Originally, tiled floors in large, colorful geometric patterns covering the whole floor were developed by medieval monks for the grand decoration of ecclesiastical buildings. Patterns were made by piecing together tiles of different sizes, shapes, and color into geometric designs. These tiles were made with wet clay which was fired, as most tiles are today.

In addition to the geometric patterns, designs were introduced to individual tiles, at first by carving indentations in the face of the tile and filling those with other colors of clay. Then wooden molds were made with raised areas which created low places on the face of the tile for acceptance of other colors of clay. These are encaustic tiles — tiles that are inlaid with clay (not glaze) of another color.

In 1840, a method for making tiles by grinding clay into dust, putting it in molds and subjecting it to great pressure (depending upon the tile, from 40 to 400 metric tons) was developed, creating huge cost savings. These are pressed dust tiles. They are immensely dense.

Then, tiles were surface decorated and fired, providing both simple and intricate patterns at considerably less cost than that associated with inlaying colored clays.

The name: Although the origin of these floors long predates the Victorian period, their revival caught on with Victorians and their installation became a matter of expectation in all kinds of buildings of note — castles, manor houses, cathedrals, public buildings, and on into fine private homes, and to other countries, including the U.S.

Victorian Floor Tiles now come in 12 colors. Red, Buff, Black, White, and Brown are natural clay colors. Blue, Green, and Grey require mineral cobalt to be added. And 4 new ones-Dover White, Regency Bath, Royal Palladian and Old London.

In regular supply, there are 15 sizes and shapes.

There are 1,213 6" x 6" tiles plus 4 little 2" x 2"s cut into four sets of 4 6" x 6" tiles. The floor is perfectly flat and the grout lines are perfectly lined up and straight. The room is 12" x 25".

An interesting aspect of these tiles is that they lend themselves to various and different styles of design. In strong contrast to the floor above, are these floors that look like the traditional through-bodied porcelain tiled floors

A series of floors laid in Victorian Floor Tiles using only the single color tiles in different shapes.

Palmerston 36 tile set
36" x 36" shown in green
6277V green
6262V blue

Disraeli 9 tile set
18" x 18" shown in green
6276V green
6261V blue

Gladstone 4 tile set
12" x 12"
shown in 6260 blue/red
and 6284 green/red

Faraday Border
6" x 3"
shown in 6590 black on red, 6588 green on buff, 6586 brown on buff and 6592 black on white

Faraday Border Corner
3" x 3"
shown in 6591 black on red, 6593 black on white, 6587 brown on buff and 6589 green on buff

Wellsley  6” x 6” 
Shown in 6560 green/red  also available in 6561 white/blue and 6562 black/blue

Livingstone 4 1/8" x 4 1/8"
Shown above in 6265 blue and 6278 green