Patterned Kitchen Tiles - Should You, or Shouldn't You?

Patterned tiles are on trend this year but that doesn’t mean you are any more comfortable adding them to your kitchen - bold patterns are not for everyone.

Add them to fit a style

Rather than simply opting for gregarious patterns and hoping they ‘fit’ in the kitchen, create a look or style. For example, a vintage look is a great look to any kitchen.

French vintage-inspired blue swirled patterned floor tiles work well in light coloured kitchen, especially when you opt for white cupboard doors. They add interest but are not overpowering.

Patchwork

Still thinking of adding patterned tiles to your kitchen, the patchwork look is ideal. Mix tiles with three different but similar patterns, with an occasional fourth patterned tile used sparingly across the floor. Always choose the same colour throughout and one that complements your overall kitchen.

Create a feature splashback

If you enjoy patterns but think that heavily patterned and coloured tiles will swamp your kitchen, why not create a vivid, bright splashback area?

Great for behind sinks and the hob area, this small space can become a high impact area visually. Choose vibrant colours and striking patterns for a great look.

Think outside the box

At the hob area, why not add open-fronted cupboards to walls using patterned tiles at the back of the cupboards to add detail and interest? This is a great way of adding pattern and colour but not too much – great if you are cautious about over-indulging and not liking the finished result.

Frames

If you have a recess, patterned tiles are great for framing the recess. If you have a little more courage, put patterned tiles on the wall and allow them to frame the recess. If you are unsure about which paint colour to add, use white which is the universal colour that matches with everything.

Same pattern, different colours

If you like pattern and colour, but nervous about mixing both the solution is to find patterned porcelain tiles in the same design and choose different colours to create a fantastic feature wall. There are some amazing results that other people have achieved.

Be super-brave

There are fantastic examples of people using patterned tiles in the kitchen either on the floor OR on walls. There are feature walls to die for and patterned wall tiles in recesses that make for fantastic back splashes.

And then there are people who seem to have no limits to their creativity and courage. We love some of the examples we have come across with patterned wall and floor tiles in the kitchen that create a fantastic space.

Rather than mixing tile patterns and colour, we note that the tendency is to stick with one colour and one pattern – and go for it - the result is eye-popping but wow! This look works well in smaller kitchens especially.

The best way to choose patterned tiles for your kitchen is to play around with different patterns, colours and looks. Why not see what you can create?

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.