A Guide To Using Patterned Floor Tiles In Your Home
Patterned floor tiles have been having a moment for several years now and they aren’t going to disappear anytime soon. From those with a vintage feel to modern geometric tiles, or subtle marble to bold pattern clash, there is a design that is right for every home. I have several spaces with patterned tiles in my home and they are such a joyful way to add texture, impact and an element of drama.
Be Inspired by the Age of Your House
Taking elements inspired by the aesthetic era of your home can be a lovely way to enhance the natural character you have inherited. There are loads of great affordable, patterned modern designs that you can use which will ground an interior scheme to its architecture without feeling pastiche.
Using Pattern to Add Interest
One of the key ingredients in interior design is knowing where to add tension.
Patterned floor tiles can do this whilst adding depth and interest to a scheme. They are perfect in new build properties that can feel boxy before they are decorated, or in very modern kitchens than can feel sterile without anything to delineate tension between a series of surfaces, a patterned floor will break up and counterbalance simplicity.
Narrowing Down Pattern to Reflect your Style
It can be very tempting to get carried away by stunning patterned designs that look great on Pinterest. It’s also all too easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed by competing looks that confuse decision making. When saving images it’s important to question exactly which elements you like in them, do you see a pattern emerging, and does the design translate well within your personal style? Once you can answer these questions it’s far easier to see what works for you, whether that be a subtle pattern in marble or neutral tones, or the bold full pattern clash of maximalism.
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Use Patterned Tiles to Zone and Create Flow
Living spaces that feel cohesive and interconnected are a staple of interior design, and choosing a pattern that you love, which can be used across a variety of living spaces, will look very chic, for example from the central hallway continued into kitchen or conservatory.
Geometric Designs are Perfect for Dark Spaces
Using geometric patterned floor tiles can add an illusion of depth. In small areas that lack light, such as downstairs toilets, small bathrooms and narrow hallways, I often recommend clients go for a dark shade on their walls as it can feel so infinite. Similarly geometric floor tiles can add a new dimension of space, it’s like a magic eye trick and can look so striking when paired with dark walls emphasising a negative space that the space or light may not naturally afford.
Add Texture to a Blank Space
Who says small functional areas need to be boring? If you have a practical space that lacks interest it can be a real downer but adding some punchy or intricately patterned floor tiles to areas such as a boot room or utility will really make the space sing and you will enjoy spending time in them or seeing them from connected spaces far more.
Extending Patterned Tiles from Floor to Wall
A really successful way of integrating patterned floor tiles into a bathroom or kitchen design can be to continue your pattern onto walls making them a central feature and a show-stopper in the design of a space. Varying the shade of your pattern can be a beautiful way to add depth whilst keeping cohesion.
Keep things Tonal
One of the quickest shortcuts to a cohesive and chic design is to pick out one central colour with one or two accent shades to add depth. Choosing a patterned floor tile that picks out a central wall colour will create a really stunning backdrop to your space, if your tile has several secondary colours it can also be really effective to mirror these in the accessories of your space.
Using Negative Space for Emphasis
The Victorian’s often used borders to delineate the edges of patterned floors. Similarly for a more modern look you can create a plain border around a patterned space which can stop a design from feeling too visually intrusive. The use of negative space here will pull focus to the centre of the room, acting in almost the same way a rug would (but easier to clean!) whilst allowing you to dip your toe in the water with a design you really love but which will never feel overwhelming.
Take Tiles Outdoors
Patterned floor tiles should not be confined to interior use only, they can look absolutely gorgeous outside. They can add contrast to a green space and enhance the feeling of an extra room if you have a balcony or elevate an outdoor dining area. There is something very fresh and pretty about patterned tiles outdoors, and they can create tension by feeling unexpected when chosen well.