Don't be swerved away from hand painted tiles! The best way to add colour and originality (I make hand painted tiles so I may be biased). I would take the tiles to just under the bottom shelf, and up to the hod. We have had tiles behind our cooker for 21 years, and we don't find the grout staying clean a problem. By the way - I think subway tiles will look dated in a few years, as anything bang on trend tends to do.

The tiles and kitchen are classics so I would not worry about the tiles going out of fashion and again it’s a great idea to continue throughout the space. Is the kitchen painted or wood? If it’s painted, I would be tempted to go for a wood effect porcelain tile to soften the look. Whatever tile you choose, I would strongly advise that you place a few in an area you use to assess how they deal with everyday dirt and stains. I had a kitchen tile in a previous house that showed up every little stain and were a nightmare to keep. Two other consideration when it comes to tiles: 1. they are cold underfoot but suit UFH perfectly and 2. Hard surfaces creat an echo in a space so can do with other softer materials to reduce this.

We have a 3mx2.5m entrance hallway that splits left and right into a long narrow hallway Can anyone advise on tile shape or direction? It’s like a t junction .

This is the tile