Kitchen Design
6 Ways to Amp Up Your Kitchen Style With Patterned Tile
A designer shares how to use patterned tile in the kitchen, along with tips for making your installation a success
If you’d like to create a beautiful, personalized kitchen with plenty of style, consider including patterned tile. Using this material can be an effective way to express your creativity and create a memorable design feature.
Regardless of your pattern choice, these tiles make a statement whether confined to a small area beneath the range hood or generously covering the walls. Here are six locations where you could place patterned tile in your kitchen to make your room a design standout.
Regardless of your pattern choice, these tiles make a statement whether confined to a small area beneath the range hood or generously covering the walls. Here are six locations where you could place patterned tile in your kitchen to make your room a design standout.
1. Focus on Your Floor
Think about it: The floor is one of the largest swaths of real estate in your kitchen. Instead of choosing the typical plain porcelain tile or wood flooring, consider taking advantage of this large surface by adding patterned tile for style and character.
A patterned floor tile can turn a simple kitchen into a showstopper, as shown in this photo from Archipelles. (A solid tile or wood floor wouldn’t have had as much visual interest.) The geometric black-and-white pattern gives this space a modern edge.
Work with a designer to choose your kitchen tile
Think about it: The floor is one of the largest swaths of real estate in your kitchen. Instead of choosing the typical plain porcelain tile or wood flooring, consider taking advantage of this large surface by adding patterned tile for style and character.
A patterned floor tile can turn a simple kitchen into a showstopper, as shown in this photo from Archipelles. (A solid tile or wood floor wouldn’t have had as much visual interest.) The geometric black-and-white pattern gives this space a modern edge.
Work with a designer to choose your kitchen tile
Designer tip: When selecting a patterned tile for your kitchen floor, choose a color palette that complements existing finishes. This is important because if the tile colors are too discordant with the overall scheme, the pattern on the large floor area may overwhelm the space.
In this kitchen from Colmar Kitchen Studio, the gray in the tile harmonizes with the white and gray finishes of the room. Because there are no clashing colors, the star pattern gracefully gives the room a dose of personality.
In this kitchen from Colmar Kitchen Studio, the gray in the tile harmonizes with the white and gray finishes of the room. Because there are no clashing colors, the star pattern gracefully gives the room a dose of personality.
2. Define the Back of Your Island
The back side of your kitchen island is an often overlooked surface for decor. If your island lacks cabinetry on one side, this can be the perfect place for a clever design detail — which, in fact, turns out to be pretty functional.
Tile is much easier to clean than painted cabinet panels. So go this route, and your decorative tile not only will be stylish, but it also will be a surface that withstands scuff marks and dirt from shoes.
The back side of your kitchen island is an often overlooked surface for decor. If your island lacks cabinetry on one side, this can be the perfect place for a clever design detail — which, in fact, turns out to be pretty functional.
Tile is much easier to clean than painted cabinet panels. So go this route, and your decorative tile not only will be stylish, but it also will be a surface that withstands scuff marks and dirt from shoes.
Designer tip: For added style, match the patterned tile on the island to another design feature in your kitchen. In this Kennedy Nolan project, the black hexagon tiles on the island and oversize ink-hued light fixtures give the kitchen a dramatic flair.
How to Make the Most of Your Kitchen’s Back Side
How to Make the Most of Your Kitchen’s Back Side
3. Accent Your Backsplash
Tile backsplashes often are a single, solid color. You might take the opportunity instead to display some personality with an interesting patterned tile like this.
Shop for tile on Houzz
Tile backsplashes often are a single, solid color. You might take the opportunity instead to display some personality with an interesting patterned tile like this.
Shop for tile on Houzz
Designer tip: To enhance your interesting backsplash, add undercabinet lighting that highlights its color and detail. Of course, maintaining uncluttered countertops also helps the pattern shine. And for those must-have countertop accessories – like a utensil carafe — consider choosing clear glass containers that allow the pattern to peek through.
4. Style Out Your Stovetop
If committing to a patterned tile on your floor or entire backsplash seems too daunting, look to the wall behind your stove or cooktop. The simple patterned tile on the small space behind the stove turns an ordinary wall into a stylish feature and makes a huge impact in this kitchen from Natalie Hager.
Browse cement tile in the Houzz Shop
If committing to a patterned tile on your floor or entire backsplash seems too daunting, look to the wall behind your stove or cooktop. The simple patterned tile on the small space behind the stove turns an ordinary wall into a stylish feature and makes a huge impact in this kitchen from Natalie Hager.
Browse cement tile in the Houzz Shop
Designer tip: As shown in the previous photo, you can place a stylish tile behind your stove in a square or rectangle shape that stops under your vent hood. Or you can let it run all the way to the ceiling. This second option creates a more vertical shape that draws the eye up and gives the illusion of a higher ceiling.
5. Underscore Your Open Shelves
If you have open shelving or are considering this minimal storage option in your kitchen, consider devoting the large space behind the shelves to patterned tile. This combo can really personalize a kitchen.
If you have open shelving or are considering this minimal storage option in your kitchen, consider devoting the large space behind the shelves to patterned tile. This combo can really personalize a kitchen.
Designer tip: Showcase your open shelving and tiled wall by placing a sconce above the shelves. The glass wall sconce above the reclaimed-wood shelving brings a hint of glamour to this wall. White accessories complete the fresh look.
6. Deck the Walls
To get maximum impact for your patterned tile, look to all your kitchen walls as an alternative. In this kitchen, designer Lori Brazier of House of Brazier used decoratively tiled walls that resemble wallpaper but are easier to clean and more durable.
To get maximum impact for your patterned tile, look to all your kitchen walls as an alternative. In this kitchen, designer Lori Brazier of House of Brazier used decoratively tiled walls that resemble wallpaper but are easier to clean and more durable.
Designer tip: Choose a tile that has a vertical pattern to visually increase the ceiling height. The scallops in this pattern draw the eye up and elongate the appearance of the walls.
More on Houzz
Floor Material: Handmade Cement Tile
Find a kitchen remodeler to help with your project
Shop for kitchen tile
More on Houzz
Floor Material: Handmade Cement Tile
Find a kitchen remodeler to help with your project
Shop for kitchen tile
Comments (36)
See 33 more comments
ajoytester