L: Original Style, R: Brent Darby | Country Living
Kitchen tiles tend to be chosen by answering some pragmatic design questions – will they wear well? Can they be wiped clean effectively? Will grouting discolour in such a busy and demanding space?
But modern tiling is such that these more practical qualities come as standard, leaving you with a bit more creative license to choose playful tiles that feature great colour combinations, interesting textures and patterns, or even painted chickens (more on them below.)
So with a myriad of choices available, how to pick the best ones for you? There is a tendency to choose tiles in the initial stages of designing a kitchen, along with wall colour and cabinetry, so they can become a base from which to build. But if you want your tiles to be more than just a base note, we suggest reshuffling your design timeline, and considering tiles as a finishing feature.
Tiles could pick up the colours in your favourite pieces of furniture or accessories, or create a country-inspired mural behind your hob. You could uplift a dreary corner set aside for muddy boots and coats with blush pink floor tiles, or use chalk paint from Annie Sloan to paint checkerboard patterns onto existing tiles.
Below, we’ve looked at some of our favourite tile suppliers and retailers from Original Style to Homebase, to find 16 kitchen tile ideas, tips and tricks to inspire your next upgrade.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
1
Kitchen tile ides: farmhouse
This charming farmhouse-inspired splash back displays some of the key characteristics of Delft tiles, with the familiar blue and white colours and sweet depictions of rural life. Paired with the cream-coloured AGA and shaker cabinetry, it’s pure countryside.
A sweet country kitchen vignette picking up fresh shades of green. Kit kat tiles are a great choice if you’re tiling to the half in your kitchen – too much can appear overwhelming – and the soft moss green on these Country Living Artisan tiles is a great base for warmer cream colours and brass accents. We love those painted cows, too.
Pictured: Country Living Artisan Moss Green Ceramic Wall Tile at Homebase
3
Kitchen tile ides: pantry tiles
We’re seeing a return of the walk-in pantry in modern country kitchens, and tiles can be used really effectively here. A simple white tile is all you need to provide a backdrop to an assortment of enamelware, jars, and tins, and a high-gloss glaze will help to bounce the light around if your pantry is in a dark corner.
Tiles can make all the difference even in the smallest of kitchens. In tight spaces, pick any size between a tiny mosaic and a small brick – country kitchens tend to be highly decorated with lots of interesting details, and so you can afford to have busy tiled areas. The navy blue makes a great contrast to a sunny collection of yellow mugs.
Pictured: Country Living Artisan French Navy Ceramic Wall Tile at Homebase
5
Kitchen tile ides: pastels
A clever design choice here, and one that can be so easily replicated. The soft sage green in these densely patterned tiles is matched perfectly in the painted cabinetry – on a large scale, this will feel wonderfully bright and fresh. The dark metallic hardware is an important detail too in preventing the scheme becoming overly pastel.
If you dedicate a corner of your kitchen to storing muddy boots and coats, patterned or colourful tiles can be used to uplift an otherwise functional space. Keep your surfaces practical and easy to wipe down, and go for an eye-catching floor tile, like these beautiful peony blush tiles from our Country Living collection at Homebase.
Pictured: Country Living Starry Skies Peony Blush Wall & Floor Tile at Homebase
7
Kitchen tile ides: all black
A brave design choice, but one worth considering nonetheless. No other shade will provide such a strong contrast to brightly coloured accessories, and so it’s a good choice if you want your sunnier colours to stand out.
Pictured: Rhian Black Gloss Tiles at Walls & Floors
8
Kitchen tile ides: Tapestry style
Country kitchens tend to embrace clutter and a charming mismatch of furniture and accessories. Mirror this in your kitchen tiles by going for randomised patterns – we love this collection from Original Style that creates a tapestry effect.
One for the artists and budding DIYers. These tiles are hand painted with Annie Sloan’s chalk paint, which requires no sanding or priming, and adheres to wood, metal, laminate, concrete, and more. An affordable way to update tiles without replacing them.
A mix of pale mint green, buttery yellow, and sky blue makes this kitchen light and airy, whilst the darker floor tiles ground the scheme and prevent it from looking too washed out. Definitely consider darker tiles if your kitchen benefits from plenty of natural light.
Country kitchens tend to embrace anything a little worn-out and rustic, and this can be complemented even with brand new tiles. Go for tiles that have handmade elements like uneven edges, a rippled surface, or an encaustic effect that creates a chalky, matt finish.
Pictured: Country Living Starry Skies White Light Floor & Wall Tile at Homebase
13
Kitchen tile ideas: mural
One of our favourite kitchen tile effects. Create a sweet mural that picks up scenes from the countryside – we love these Winchester Tiles that feature plump fruit and colourful roosters. This works best in a corner of your kitchen that has natural framing, here set back behind an AGA.
It’s not just painted tiles that can add visual interest to a kitchen, textured tiles work wonderfully to add depth and capture natural lighting in striking ways. Here, the iconic Burleigh calico pattern is cast into ceramic wall tiles in a delicious navy blue. We love the tiled skirting too.
A pretty mediterranean effect here, with an incredible tiled floor, and simple painted mosaic splash back. Again, these tiles have been painted with Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in colours that evoke images of olive groves under a sunny Italian sky.
These pale kitchen tiles feature a distressed damask pattern, an effect that provides an interesting vintage quality. The choice of all-over neutrals is a great one when you have such a richly-coloured feature AGA.
Pictured: Aurora White Tiles at Walls and Floors
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.