Selecting tiles for your kitchen floor
When it comes to designing your kitchen space, every detail matters. One of the biggest things is to select the perfect finishing material for your kitchen floor. It should be durable, wear- and moisture-resistant, and stay stain-free. Practical, stylish, and versatile in design, porcelain stoneware is an excellent choice for kitchen flooring. Read our article to learn about selecting the right floor tiles for your kitchen.
Ceramic or porcelain tiles?
When it comes to selecting a flooring material for the kitchen, those new to renovations often find themselves torn between ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware. Our recommended choice is porcelain stoneware, and here’s why. Ceramic is quite fragile and porous, making it easy to damage — say, if you drop something heavy on it.
Moreover, its moisture absorption rate is higher than that of porcelain stoneware. Due to all that, it’s better suited for finishing walls and other vertical surfaces, like kitchen backsplashes.
When it comes to flooring, however, durable porcelain stoneware reigns supreme. It is highly resistant to damage and mechanical impacts. It hardly wears or scratches even under heavy use, repels water spills, isn’t prone to getting dirty, and is easy to clean. Moreover, it looks very attractive and fits the current trends.
All these qualities make it an excellent choice for floors, in your kitchen and elsewhere. That’s why, all things considered, we recommend porcelain tiles for this use case.
Key characteristics
The floor in your kitchen has to endure heavy loads, so it’s crucial to use a tile that is truly durable and resistant to both mechanical and chemical damage. That’s why thickness is one of the most important parameters for porcelain stoneware used for this purpose. Thin materials designed for walls won’t get the job done: they’re prone to breaking, cracking, or chipping when handled roughly. Opting for 9 mm thick porcelain stoneware slabs is the best solution: they can withstand any load and retain their original appearance, even if you keep dropping things on them.
Tile size selection tips
Once you’ve settled on getting porcelain stoneware for your kitchen, the next crucial step is determining the most suitable tile size for your project. Deciding on the right size for finishing materials can be challenging. Porcelain stoneware comes in a wide array of sizes, medium, large, and even maxi, like 120×278 cm. Ultimately, the choice here depends on your personal taste. However, we have a few recommendations to offer.
- Large-format tiles (20×120, 80×80, 80×160 cm, etc.) are significantly quicker to install and minimize the number of joints, creating the illusion of a near-seamless surface. Not only is this easy on the eye, but it also makes your space appear larger and more open.
- Small and medium-sized tiles (20×20, 30×60 cm, etc.) are very stylish and can make your interior feel cozier. You can even make the more numerous joints into a standout feature, further accentuating the tiling pattern.
Choosing the right color
The tile color you choose will primarily depend on your kitchen’s interior and design. The flooring can either be a striking focal point or a neutral backdrop that helps other design elements pop out. If you prefer the former, opt for contrasting shades — say, a rich dark floor in a light-colored kitchen, or vice versa. For a subtler look, go for basic tones like gray, beige, white, or natural wood colors. Remember: lighter colors can make a space feel larger and more open. Let’s explore the most popular flooring shades.
White
White is versatile, matching most kinds of furniture and wall decor. It’ll make your kitchen look bigger, bringing in a sense of openness and brightness. However, dirt is way easier to spot on light floors, so it’s not the most practical choice. A possible solution is to use heterogeneous material with veins or flecks. You might like porcelain stoneware from the Charme Advance collection in Platinum White or tiles from the Stellaris series in Statuario White. Their beautiful patterns will help hide small spots or crumbs until you wipe them off.
Black
Deep, rich black makes a perfect companion for bright interiors with a unique character, adding contrast.
It pairs equally well with light and dark furniture to achieve a sleek, monochromatic modern look.
Beautiful black tiles are available in collections like Charme Deluxe (Sahara Noir), Charme Extra (striking Laurent with golden veins), and Continuum (graphite Petrol and Brass Dark).
Gray
Gray is both the most neutral and a highly practical choice.
It looks subtle and elegant, combines well with most colors and textures, and enhances the brightness of other interior elements. On top of that, it conceals stains and dirt, and also is easy to clean in a pinch.
There are many textures to like, be it marble (Charme Extra Silver, Atlantic, Charme Evo Imperiale), wood (Room Grey Wood), or concrete (Millenium Pure, Silver, Iron), all of which suit a kitchen well.
Natural wood colors
Natural wood shades are also considered versatile as they fit a variety of styles and maintain harmony in very different settings. Plus, they’re highly practical, making any cleaning imperfections very hard to spot. All of that makes these options great for kitchen flooring. Italon’s collections feature a variety of wood tones, ranging from light to dark and rich. They are found in collections like Eternum (Acero, Rovere, Fume, and Mogano shades) and Loft (Honey, Oak, and Magnolia).
Choosing the right graphic effect
Porcelain stoneware comes in various surface types and can mimic a range of textures, both natural and man-made. Some of the most popular options include imitations of various marble types, wild stone, glass, metal, concrete, and wood. Many of these make for great kitchen flooring. Let’s delve into porcelain stoneware with striking graphic effects from various collections by Italon.
