How to choose Tiles for Your Kitchen

Redecorating and designing a can be a stressful job. Decisions pop up around every corner and many of them with costly consequences if wrong. One of the trickiest questions is: which kitchen tiles should I go for? The kitchen is the one room that can have several different types of tiles in multiple applications. We have devised a few questions to consider before choosing which kitchen tiles are best for your home.

1. Have you done your research?

It is easy to get carried away picking out appliances and colour schemes and then consider tiles, but they have the power to completely transform your room. See the 2019 tile trends here for some inspiration when choosing. A popular trend this year, as shown above, is modern monochrome.

2. Where will the tiles be?

Before selecting materials, decide which surface the tile will be for. Tiles can be placed on floors, as a hob backsplash, on walls or as countertops. Below is a perfect example of using floor and wall tiles simultaneously. This sleek, modern look is from The Smoke Stone Range.

3. Which material should I use for my kitchen tiles?

There are vast amounts of materials that tiles can be made from, each with different purposes and suitabilities. For kitchens, ideal materials can include quarry, stone, cork, vinyl, ceramic, porcelain and glass. Glass tile is commonly reserved for backsplashes and not floors, for obvious reasons. There are also many tiles that imitate other materials, but are far more practical than their counterpart, for example below, marble effect porcelain on this beautiful kitchen floor. Other imitated tile materials include, wood, stone, metal and brick; a contemporary twist on kitchen classics but with far less up-keep.

4. What is your budget?

Kitchen tile prices vary as much as their colour, design and material; the range is huge. Before getting carried away on Pinterest and pinning 200 variations of your ideal kitchen, it is worth looking at prices; your envisioned image may be far out of your budget. Visit one of our showrooms or contact us for pricing.

5. Will your lifestyle match your tiles?

Kitchen tiles are highly resilient, but they still need upkeep. The longevity of each material varies and will depend on your lifestyle. For tile countertops, ceramic tile is durable; it will hold heated pans and can be easily wiped down. However, ceramic tiles can have an uneven surface and are more likely to chip or crack whereas porcelain is more hard-wearing. Determine the characteristics of potential materials you would like for your kitchen tiles and match them to your lifestyle.

6. Will your tiles withstand your family?

Do you have kids? Pets? Messy teens? Or are just accident prone? Your kitchen floor tiles need to be durable to withstand your household. Ensure that whichever tile you choose is suitable for floors, wall tiles on floors can lead to safety issues. Also be sure to find out if your kitchen tiles can withstand cleaning products that may erode and discolour some tiles. The Promenade Range, as shown below, is one of our kitchen favourites; these tiles are hard-wearing, elegant and easy to clean.

7. How do I choose backsplash tiles?

Your backsplash is where you can have a world of tile fun! There are no restrictions or rules. Although your backsplash will have to withstand grease and hot oil splashes, you can be diverse with your tile choice. Although, be wary that it will be resilient against cleaning products as you’ll be cleaning this often (we hope).