When it comes to renovating your kitchen, a quality tiled floor, wall, or backsplash makes an undeniable impact on a space. Perfect for heavy foot traffic and resistant to all the stains and spills that come with cooking, the right kitchen tiles can truly bring this central room of your home to life.
If you’re new to shopping for tiles, figuring out where to begin can feel daunting. With so many styles, materials, and designs available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options - especially when it comes to choosing the perfect kitchen wall tiles or backsplash ideas and designs.
Starting to plan tiling into your kitchen is a lot easier to do with the right inspiration, which is exactly why we’ve pulled together our favourite kitchen tiling ideas to help you get started.
From our top kitchen tiling ideas with different tile types to unique kitchen tile ideas that will really make your cooking space stand out from the crowd, take a look at our suggestions below for the inspiration you need to create the kitchen of your dreams.
1. Embrace a rustic charm
First things first, we couldn’t suggest any tiling ideas for a kitchen without touching on the ever-popular rustic style, that is common to so many traditionally styled homes. Consider the use of natural stone tiling, even a small area of limestone or sandstone tiling, to instantly create that highly sought after farmhouse floor style.
Of course, if you really want to achieve a traditional look, a set of tumbled stone tiles, also known as antiqued tiles, is an absolute must with these kitchen tiles ideas, as they purposefully recreate an aged, weathered aesthetic.
Gironde Flax Tumbled and Brushed Sandstone
A light tumbled limestone, in particular, wonderfully complements a farmhouse-style kitchen with wooden or coloured-painted cabinets, while a warmer shade of limestone beautifully offsets white or cream cabinets.
If your kitchen features a lot of exposed brickwork, then a smooth, neutral Indian sandstone can be the perfect flooring solution that complements the more rustic feel while keeping a consistent warmer scheme throughout the room.
Stamford Limestone Tiles, Tumbled
2. A touch of decadence
Moving away from classical natural stones and into the realm of luxury, our next set of tiling ideas for your kitchen is tailored towards those who may have a larger budget and seek a touch of elegance within their kitchen.
When considering flooring ideas for your kitchen, a large expanse of marble tiles is a timeless and classic choice. Once buffed to a finish, it will brighten your entire kitchen, adding an elegant and enduring appeal.
Ibiza Bianco Polished White Marble
Best of all, marble is a versatile material, being suitable for use on walls and floors, and is ideal for use in both modern and traditional settings. Some may argue, however, that it’s particularly well-suited for use in traditional kitchens in period homes, especially those that bear Victorian character, as it beautifully highlights the elegance of the era.
Marble also makes a stunning accent, perfect for creating a smaller statement behind open shelving or as a cooker backsplash. Large white or cream marble slabs delicately highlight these areas, adding a touch of understated luxury.
3. Rediscover the vintage revival
Porcelain metro tiles, inspired by their iconic subway design, porcelain metro tiles are a classic choice. Their compact format makes them ideal for kitchen wall tiles, adding a touch of timeless style while remaining practical.
For those seeking traditional tiling ideas for their kitchen, deep green metro tiles, in particular, beautifully embody the rich character of vintage tiling. Consider these jewelled tones with a glazed surface for an undeniable luxurious feel, that will work in any traditional kitchen setting.
Heritage Bottle Green Metro Tiles
One of the most appealing aspects of metro tiles is their suitability to more unique metro tile ideas, such as herringbone or stacked vertical designs. These creative layouts can offer more of a dynamic decorative look, ideal for more modern shaker kitchen designs.
Of course, you don’t need to cover the entirety of your wall with a single tile. Instead, consider opting for a half-and-half effect, using tiles at the base of your wall before swapping to a paint colour halfway up, or even combining contrasting metro tile colours to add a stylish striped or chequerboard-effect look to your contemporary kitchen's walls.
4. Bringing the outdoors in
And speaking of contemporary tiling ideas for your kitchen, one of the most popular home trends right now is to blend your interior and exterior spaces, encouraging us to connect with nature and prioritise wellness.
This works particularly well if your kitchen or dining space is connected to your garden through a pair of large patio doors, allowing you to create a smooth transition by continuing the style of your indoor kitchen tiles through to your patio.
Best of all, our indoor and outdoor tile options are perfect for those wanting to create this look, and are available in either natural stone or porcelain tile sets.
Rock Slate Grigio Indoor Porcelain & Rock Slate Grigio Outdoor Porcelain
5. Create a signature colour story
When it comes to styling your kitchen, it’s important to choose colours that you’re drawn to in order to create a space that reflects your personality and brings you continued joy.
Applying colour to your interiors is the best way to harness a certain mood or atmosphere within your home, so be sure to consider whether you want your kitchen to be calming, energetic or cosy when exploring decor options.
Somerset Tumbled and Brushed Limestone
For example, for a down-to-earth, cosy kitchen, opt for a combination of classic warm beiges and earthy browns that work beautifully with traditional limestone-effect tiles, though other natural colours such as greens and tans are also an excellent choice.
However, if warm colours aren’t your style, then a grey or dark white concrete-effect porcelain is a versatile option that works with any decor, adding a cooling ambience to the room without making it too clinical.
This tile type, in particular, works well for a range of kitchen tiles ideas but looks particularly chic when used in an industrial interior and complimented with dark or muted wood features and black fixtures.
6. Opt for durability with porcelain
Finally, for the last of our kitchen tile ideas, you might want to consider using porcelain tiles rather than natural stone for their easy-clean properties and impressive durability.
While natural stone tends to be the go-to tile material choice when looking at tile ideas for your kitchen, it does require ongoing maintenance to keep it looking its best and prevent permanent staining – something that can be avoided with porcelain tiles.
Porcelain tiles are brilliant at replicating the visual style and aesthetic of virtually any tile, allowing you to achieve the same rustic or modern feel in your kitchen without the upkeep of natural stone.
Lightweight enough for both walls and floors, porcelain tiles can provide a uniform finish throughout your entire space, creating a cohesive look. Available in a range of stone, wood, terrazzo, and patterned effects, porcelain tiles offer unmatched versatility in layout, size, and design.
Find your new favourite kitchen tiles with Stone Superstore
And there you have it, these are just some of our favourite kitchen tiles ideas touching on colour, materiality and popular interior kitchen trends.
We hope our suggestions have sparked your creativity and inspired you to create a kitchen that reflects your unique style. With countless interior designs and exciting trends to explore, we encourage you to continue seeking inspiration to create a home you truly love.
If you’ve already found the perfect tiles, feel free to get in touch with our team of experts to discuss your order or request a set of free samples to see how they look in your space. And don’t forget to check out our blog for more ideas and tiling inspiration to help you bring your vision to life.
