Slate, Steam or Midnight: Comparing Three Tile Glazes
By Heath Ceramics | Curated Home Goods | Sustainably Handcrafted | Published: 2026-11-04
Category: Comparisons
Compare Slate, Steam and Midnight tile samples on tone, variation and surface finish, and learn how to order swatches that answer the right question before you commit.
Quick answer
Choose Slate when you want a dependable neutral with almost no tile-to-tile shift, Steam when you want a pale, quiet wash of color, and Midnight when you want a deep, near-black field. Order all three as samples if your lighting is uncertain, because the catalog descriptions describe tone and variation but not how a glaze will read in your room.
Tone and variation are the real decision
These three glazes differ less in price than in how much color and movement they bring to a surface. Slate is described as a neutral gray with little variation from tile to tile, Steam as a faint, vaporous glaze, and Midnight as a night sky so dark that stars are an afterthought. That language tells you about tone and consistency, not about durability, slip resistance or suitable rooms, so treat the samples as color and surface tests rather than performance tests.
A low-variation glaze like Slate is easier to plan around because the field looks uniform once installed. A faint glaze like Steam can read almost white in bright rooms and cooler in low light, so it rewards a larger sample area. Midnight is the most dramatic choice, but a dark field shows dust, soap residue and grout lines more readily than a pale one, which matters most on floors and wet walls.
What the samples can and cannot tell you
Each sample is sold individually and up to six tile samples may be ordered online, which is enough to test a small cluster in different corners of a room. The catalog does not supply dimensions, thickness, edge profiles, grout recommendations or installation ratings for these glazes, so use the samples to judge color and surface only and confirm technical details with the store before ordering a full run.
Because all tile is made to order for every project, an out-of-stock glaze sample is not a sign that the glaze is discontinued. It means you may need to wait for a made-to-order sample or plan your comparison earlier in the project timeline.
Trade-offs to weigh before you order
- Slate: consistency versus character: The low variation and smooth matte surface make Slate the safest of the three for large fields and simple layouts, but it offers the least visual movement. Choose it when the tile should recede behind cabinetry or fixtures rather than become the feature. If your layout has many visible cuts or a long uninterrupted wall, low variation reduces the risk of a patchy look.
- Steam: softness versus predictability: A faint, vaporous glaze can look nearly white in daylight and cooler in shade, so it is the hardest of the three to judge from a small sample. Order several samples and view them together on the actual wall before deciding. Subtle glazes need a larger sample area than strong ones to show their true color.
- Midnight: drama versus maintenance: The deep tone delivers the strongest contrast of the three, but dark surfaces tend to reveal dust, water spots and grout lines more than pale ones. Use it where the look matters more than low-effort upkeep, or where the surface is not heavily used. Match the glaze depth to how much visible maintenance the surface will get.
- Ordering: samples versus full tile: Samples are sold individually with a limit of six online, and all tile is made to order. Use the sample order to compare color and surface, then confirm dimensions, installation requirements and lead time with the store before placing the full order. An out-of-stock sample does not mean the glaze is unavailable; it is made to order.
The three samples at a glance
- M147 Sample in Slate #3: Neutral gray glaze with a smooth matte surface and little variation from tile to tile. A consistent field is easier to lay out and less likely to show unintended pattern shifts across a large wall.
M147 Sample in Slate #3 - G32.2 Sample in Midnight #6: A very dark glaze described as a night sky so dark that stars are an afterthought. Use it where you want a strong, near-black field, and check it against your grout and lighting before committing.
G32.2 Sample in Midnight #6 - M64 Sample in Steam: A faint, vaporous glaze with a pale, quiet character. It suits soft, low-contrast schemes, but its subtlety means you should view a sample in your actual room light.
Which glaze fits your project
Best for
- Slate: neutral rooms that need a calm, consistent field with minimal tile-to-tile variation
- Steam: soft, low-contrast schemes where a faint, vaporous glaze sets the mood
- Midnight: feature walls or accents where a deep, near-black field is the point
Not for
- Slate: projects where the tile itself should be the visual centerpiece
- Steam: spaces where you need a clearly defined, saturated color that reads the same in every light
- Midnight: high-traffic surfaces where visible dust and grout lines would be a daily frustration
