 per square metre, Fired Earth (firedearth.com) 3 ‘Melange’ tiles, £25.24 per square metre, Gayafores ( gayafores.es)