• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Interiors Addict

Heart Your Home

@interiorsaddict on Instagram   @interiorsaddict on Facebook   @interiorsaddict on Pinterest  
Subscribe
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Before & Afters
  • RENO ADDICT
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Kids Rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Shopping
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipes
  • Parenting
  • Travel
Interiors Addict
  • Job Board
  • About
    • Our Story

      Australia’s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
      READ MORE

      We’re big on Instagram!
      @interiorsaddict

      • About
      • Contact Interiors Addict
      • Work with Interiors Addict
      • Advertise / Find a job in Interiors
      • Press
    • Get Your Free Ebook

      This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • By Room
    • Browse by Room

      Where you can search for all our posts about a specific room. Only interested in kitchens and bathrooms? We got you!

      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Kids Rooms
      • Bedrooms
      • Living Room
      • Home Office
      • Dining
      • Laundry
      • Outdoor & Exteriors
      • Renting
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • Before & Afters
    • Before & Afters

      Who doesn’t LOVE a good before & after? If you want to be inspired by the whole reno process, and not just the shiny photos at the end, this is the place for you!

      View Articles

      • Before & Afters
      • Jen’s reno
      • Real Renos
      • RENO ADDICT
    • IMG_0235Kerb appeal: 3-bedder given fresh new look for retirees
    • 129A9914-EditSomething out of nothing: reading nook created in roof space
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

      Looking for reno inspo? Find it all here, from other people’s projects to the latest trends, tools and products, whether you’re DIY-ing or employing trades.

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • Screenshot 2025-05-13 at 3.09.43 pmBeautiful backyard transformation brings Italy to Bondi
    • Interiros,Shots,Of,A,Modern,Living,Room,In,The,ForegroundBeaumont Tiles’ best ever hard flooring range is here
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

      Want to know where to buy the latest furniture, homewares, rugs, art and more? We’re always sharing our latest finds and telling you where you can buy them.

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • Copy of Cots GridWorld first fully customisable cot for the interiors addict mum
    • 250218_VZ_COCOREPUBLIC_s01_WIND_050This new Coco Republic collection is all about elevating basics
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jen’s a legitimate interiors addict, she’s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the country’s best to share their expertise with you. Be inspired by their stories too!

      View Articles

      • Decorating 101
      • Interviews
      • Expert Tips
      • Before & Afters
      • House Tours
      • Designers
      • Styling
      • Renovating
      • Real Renos
      • Covet my coffee table
    • HighRes Image 4 – 360KCX31Z9Q Woollahra Village House by Tobias Partners – Photography by Justin AlexanderInnovative new residential architecture in Houses Awards list
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      We’re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks you’ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • Crispy egg noodles with seafood p. 116Foodie Friday: crispy egg noodles with seafood
    • 1293660_lifestyle Crossland Pearl GL-Porc Txt Rect 597×1195 UNI_Crossland_AMB 02_Living_PearlHow to bring your favourite travel destinations home
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

Marble look porcelain a cheaper alternative to natural stone

By Amy Collins-Walker •

FacebookPinWhatsAppEmailTweet

While new technologies continue to shape the interior design scene, one that has been getting a fair bit of traction of late is marble-look porcelain. A great alternative to the much more costly natural stone, the latest printed porcelain tile technology makes it difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Founded by husband and wife duo Anton and Rita Bourtsev, Sydney’s Kaolin Tiles has a unique offering in this space –  the company offers over 100 different marble-look tile designs in small and large formats.

This bathroom features Kaolin Tiles marble printed porcelain tiles

“We scan natural stones and recreate them by printing them on porcelain tiles. We do a 12-layer print which gives incredible depth and realism as there are several colours printed on top of one another. It’s pretty had to differentiate our porcelain product from natural stone,” says Anton Bourtsev of the product that can be used on the floor and wall, kitchen benchtops and bathroom vanities. 

Kaolin Tiles showroom
The Kaolin Tiles showroom

The Kaolin Tiles range is made from clay and the company name is derived from the Gaoling Village in China where fine China has been made since the 15th century. Kaolin is considered the superior clay because it is the hardest, most elastic and translucent and the resulting material is durable and strong as well as heat, chip and scratch resistant – all fabulous selling points.

