What Colour Is Best For Floor Tiles?

What Colour Is Best For Floor Tiles?

Like all the big questions, the answer is often “it depends”.

So what does the choice of floor tiles depend on?

• The purpose of the room.
• The size of the room.
• The style of the house.
• The existing colour scheme.

What is the room used for?

Porches, conservatories and some kitchens are subject to mud getting stomped into the floor from the outside. Maybe the dog drags half the garden in too. The tiles may be easily mopped, but a light coloured grout will soon be looking dirty.

You might even be laying tiles on a patio – the colour will need to disguise mud, leaves, slugs and all manner of debris.

How big is the room?

Size really does matter. In a small bathroom, for example, dark tiles will shrink the room further. In small spaces where the walls and floor are both tiled, using matching colours will create the illusion of more space. Large open plan kitchens with tiled floors might benefit from warm, dark tones or even wood effect tiles. The grains of these can create great shapes in long rooms.

What about your style?

Even if you don’t know your art deco from your chabby chic, your home will exhibit an individual style. With so many tiles to choose from, there will be something out there for you. Garish blocks of bright colour might seem old hat, but they are certainly making a comeback in homes with a retro feel. Whether you can make these work on the floor for you is another matter.  

Tiles to match the paint, or paint to match the tiles?

If you are decorating a whole room and intend to tile the floor, it might be worth taking paint samples to the tile shop. You could even take tile samples to the paint shop, although this could be a bulky, expensive exercise. Neutral colours on the floor give you more opportunity to really express yourself with the rest of the decoration. That said, if the walls are neutrally decorated, you could go for something outrageous on the floor.

There are some colours which are seeming to remain on trend. Inkjet tiles in grey with the appearance of polished concrete are very popular. Using large tiles, this creates a contemporary, cultured base for the bathroom.  

Marble effect tiles with high shiny gloss finish are also popular in bathroom and add a touch of class to the effect of the room.

If you have the size to carry it off, a black tiled floor really adds something special to the feel of a home. 

Before choosing your floor colours, make sure you are imagining them with everything in the room. An empty room looks very different, especially with artificial light.

Whatever you choose, laying floor tiles can be challenging. Why not get yourself booked on one of our great courses and learn the skills to lay the floor yourself. 

Have a browse of all our courses here.