Designing random tile pattern - odd or even?

[Walterwall]

i'm not even sure this is a sensible question? I am trying to design a random pattern for tiles above a cooker and along either side above the worktop. Also the same above the kitchen sink as a splashback and again to either side. Both in effect are upside down T shapes.

I think I want four colours of tiles in pastel colours and I want them square not set diagonal on the wall , to avoid cutting. But I want a random layout. Can I achieve this with four colours or would I need five? How do I avoid runs of two or three rows of tiles creating a diagonal effect with the same colour being near to each other.

I am busy on an excel spreadsheet trying to manually design and colour in the boxes, but any tips from the experts about how one designs a random effect is very welcome?

 

[p.pittstop]

a random pattern is exactly that RANDOM it is all down to personal choice.and does it really matter if you end up with two colours together

 

[Handyman]

I had to do this for a customer, but with 3 colours. At no point was there to be more than 3 tiles of the same colour adjoining - and then not in a row or column, only in an L, and every column and every row had to have more or less the same number of each colour tile. Finally, any regular pattern repeating (like 4 tiles of one colour surrounding another tile, like a little flower) was to be avoided. This was a difficult job. I found the best way was to select, say, 20 of each colour tile and set them in piles, and make sure each pile became depleted at the same rate. End result looked good, though. Be prepared for a headache.

You should be able to achieve a random pattern with any number of colours if you use each colour at a consistent rate and keep an eye on your rows and columns. The more colours, I suppose, the more random it's going to look.

 

[Jasonb]

Have a look at this kitchen that I did earlier this year. There are 4 colours, pastel yellow, green, teracotta and the darker brown. I just shuffel the tiles and put them up as they come, if you end up with a group that you don't just swap a couple over.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/dellas kitchen/?action=view&current=della7.jpg

Jason

 

[Walterwall]

Thanks to all for the prompt advice and view of the pics, a nice kitchen design generally. Maybe next on the list of jobs as I would like an open span ceiling look and extension also, but a bigger job for the future.

I have now used 5 colours on the spreadsheet, having changed it from four, this made "planned randomness" easier.

I suppose like any DIY job, it will blend in eventually and any odd instances that might annoy me won't even be noticed by others. Except when I point it out over dinner!

 

[Girlwithtools]

I found this and found it really useful.

http://www.iansharpe.com/art_xltiling.php