Selecting the Right Kitchen Tiles

58

By Paul Ek

Kitchen tiles are a crucial element in a kitchen. They can decide the feel and the decor of the kitchen, and if you use them well, they can match and complement any existing decor perfectly. The question is how to choose the right kitchen tiles so that you can bring out the desired flavor in your kitchen.

The good news is that the kitchen tiles are available in many sizes, colors and materials. You are able to mix and match different kitchen tiles to obtain different patterns and contrasts. Kitchen tiles are not only limited to the floor, but also to the walls, back splashes, and some even on the counter tops. Apart from its decorative purposes, kitchen tiles are also used for protecting your floor, walls and counter tops due to their water resistant, stain resistant, temperature resistant and other protective properties.

Some Ideas on Using Kitchen Tiles to Create Different Looks

  • You are not limited to only one material when selecting kitchen tiles. You can have a combination of different tile materials such as glass, metal, marble, or stone. Such interesting combination can create a fresh look and lower the kitchen tile costs.
  • Other than the materials, you can also have a array of kitchen tiles with different texture on different parts of the kitchen. Match glossy counter top tiles with matt wall tiles to create an unique look.
  • Choosing the right floor tiles depend mostly on the right colors. Dark colored floor tiles can create an impression of a larger space, so be sure to make it your advantage.
  • On coordinating the colors between the floor, wall and counter top tiles, you do not need to choose similar colors. Similar colors will only make your kitchen look boring. Instead, choose contrasting colors to make a larger impact.
  • Another important aspect is to choose the right grout color. Using contrasting colors between the grout and the tiles will make kitchen look interesting, but it will also expose any tiling mistakes easily. If you choose similar grout colors, you can sport a perfect seamless effect in your kitchen.

How to Select the Right Kitchen Tiles

When selecting tiles for your kitchen floor, there is one important point you need to know. The floor is the area where they need to withstand the impact of dropping equipments, liquid spills and other damaging effects. Hence, you need a strong and tough material for your tiles. In addition, kitchen tiles can get very slippery when spilled with water and other types of liquids. Hence, you need to choose floor tiles that are not too slippery and not too absorbent so that you can clean off the spills easily. Ceramic tiles are a great example of strong and durable floor tiles.

For kitchen walls, they can be very eye catching as they consist of a large area in the kitchen. If you want to create a distinct look in your kitchen, the walls have to be different. They need not only be single colored. You can add borders, patterns or different colored tiles to create an interesting contrast to other parts of the kitchen.

The back splash is always the most vulnerable part of the kitchen, constantly exposed to the damaging stains and gas from the cooking. The tiles need to be easy to clean, as maintaining these tiles will be a daily affair. That does not mean that they need to be dull and boring. There are the colorful mosaic tiles that are durable and easy to maintain. Furthermore they can be installed easily.

The last part of the kitchen that requires tiles is the counter top. This is the area where you will spend most of your time operating and cooking. The tiles need to be resistant to water and stains so that they can be wiped off easily. In addition, they need to be tough and durable to withstand the knocks of knives and other utensils. Granite counter tops are a good choice in terms of durability and beauty.

Comments

Tuesdays child profile image

Tuesdays child Level 1 Commenter 15 months ago

Good tips! I voted this up!

Paul Ek profile image

Paul Ek Hub Author 15 months ago

@ Tuesdays child

Thanks for your support!

Submit a Comment
Members and Guests

Sign in or sign up and post using a hubpages account.



    • No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked
    • Comments are not for promoting your Hubs or other sites

    Please wait working