Ceramic kitchen tiles: how to match them to your décor

The kitchen represents the real heart of the home, not just a place where we prepare and eat our main meals, but also a space where we can welcome friends, carry out a variety of domestic tasks, and, most importantly, make time for ourselves and our experimentations with food.

This is why the kitchen environment should have a pleasing design, to suit our tastes, satisfying both our aesthetic requirements and the need for practicality and functionality. The furnishing elements and wall tiling should create a comfortable, welcoming environment, able to offer guests a sensation of pleasure and warmth, while making an impact with a touch of creativity.

This means that choosing the right kitchen tiles can be a delicate and challenging business, but of all the available materials, ceramic tiles are definitely the most suitable solution!

When designing an interior, choosing the right floor and wall tiles is an essential step in making the kitchen the undisputed star of thehome. After all, only the right combination of kitchen wall tiling and furniture can bring rhythm, balance and personality to the space. But how can we design a modern, safe and welcoming kitchen?

Learn to recognise the characteristics of the perfect tile

The colour of wall tiling brings balance to the kitchen interior

Kitchen tiles should balance with the other colours in the space. For example, in a kitchen with light coloured furniture and dark shelving, a floor that matches the tones of the shelves - thus contrasting with the colours of the furnishings - can help to harmonise the room’s overall look and enhance the modern look of thehob, appliances and other details.

In general, the darkest kitchen cabinets are a good reference point when selecting a tile colour, especially when the décor is particularly eclectic and involves different tones, striking decorations or significant accents. The choice of decorative wall tiles should be based on the correspondence of a tile’s finish and graphic elements, which should reflect the colour of the darkest furniture.

The size of kitchen tile affects the perception of space

Always consider how the size and shape of a tile can influence the perception of space, and this is also true in the kitchen! When choosing the ideal ceramics model, it is important to consider the size of the room and the style we are looking for.

The most sophisticated and contemporary kitchens are enhanced with large sized tiles, so as to minimise the grout lines and provide a sense of airiness and visual continuity. Rustic style kitchens on the other hand favour smaller tiles, such as decorative tiles in plaster tones or colourful majolica tiles, because the small format helps to highlight the colour variations and creativity of their decorations. The smaller the tiles, the richer and more vibrant the decorated flooring appears.

Patterns and finishes give the kitchen character

Tile motifs and decorations are a refined element that can offer a kitchen added style and personality. Not all decorations suit all styles though, and decoration is not always the best path to take.

Floor tiles embellished with graphic elements and plaster-effect or textured finishes can enhance a more classic or traditional design, with original vintage furniture or natural materials that are retro in style, but may create confusion or disharmony in a modern or contemporary kitchen that is simpler in design.

Patterns and finishes should never be so excessive as not to detract from the furnishings or create a claustrophobic space. If opting for eccentric decorations, it is best to only use them over a limited surface, also considering the walls or rest areas, or at least balance them with neutral colours or as part of a harmonious palette. It is a good idea to consider the tones and sizes of the various elements to create the right harmony between the furniture and tiles and design welcoming spaces that will never get old.

Choosing a style helps us to define the characteristics of a kitchen

Having a clear idea of the desired ambience or style to be recreated facilitates the interior design project, allowing us to carefully evaluate the characteristics of the tile that best suits the particular concept of kitchen. It is not always easy to identify the exact style we want or satisfy every aesthetic expectation in a coherent way.

So here are five design proposals to help you understand the latest styles and see how to transform the kitchen into a refined, original space that suits your personality.

1) Brick effect: a versatile must-have for classic and contemporary kitchens

Brick effect ceramic tiles are an eclectic solution, able to highlight the charm of classic kitchens or emphasise the urban nature of contemporary kitchens.

Thanks to the versatility of ceramic, the “brick style” tiles are available in a wide range of colours and finishes, from a warm red brick effect, to an aged stoneware look or even a simple white brick, clean and modern.

Brick sized porcelain tiles also offer many advantages over the actual brick cladding that inspires them. Ceramic tiles are resistant, long-lasting, easy to clean and do not fear chemical cleaning products, making them the ideal solution in any classic, urban or contemporary kitchen.

Choosing this type of tile means experiencing the magic of the kitchen as a space that is social but also suggestive, offering all the appeal of a New York loft.

Are brick effect tiles better suited to a classic or contemporary kitchen? A brick effect can enhance the décor in both a contemporary and more traditional context, it all depends on the style of kitchen and its furniture. The result should be coherent and harmonious, reflecting our mood, the sensations we want to transmit to guests, and the emotions we want to experience during the day’s most intimate moments.

Not just industrial: the brick effect as star of the shabby chic kitchen

Ceramic tiles in brick format are often associated only with industrial style kitchens, inspired by metropolitan environments. But the natural, textured look of brick also lends itself to the décor of minimalist kitchens that are vintage in style, in the shabby chic kitchen for example.

The Bricklane brick effect tiles by Marca Corona are an ideal way to give the kitchen a warm and welcoming appearance, for a room that is deliciously intimate and hospitable with its delicate textures in beige and red tones.

The Bricklane brick sized tiles can help give the kitchen a style update, emphasising the retro appeal of antique furniture and artisan accessories in a seemingly casual yet knowing way, without compromising when it comes to the resistance, practicality and technical functionality typical of porcelain tile.

