I look at this as a sort of "wish list": it's not always possible to abide by all the laws, but if you're able to, it'll make for a bang-up tiling job.
1. Minimize Your Use of Tiles Less Than Half-Size
Cutting is just a fact of life with tiling. But always try to use cut tiles that are between half- and full-size. Anything less than half-size looks too skinny and slivery.How can you do this? Try to anticipate the amount of space you have left as you near a wall. If you're two or three feet from the wall, you can begin to tweak the joints between the tiles ever so slightly that it will be imperceptible to the eye, but will bring you to a final row of half-size or greater tiles.
2. Employ Symmetry in Your Layouts
Perhaps a no-brainer, but what we're talking about are the edge pieces. If you're setting tile around a kitchen sink, for example, make sure that tiles bordering the sink are all of the same size. The last thing you want are full-size tiles on one side and half-size tiles on the other size. Same example applies to a bathroom floor. Here you'll want opposite-end wall tiles to be the same size. If one wall has three-quarters size tiles, the opposite wall should have the same.
3. Minimize Your Tile-Cutting
Two reasons for this. First, cut tiles just never look good. The more full tiles you can use, the better. Secondly, tile-cutting is not fun. Even outfitted with a top-of-the-line tile cutting wet saw, you will not enjoy life.But you can get over the work end of it. It simply doesn't look good to have a lot of cut tiles in your layout.
4. Use Full Tiles In Highly Visual Areas
When people put up Christmas trees, they often turn the tree so that the bad side faces the wall and the full side faces the room.Same story here. Tuck the cut tiles away in the less-noticable areas: near walls, borders, under the cabinetry overhangs, etc. The center of a bathroom floor or kitchen counter is the worst place for a cut tile.