“People still see porcelain tiles as a typical construction material that’s only available in small sizes, but we use porcelain to create that precious stone look in a large format,” says Anton.

Royal Green jade
Bathroom

And as for pricing, where you might pay between $700 and $2,000 per square metre for a natural stone, the Kaolin product comes in at around $200 per square metre.

Unsurprisingly, the product’s affordability has also resulted in several clients being more adventurous with colour. “Even if you have a high budget, it’s still hard to find pink or blue natural stone but with our product you can get the same look on a much smaller budget so we’ve found that our clients are taking more risks with colour in their homes,” says Anton.

Kaolin Tiles
Sodalite Blue
This bathroom uses tiles that mimic the natural stone Sodalite Blue

Kaolin Tiles also has an Endless Vein product that allows you to purchase sets comprised of six-to-eight large format porcelain sheets. They come in 750mm x 1500mm and 900mm x 1800mm iterations and all join to create an endless connection between the veins. “You don’t see the print repeated and it looks like one beautiful piece. For example, an eight-piece set would give you around 13 square metres without repeating the veining,” says Anton.

Also, the product can be laid with an almost seamless grout join – whereas a typical join is 1.5-3mm, the Kaolin range can accommodate a 0.5mm grout join. “The very small grout combined with the endless vein makes for a stylish finish.”

Kaolin Tiles showroom
Kaolin tiles showroom

For more on Kaolin Tiles

Family business thrives as natural stone’s more popular than ever
When Sandeep Rawal left India for Australia in 1995, he intended to study economics at university, but the universe had…
5 new ways to lay subway tiles
The subway tile, known for its classic and timeless nature, has experienced a dramatic renaissance this Spring, but not in…

FacebookPinWhatsAppEmailTweet

January 3, 2023

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Innovative new residential architecture in Houses Awards list

  • Australian bathroom standards: dimensions explained by an expert

  • This new Coco Republic collection is all about elevating basics

  • Our top picks from Satara’s stunning and biggest collection yet

  • Beaumont Tiles’ best ever hard flooring range is here

Follow us on Instagram

This small backyard makeover is NEXT LEVEL. @jone This small backyard makeover is NEXT LEVEL.

@jonesandco_ founder Jennifer Jones wanted an Italian vibe for her North Bondi semi and wow did @landart_home_garden_beyond deliver her vision. And then some!

Comment 'Positano' for the link to read all about it, including the antique terracotta Italian roof tiles around the curved pool, firepit, olive and lemon trees and lavender!🪻 Chef's kiss👌🏼

Size is NOT everything!

#smallpool #smallpools #smallbackyard #firepitdesign #smallgardenideas #crazypaving
Swipe for the rear of this gorgeous Woollahra home Swipe for the rear of this gorgeous Woollahra home. Heaven!

It's a finalist in the Houses Awards 2025. Head to the blog via link in bio/stories to see more of the shortlist. There's some absolute BEAUTIES.

Project by @tobiaspartners 📸 @justinalexanderphoto

#housesawards #housesawards2025 #woollahravillage #woollahra #woollahrahomes #australianarchitecture #australianarchitect
To celebrate @sataraliving's beautiful and biggest To celebrate @sataraliving's beautiful and biggest ever new collection we're giving away a $500 voucher! Comment 'satara' for the link to the easy entry form and more info on this everyday luxury range!

This giveaway is in no way associated with or endorsed by Meta.

#australianfurniture #australianfurniture #australianinteriors #relaxedluxury
I always LOVE a new IKEA STOCKHOLM (widely known a I always LOVE a new IKEA STOCKHOLM (widely known as the IKEA best of) collection and 2025 is in Australian stores NOW.

I'm getting that floor lamp at a minimum.

Karin Gustavsson, creative leader for STOCKHOLM, IKEA Sweden, said: “The purpose of the STOCKHOLM collections has always been to prove that high quality doesn’t need to come at an intimidating cost. We have worked to create a no-compromise kind of collection where every piece tells a story."