Wood
Porcelain tiles with wood textures and patterns are available in the Wonderful Life, Eternum, Room, Skyfall, Loft, and Maison collections.
These series by Italon reflect stunning textures like bog-wood, brushed oak, rosewood, cherry, magnolia, walnut, and other remarkable options.
These materials, when used in your kitchen’s design, help create a warmer, cozier, and more homely atmosphere, while also adding to its unique character.
Flooring of this type is virtually indistinguishable from natural wood parquet, both visually and to the touch.
Marble
Porcelain stoneware with a marble look is featured in the Stellaris, Eternum, Charme Advance, Charme Deluxe, Charme Extra, and Charme Evo collections. Tiles from these series faithfully recreate the pattern of this noble material, complete with its characteristic veins and texture. Interiors that feature these products look elegant and subtle, yet they leave a lasting, vibrant impression. This makes for a striking, stylish, and modern kitchen flooring choice.
Stone
Tiles with a natural stone texture are available in the Continuum, Metropolis, Wonderful Life, Skyfall, Genesis, Room, Materia, Contempora, and Climb collections. There are plenty of options to explore, ranging from travertine, alpine rocks, and slate to limestone, quartzite, and the distinctive Italian Pietra d’Avola. This choice is perfect for fans of austere, classic designs with a hint of emotional depth and sophistication.
Concrete
Porcelain stoneware resembling concrete can be found in the Terraviva, Eternum, Continuum, and Millenium collections. Rugged and unassuming, this material still has a distinctive texture and unique graphics, adding a striking and unusual note to any interior. It beautifully complements minimalist and contemporary designs. Such tiles provide a perfect backdrop for unconventional vivid accents, such as a colorful backsplash or an original kitchen set.
Inspiring kitchen floor tile ideas
A Parisian-style apartment in Saint Petersburg
The designers of this light, lively interior went for a unique approach, choosing the same color of porcelain stoneware for both the floor and the kitchen backsplash.
Their option of choice is Bianco Paradiso from the Skyfall collection, used here in the 80×160 cm format.
This approach brings the space together, creating a sense of cohesion and harmony.
A loft-style kitchen
The loft style is heavy in rough industrial textures such as raw brick, metal, or concrete. The latter, in a porcelain stoneware tiling format, is featured in the design of this rugged yet striking kitchen. This project’s flooring solution features square Millenium Black tiles in an 80×80 cm format, complementing the overall aesthetic of the room.
A minimalist gray kitchen
Concrete-like porcelain stoneware looks good not only in loft-style interiors but also in more succinct designs exploring minimalism. Despite their subdued appearance, the textured surface and neutral gray color of these tiles make them anything but dull. This project uses the Silver shade from the Millenium collection in a 60×120 cm format.
Japanese style
A light-colored wood grain floor offers a practical yet intriguing solution for the kitchen.
The flooring is mark-resistant, sufficiently neutral, yet visually striking.
This project, inspired by minimalist Japanese homes, features Magnolia porcelain stoneware from the Loft collection in a 20×160 cm format, mimicking genuine parquet flooring.
The result makes for a fresh, airy, and delicate interior.
A light-colored kitchen
Combining materials from different collections in one project is a great idea that gives a room energy and liveliness. For example, this kitchen, bright and trendy in a minimalistic sense, is adorned with two types of marble-like porcelain stoneware. The floor is finished with glossy Charme Extra tiles in the Laza shade, which helps visually expand the space, while Calacatta tone tiles from the Charme Evo collection are used for the backsplash.
A graphic kitchen/living room
Tiles can help you split a room into zones.
For example, in this project, Terraviva porcelain stoneware in the Grange shade and a 60×60 cm format were used for both the floor and backsplash to accentuate the kitchen part.
Note this interesting detail: the square tiles align in shape and size with the cabinet layout, producing a distinctive graphic and consistent rhythm.
This renders the interior complete and holistic.
Factors to consider when selecting porcelain stoneware flooring
- To ensure that your tiles lay perfectly flat and their color remains consistent, always consider the tone and caliber of the products when making a purchase. This information is always specified on the packaging and in the shipping documents. The actual size of the tiles will always be slightly smaller than the declared size, and there may be slight shade variations between batches. Both factors should be taken into account when purchasing materials.
- Porcelain stoneware has high thermal conductivity, meaning it is equally quick to heat up and cool down. Therefore, if you prefer walking barefoot in the kitchen, it’s best to plan for an underfloor heating system.
- If you’ve opted for large or maxi-format ceramics for your project, we recommend enlisting professionals for installation.
Porcelain stoneware tiles are a stellar choice for kitchen flooring. They are practical, attractive, and durable, resistant to loads and moisture, ensuring long service. And with a near-endless array of graphic options, you can choose a material that suits any project perfectly. To explore the full range of porcelain stoneware flooring by Italon, browse the catalog on our website.
