Onyx Blue Marble Effect is a 60×120cm polished porcelain wall and floor tile with a smoky blue-grey base, white crystal-like veins and occasional amber flecks. Tiles Paradise sells it at £24.99 per m². It works on any indoor wall and on dry indoor floors, and it suits underfloor heating. The one place to avoid is the floor of a shower or wet room, where a polished face is too slippery when wet.
Over the past year Onyx Blue has been one of our ten best-selling tiles. It is also the tile people most often misjudge from a phone screen. Most expect navy, but in a real room it reads as a cooler, greyer blue. This guide starts with the colour question, then covers where the tile is safe, what a room costs, what to pair it with and how to keep the gloss.
Onyx Blue in Brief: The Facts That Decide a Purchase
- Size: one format, 60×120cm (600×1200mm). This tile is not made in a square size.
- Price: £24.99 per m² inc VAT. A box of 2 tiles covers 1.44m² and costs about £35.99.
- Thickness: 9.5mm, strong enough for floors and still manageable on walls.
- Finish: polished, so it reflects light like glass.
- Edges: rectified, so a slim 2mm joint is possible.
- Material: porcelain, with the onyx pattern printed into the glaze.
- Heating: suitable for underfloor heating.
- Slip rating: none published. Treat it as a tile for walls and dry floors.
- Coverage: about 1.39 tiles per m², because each tile covers 0.72m².
Two of those facts matter more than the rest. The polished finish of Onyx Blue makes a room brighter, because the glaze bounces light from windows and lamps. The 60×120cm format means fewer grout lines, so the veining runs further before a joint breaks it up.
What Colour Is Onyx Blue, Really?
Onyx Blue is a mid-tone blue-grey, close to slate or stormy sky. It is not navy, and it is not turquoise. White veins run across every tile like cracks in ice, and some faces carry rust-amber flecks along the darker seams. Those warm flecks are why the tile pairs so well with brass and wood, as covered further down.
Light changes how it looks. Cool daylight from a north-facing window pushes it greyer. Warm bulbs bring out more of the amber. Screens change it again, which is why we suggest ordering a sample before a full floor. The product page offers a £1.99 cut sample or a £7.99 20×50cm sample.
Is Onyx Blue real onyx or real marble?
Neither. It is porcelain, and "onyx" and "marble effect" describe the look, not the material. Natural onyx and marble are two different stones, and stone sold as "blue onyx" is scarce. Much of the blue onyx used in jewellery is dyed. A porcelain tile avoids that problem, because the colour is fired into the glaze. Porcelain is also far denser than either stone, so it does not etch when lemon juice or cleaning sprays touch it. Our comparison of marble-effect porcelain and real marble explains the trade-offs in more depth.
Why does every tile look different?
The onyx design is printed from a set of different faces, so neighbouring tiles rarely repeat. That is what makes a floor look like stone rather than wallpaper. To spread the pattern evenly, open three or four boxes at once and lay the tiles out dry before fixing. Move any two dramatic, dark-seamed faces apart, and put calmer faces where furniture will sit.
Where Can You Use Onyx Blue?
On walls, almost anywhere indoors. On floors, it depends on how wet the floor gets. Use this table as a quick guide.
| Room | Walls | Floor |
|---|---|---|
| Living room, dining room | Yes | Yes |
| Hallway | Yes | Yes, with a barrier mat at the door |
| Kitchen | Yes, including splashbacks | Yes, if you wipe spills promptly |
| Bathroom, away from the shower | Yes | Yes, with a bath mat |
| Inside a shower or wet room | Yes | No: use a matt anti-slip tile or a shower tray |
| Outdoors | No | No |
A feature wall is the lowest-risk way to use Onyx Blue. A wall behind a bed, a sofa or a bath needs only a few boxes, and it gives the room a focal point. If you want blue across a whole floor, browse our blue floor tiles to compare it with plainer options first.
In a kitchen, a splashback in Onyx Blue wipes clean and pairs well with white, cream or wood cabinets. Our ideas for blue kitchen walls with white, grey and wood cabinets show which cabinet colours work with which blues.
Is Onyx Blue slippery on a bathroom floor?
