Olympia vs Anatolia Tile: How to Choose
Olympia and Anatolia are two of the Canadian tile brands we carry and install most, and honestly you would be happy with either. They overlap a lot, so the clearest way to choose is to start with the room and how it will be used: a backsplash in your kitchen is a different decision than a lobby floor in an office. Here is how we would help.
In simple terms: both are Canadian glazed-porcelain brands with heavy overlap, so for most rooms either is a great pick. Anatolia leans design-led and residential, with marble looks, natural stone, and glass mosaics. Olympia is the fuller, more technical line, with through-body porcelain, wood-look planks, 3D textured wall tile, matching trims, and ISO test data.
What they share
Both are Canadian, both build glazed porcelain and ceramic tile, both run from small mosaics to large format, and both offer matte and polished finishes for floor and wall. For a standard porcelain floor or wall, either brand gives you a tile that will last, and the choice comes down to the specific look and the room.
For your home: floors, walls, and backsplashes
At home, Anatolia is the designer's brand. Its marble-look porcelain, like the Altezza Carrara series, its natural stone, and its glass tile and mosaics are made for the spots you want to stand out: a kitchen backsplash, a marble-look bathroom floor, a fireplace surround, or a feature wall. Olympia covers the same looks and adds a few Anatolia is lighter on: wood-look porcelain planks for a living room or hallway, 3D textured wall tile for a backsplash or feature wall, agglomerated marble, and matching trims and thresholds to finish an edge or a doorway cleanly. For a kitchen floor, a bathroom, a backsplash, or a mudroom, both work well, so pick the tile you fall for.
For commercial and high-traffic projects
For a busy space, Olympia is usually the easier spec. Its porcelain series are usage-rated from residential up to high commercial and outdoor, it publishes ISO 10545 test data for water absorption and abrasion, and its through-body coloured-base porcelain carries the colour all the way through, so a chip on an office, retail, or restaurant floor does not show. The matching trims also make clean transitions in a commercial fit-out. That suits an office, a hotel lobby, a restaurant, a retail floor, or a healthcare space. Anatolia has commercial-suitable porcelain too, and it is a lovely choice for a boutique or hospitality space where the look leads, but Olympia documents the commercial ratings, which makes a large spec simpler.
The ratings that help you decide
If you like to choose on the numbers, Olympia publishes more of them: ISO 10545 test data, including water absorption and abrasion resistance, plus usage ratings per series from residential to high commercial and outdoor, and through-body porcelain for chip resistance. Anatolia leads on design depth rather than published ratings. Porcelain from both absorbs 0.5 percent water or less, which is why it handles bathrooms and exterior doorways. For a shower floor in either brand, choose a smaller tile with more grout lines for grip.
How we would steer you: for a design-led home project, a statement backsplash, a marble-look bathroom, or a feature wall, Anatolia gives you more to fall in love with. For a commercial or high-traffic floor, an outdoor application, or a home where you want wood-look planks or a fully trimmed install, Olympia is the easier choice. For a standard residential floor, pick the look you prefer, because you are not giving anything up either way.
Whichever you choose, tile only lasts if the base and the setting are right, so the membrane, the flat subfloor, and the grout are the real work. Our in-house crews install both, for homes and for commercial spaces, across Mississauga, Barrie, and the surrounding areas, and you can see Olympia and Anatolia side by side at either store before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Olympia or Anatolia tile better?
Neither is simply better; both are Canadian glazed-porcelain brands with heavy overlap. Anatolia leans design-led, with marble-look porcelain, natural stone, and glass mosaics for backsplashes and feature walls. Olympia is the fuller, more technical line, with through-body porcelain, wood-look planks, matching trims, and ISO 10545 test data.
Which is better for a commercial or office floor?
Olympia, for most commercial jobs. Its porcelain is usage-rated up to high commercial and outdoor, it publishes ISO 10545 test data, and its through-body coloured-base porcelain hides chips on a busy floor. Anatolia has commercial-suitable porcelain too and suits a boutique or hospitality space where the look leads.
Which is better for a kitchen backsplash or feature wall?
Anatolia, if you want a design statement. Its marble-look porcelain, natural stone, and glass mosaics are made for backsplashes, feature walls, and fireplace surrounds. Olympia has strong options too, including 3D textured wall tile, but Anatolia is the more design-led of the two.
Which is better for a bathroom?
Both work well, since porcelain from either brand absorbs 0.5 percent water or less. For the shower floor, choose a smaller tile with more grout lines for grip. Anatolia's marble looks suit a statement bathroom, while Olympia's wood-look and through-body porcelain suit a hard-wearing one.
See it in person at either store
Bring your room measurements, or your project drawings, and our team will walk you through the right tile and quote supply and install with our own in-house crews.
700 Dundas St E, Unit 3-4, Mississauga • 112 Saunders Rd, Units 1-4, Barrie