Check it out on the blog now via link in bio and stories.

Don't hang around as these pieces always sell out fast.

#ikeastockholm #ikeastockholm2025 #ikeaaustralia #ikeahack
Building new isn't the only way to get a climate f Building new isn't the only way to get a climate friendly home. CSIRO research indicates that over half of the houses Australians will live in by 2050 already exist today. And those homes — from our 1950s weatherboards to mid-century gems — offer one of the most exciting opportunities to slash emissions, cut energy bills, and reimagine home design for a low-carbon future.

Welcome to the rise of retrofit culture: a movement that’s proving you don’t need to knock down to level up.

We're having this discussion on the blog today and sharing examples of two older homes given new, more sustainable, leases on life.

Head over via link in bio and stories.

Love to know your view on knockdown rebuild vs. Renovating older homes and what you have done and why in the comments!

@reneworgau

#sustainablehousing #sustainablehome #sustainablelivingaustralia #climatefriendlyhome #passivhaus #passivhausdesign
Swipe for the before! You won't believe it! This Swipe for the before! You won't believe it!

This upcycle started with a freebie off Marketplace and with some vision, elbow grease and chalk paint, became a beautiful shelving solution for Home Beautiful stylist @style_by_lucy 

Lucy's a bit of a Marketplace pro and she even found the Samsung Frame TV on there 😯

Tell us about your best marketplace finds in the comments?

All the details of how she did this including paint colour on the blog now, via link in bio and stories.

#upcyclefurniture #upcyledfurniture #upcycledsideboard #marketplacefinds
A year in, this reluctant soccer mum has realised A year in, this reluctant soccer mum has realised 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'!

So, as I start thinking about the boys going into separate rooms later this year, I've been researching non-ugly soccer-themed linen, rugs, art, wallpaper and more for Seb's room, which I'll be as happy with as he will! 

Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for all the details and links to buy. My favourite is the wallpaper mural from @oliveetoriel 

#soccermom⚽️ #footballbedroom #boysbedroomideas #kidsroomart #kidsroomstyling #kidsroomwallpaper
We have 5 copies of @murdochbooks' new The Baker's We have 5 copies of @murdochbooks' new The Baker's Book to give away featuring this delicious (swipe) delicious honey joy slice recipe  by @misstrixiedrinkstea 

Comment 'joy' to get the recipe and the competition entry form.

Happy #iafoodiefriday🥳🍰

#honeyjoy #honeyjoys #australianbaking #australiancake #newcookbooks #recipebooks #bakinginspo
Set off on a spontaneous trip to Balmoral despite Set off on a spontaneous trip to Balmoral despite it being dreary and grey because the kids wanted the beach (and it's our favourite). Then BOOM! The weather decided to turn it ON 🙌🏼☀️

Thought about trading in our house for an apartment as we often do 😜 and reminisced about our Lower North Shore days pre-parenthood. Sigh.

Wouldn't change our lot though 🥰
Follow on Instagram
Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

Get Your Free Ebook

Ebook cover

Never miss the latest renovating and interiors products, news and inspo again! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you the best bits from the blog, direct to your inbox. Plus you'll get our latest eBook: Just One Thing To Elevate Your Interior, featuring Australia's top design talent.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

More from Bathrooms

Natural stone in the bathroom? Absolutely!

What’s new in furniture and homewares: March 2025

Cool bath mats Australia: the best places to buy online

Small bathroom renovation? Here are the dos and don’ts

10 expert tips to help you use colour and pattern without fear!

Bold veined marble-look and linear deco tiles will be hot in 2025

4 most common mistakes clients make on a bathroom reno

Winners of the HIA-CSR NSW Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards

Special Report: 5 months after the stone ban, what now?

Promo Area

Footer

Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict

  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Jen
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Browse

  • RENO ADDICT
  • Jen’s Reno
  • House Tours
  • Real Renos
  • Interviews
  • Styling
  • Designers
  • Bedrooms
  • Covet My Coffee Table
  • Expert Tips
  • The Block
  • Art
  • Furniture
  • Recipes

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RENO ADDICT

Copyright © 2011–2025 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP · Log in