Dry, it is fine underfoot. Wet, any polished tile becomes slippery, and this tile has no published slip rating. The product page gives the same advice we do: in showers and wet rooms, a matt or anti-slip finish is safer than polished. You can use Onyx Blue on a bathroom floor beside the basin, toilet and bath, as long as a mat catches the drips where you step out.
For the shower floor itself, use the Sylvan Blue Marble Essence matt anti-slip 60×60cm (£29.99 per m²). It is a blue marble-effect tile with a matt surface, so it sits comfortably next to Onyx Blue walls. A raised shower tray is the other easy answer. Its listing gives no numbered slip rating either, so ask us before ordering if you have a specific grip requirement. Our guide to non-slip bathroom floor tiles explains the R and PTV ratings.
Can Onyx Blue go over underfloor heating?
Yes, the listing marks it as suitable. Fix it with a flexible S1 cement-based adhesive, and bring the heating up to temperature slowly the first time. Our guide to laying porcelain over concrete and underfloor heating covers the order of work.
How Much Does Onyx Blue Cost for a Real Room?
The sum is the same for any room. Measure each area, add 10% for cuts, then round up to whole boxes of 1.44m². The tile calculator does it for you. The totals below include our delivery rates: £39.99 for orders from £100 to £499, and free standard pallet delivery on orders over £499 to the UK mainland.
| Project | Order | Tiles | Delivered total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom floor, 2.4 × 1.8m | 4 boxes (5.76m²) | £143.94 | £183.93 |
| Feature wall, 3.6m wide × 2.4m high | 7 boxes (10.08m²) | £251.90 | £291.89 |
| Bathroom walls, 14m² after door and window | 11 boxes (15.84m²) | £395.84 | £435.83 |
| Open-plan floor, 5.5 × 6m | 26 boxes (37.44m²) | £935.63 | £935.63 (free delivery) |
Adhesive, grout and levelling clips are extra, so budget for them before you compare quotes.
When is the Onyx Blue pallet deal worth it?
The Onyx Blue pallet deal is 64 tiles (46.08m²) for £850, about £18.45 per m², with free delivery. Buying by the box costs more once your order reaches 24 boxes (34.56m²). From there up to 46m², the pallet is cheaper. For the 5.5 × 6m open-plan floor above, the pallet costs £85.63 less than 26 boxes and leaves about 8.6m² spare. That spare tile is useful later, because a future batch may not match the shade exactly.
How Does Onyx Blue Compare With Our Other Blue Tiles?
If you like the idea of blue stone but are not sure Onyx Blue is the right shade, these are the closest alternatives in our range. The full set is in our blue onyx tiles collection.
| Tile | Size | Finish | Price | Choose it when… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onyx Blue Marble Effect | 60×120 | Polished | £24.99 | you want blue-grey onyx with a pallet deal for big floors |
| Venetia Onyx Blue | 60×120 | Polished | £24.99 | you want a second onyx pattern at the same price |
| Cosmos Black Blue Onyx | 60×120 | Polished | £22.99 | you want a darker, near-black blue |
| Galaxy Sky Blue Onyx | 60×120 | Polished | £29.99 | you want a lighter, sky-blue onyx |
| Thunder Blue Gold Marble Effect | 60×120 | Polished | £27.95 | you want gold veins built into the tile |
| Persian Onyx Gold Blue | 60×60 | Glossy | £19.99 | you need a square tile for a small room |
| Sylvan Blue Marble Essence Anti-Slip | 60×60, 60×120 | Matt | £29.99 | the floor gets wet, such as a shower |
For a darker look, see Cosmos Black Blue Onyx. For something lighter, see Galaxy Sky Blue Onyx. If gold is the deciding factor, our Thunder Blue Gold guide covers that tile in detail. For a wider view of shades, slip ratings and layouts, read our blue bathroom tiles guide.
What Goes With Onyx Blue?
The amber in the veins is the key to styling this tile. Warm metals and natural wood pick it up and warm the room. An all-grey, all-chrome scheme can feel cold against a blue-grey floor.
Brass, bronze and gold: brushed brass taps, bronze mirror frames and gold towel rails all suit Onyx Blue, as the photo above shows. If you want more gold, the Persian Onyx Gold Blue 60×60cm works as a contrast panel or a floor in a small en-suite.
Wood and terracotta: oak vanities, walnut shelving and burnt-orange textiles balance the cool base. The bathroom shown earlier uses taupe sanitaryware and an amber robe for the same reason.
