Kitchen Tile Ideas

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The kitchen serves as the heart of the home, the centre of family life. From the first sip of your morning coffee to a busy family roast or a romantic meal for two, the kitchen is the most used room of a home. Bringing us comfort and pleasure, the kitchen not only serves to bring delicious food to the table but to be a space to re-connect, socialise and unwind. It is therefore essential that whatever size or shape your kitchen happens to be, it is designed to be the best it can, both functionally and aesthetically.

Kitchen tiles are one of the most effective ways to transform the look and feel of a kitchen. A cheap and simple solution, kitchen tiles can bring life to an outdated kitchen or can change the whole look and design. Kitchen tiles are suitable for any sized budget whether you are looking for a lower priced tile or something more luxurious. Building Supplies Online offers an extensive selection of kitchen tiles in a multitude of designs meaning the perfect tile is waiting for you.

Selecting the Right Tile

It can at first feel overwhelming when considering what size, colour, material and design to best suit your kitchen. The first step in deciding which style to choose all depends on your overall design and budget. Whether you are looking to use tiles instead of a traditional splashback, tiling the whole kitchen or requiring a new floor, below you will find some handy explanations as to what tile suits which purpose best. Ultimately making the decision process easier.

Kitchen Floor Tiles The kitchen area requires heavy-duty, durable flooring due to it being regarded as a ‘high traffic area’. The tiles chosen need to be able to handle the stress and strain of continuous use. There are many options when it comes to kitchen flooring so it is important to educate yourself first on the most suitable tile for your home.

Kitchen Tile Design and Colour

This is possibly the most important decision. Whether you are looking for something eye-catching and striking or something more classic and understated, choosing the correct design and colour is vital. Patterned or plain? Bright or pastel? Whatever colour palette or theme you are working from, there is a kitchen tile to suit. Tiles come in a range of finish options such as matt, satin, gloss and metallic so make sure you select the best one for your finished look.

Pale Tiles

Pale kitchen tiles reflect light and help soften harsh corners and edges. Ideal for use in smaller or gallery kitchens, pale tiles give the illusion of a larger space by opening and brightening up the room. Darker tiles or those with a matt finish will absorb the light and are best suited to larger spaces.

Patterned Tiles

Highly patterned tiles will dominate a room. Perfect for adding an eye-catching feature wall or to bring something a little different to your kitchen. Patterned tiles are best suited for larger spaces due to the busyness created by the design, often making the room appear ‘crowded’. A solution for those wanting something striking but with a small area to work in could use a mix of patterned and plain and work the two together to create a unique look.

Tile Material

Tiles are made from a variety of hard-wearing materials. Porcelain and ceramic are the most commonly used but there are other materials such as stone or glass available too.

Porcelain

Porcelain is a naturally dense material making it highly strong and durable. Made of refined clay and other natural materials, porcelain kitchen tiles allow for greater durability than ceramic. Longer-lasting, scratch and scuff resistant porcelain is ideal for use in busy, frequently used areas.

Ceramic

Ceramic is a highly versatile and more affordable option to porcelain. Although not as durable, ceramic tiles are perfect for walls due to their clean line appearance. If you are planning to complete the tile work yourself then ceramic kitchen tiles are the way to go. Easier to install, it can be cut with a simple tile cutter which most avid DIYers have access to. Furthermore, it can be far more cost effective to use large ceramic tiles if needing to cover a large area as you will require less packs.

Tile Size

Tiles are available in a variety of sizes. Selecting the correct size will be dependent upon the task at hand and whether you have a large or small kitchen. Standard square tiles come as small as 3/8” and as large as 24”. Most large tiles measuring 18” or greater tend to suit small to medium sized kitchen best as they visually expand the size of the room. When measuring and deciding the most suitable tile size, it is important to consider any obstacle (for example a kitchen island or built in bench) which may affect the way the floor tiles work. Tiles will need to be trimmed to fit these areas and allow for the objects. Small tiles may work better in this instance as the need to cut tiles will be reduced.

Tile Brands

There is a fantastic assortment of branded tiles available on the market; RAK Ceramics, and Verona are amongst the most popular. Of course, each brand brings its own price tag, so don’t forget you can find very similar non branded tiles available if you don't have the luxury of a large budget.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Incorrect measurements and not ordering enough tiles are two fundamental mistakes most people make when purchasing tiles. Measure the space several times in order to avoid this happening. Order 10% more than you actually require to account for any mishaps such as breakages or any tiles with imperfections. Order them all in one go to ensure there is enough stock available especially if they are on offer or sale. Happy tiling!