Charcoal and black: dark sofas, matt black frames and black taps give a moody, hotel-style finish. Keep the walls light if the room is small.
Walls around a blue floor: warm white, soft putty and pale grey let the floor lead. Strong blue paint next to the tile tends to clash, because two different blues rarely sit happily side by side.
Grout: a mid grey blends into the base colour. Mapei Ultracolor Plus 112 Medium Grey is the safe choice for walls and floors. Mapei 114 Anthracite gives a slightly darker line that matches the deepest seams and hides wear on busy floors. Avoid bright white grout, because it outlines every tile and turns a stone-look floor into a grid. Other shades are in our grout collection.
How Do You Fit and Look After Onyx Blue?
Fitting: a 1.2m polished tile shows every dip in the floor, because light catches a raised edge. Start with a flat, sound base and use a levelling clip system. Spread adhesive on the floor and on the back of each tile for a full bed with no hollow spots. The rectified edges allow a 2mm joint. Then follow our step-by-step grouting guide, wiping haze off the gloss before it dries.
Sealing: our listing says the porcelain face does not need sealing. Polishing can leave microscopic pores in the glaze, though, so do a quick test first. Rub a little of your chosen grout onto a spare tile, wait ten minutes and wipe it off. If it leaves a shadow, apply a porcelain sealer before grouting. That small step prevents the most common complaint about polished tiles.
Cleaning: sweep or vacuum grit first, because grit is what dulls a polished surface. Then mop with warm water and a pH-neutral cleaner, and buff dry with microfibre for a streak-free shine. Skip vinegar, bleach-heavy sprays and scouring pads. A mid-tone blue-grey hides dust better than white or black tiles, which is one reason it suits busy family rooms. Our tile and grout cleaning guide deals with limescale and stubborn marks.
More Questions Buyers Ask About Onyx Blue
Does Onyx Blue come in 60×60cm?
No. Onyx Blue Marble Effect is made only in 60×120cm. For a square blue onyx tile, look at the Persian Onyx Gold Blue 60×60cm, or the Rodas Onyx Blue 60×60cm made in Spain by Pamesa.
Is there a matt version of Onyx Blue?
Not under the same name. The closest matt option is the Sylvan Blue Marble Essence matt anti-slip 60×120cm, which has a blue marble look in a grippier finish.
Can I use Onyx Blue in a shower?
On the walls, yes. On the shower floor, no. Use a shower tray or a matt anti-slip tile there instead.
Is Onyx Blue too dark for a small bathroom?
Not if you balance it. The polished face reflects light, and the colour is a mid-tone rather than a deep navy. In a very small room, put it on the floor or one feature wall and keep the other walls pale. Our guide to large-format tiles in bathrooms shows how big tiles can make a small room feel larger.
How many Onyx Blue tiles do I need per square metre?
About 1.39 tiles. In practice you buy by the box: 2 tiles covering 1.44m². Add 10% for cuts before rounding up.
Will my tiles match the photos?
Photos are a guide only, and screens shift blue more than most colours. Order a sample first. Then buy the full amount in one order, because shade can vary slightly between production batches.
Can Onyx Blue be used outside?
No. It is an indoor tile, and a polished face is unsafe on a wet patio.
How long does delivery take?
Standard pallet delivery is listed at 2–4 working days to the UK mainland. It is free over £499 and £39.99 on orders from £100 to £499. Faster options appear at checkout, depending on your postcode.
Where can I see all of your blue bathroom tiles?
Our blue bathroom tiles collection puts every blue wall and floor tile for bathrooms on one page, including the matt options.
Is Onyx Blue Right for Your Room?
Choose Onyx Blue if you want a stone look that is bolder than white or grey without going as dark as navy. It suits living rooms, kitchens, hallways and feature walls, and it brightens a room more than its colour suggests because of the gloss. In bathrooms it works on every wall and on the dry part of the floor. Pair it with a matt anti-slip tile where the floor gets wet.
Before you order, see a sample in your own light, decide between boxes and the pallet using the figures above, and buy everything in one go. Those three steps cover nearly every problem buyers run into with a polished blue tile.
Ready to see it in full? The Onyx Blue Marble Effect 60×120cm product page has the calculator, the sample options and live stock.