A creative and pared-back urban kitchen featuring brick style tiles

Creating an urban style kitchen means focusing on a design that is rich in expressive potential while ensuring the space remains simple and informal. With their industrial chic look, the Regoli brick tiles - the latest from Marca Corona - are perfect for updating the kitchen and enhancing vintage elements already present in the room thanks to a vast range of colour intensities and finishes.

Glossy or matte? The right brick effect for kitchen walls.

Colour and size are not the only characteristics to consider when choosing a brick style tile. A glossy or matte wall tile helps determine the sense of a kitchen, shaping the light and personality of the space.

Thanks to their sheen, glossy tiles can help to make a smaller kitchen appear more spacious, or a dark kitchen appear brighter. While the opaqueness of matte tiles lends itself to the décor of a more rustic kitchen, intimate and welcoming. But the satin finish is also making a comeback in modern, designer spaces, paired with metal details or pastel colours for an ultra chic effect.

2) Light coloured tiles are perfect for making a small kitchen more spacious

Light coloured tiles for a small kitchen

When seeking the perfect kitchen tile we are faced with so many choices that it is easy to overlook one of the most classic and functional options, or rather light coloured tiles. Bright and bold colours are not always the best choice for the walls and surfaces of a kitchen or dining room.

Light coloured tiles effectively boost the perception of space, giving a smaller kitchen a fresh, clean appearance. Light surfaces and wall tiles better reflect the light within the space and tend to soften and smooth the corners of a kitchen, for a space that feels more open.

A light brick can be an effective style element with which to create an airy space, play with contrasts by pairing it with darker graphic elements, or design a creative space, simply by choosing a coloured or darker shade of grout for use between the tiles.

Light colours offer guests a sense of order and cleanliness. The advantage of ceramic is that even light coloured tiles will remain impeccable. Porcelain tile is easy to maintain and clean, as it is a non-absorbent and resistant material that can be treated with any detergent or cleaning product and holds up even in the presence of the most distracted cooks. Stains and dirty marks are no longer the Achilles heel of a white tile, as pure as it is elegant.

The Ossidi cement kitchen tile collection by Marca Corona satisfies these requirements with a palette of pale, dusty colours that combines pure shades with more captivating accents. The plain tile is enriched with original graphic decorations, designed to offer airy compositions or decorative flooring that is elegant and retro in nature.

But the perception of space in a room like the kitchen also depends on the amount of reflected light. In addition to light tones, glazed tiles and glossy finishes can help to emphasise the sensation of light. Opt for glossy solutions in order to create a space that feels bigger, modern and on-trend.

3) Modern tiles for open space kitchens: large sizes

Large sized porcelain tiles are ideal when creating an open space kitchen that is both sophisticated and contemporary. Breaking down the barriers between the kitchen and living room requires the total redefinition of spaces, which need to be coherent while adapting to different needs.

Large sized tiles are able to offer maximum visual continuity, practical cleaning and aesthetic harmony between the various spaces. The extra large ceramic tiles developed by Marca Corona are wide-ranging and satisfy different needs for the design of modern, multifunctional spaces.

The Foyer pop-luxe wall tiles heighten the elegance of a marble effect with their innovative graphics. On the other hand, Stonecloud stone effect surfaces are the ideal choice if you are looking to increase the perception of space in a fluid and harmonious way, with a palette that is clean yet versatile.

While modern floors created using the Phase concrete effect porcelain tile strive for the pared-back appeal of industrial style, showcasing the personality of an open space kitchen and emphasising the design of furniture and accessories such as minimalist wood or metal chairs , satin or retro ceiling lights, or coffee tables created out of natural or recycled materials.

The large sized porcelain tiles are designed to heighten the optical effect of an open space. Withtheir neutral, homogeneous palette, the Marca Corona large sizes emphasise the brightness of a room and help ensure the soft and uniform distribution of light.

4) Decorative tiles: the timeless appeal of a kitchen that is classic yet chic

Decorative ceramic tiles offer classic kitchens a vintage flavour with their refined geometric and floral motifs. The pleasantly old-fashioned effect of decorative tiles is not restricted to flooring, as it also lends itself to cladding, whether creating attractive walls, adding a designer touch to more anonymous areas, enhancing a backsplash or surfacing a central island.

The typical floral and geometric motifs of contemporary decorative tiles, so elegant with their dusty surfaces and desaturated colours, have enhanced Victorian buildings ever since the mid-19th century.
The ductility and resistance of porcelain tile has made the soft, retro aesthetic of artisan decorative tiles popular again, even making them suitable for more complex spaces, subject to damp or continuous stress.

The decorative tile is reinterpreted by Marca Corona with different porcelain tile collections and the new Terra.Art project.

Traditional and classic kitchen decorative tiles

This new collection pays homage to Terra, the earthenware effect porcelain tile launched in 2014, the undisputed jewel in the crown of the Linea 1741, while also reinventing it in terms of colour.

Terra.Art reinterprets the series’ best-loved sizes and decorations and enhances them with new colours that are fresh and appealing. Interior designers and architects can let loose with the variety of installation methods and decorative compositions, developing a classic but trendy kitchen with Terra, or daring to use the bright decorative tiles of Terra.Art, even more expressive and contemporary.

While we expect our kitchen wall tiling and surfaces to offer the perfect balance between a refined aesthetic and the technical excellent of materials, decorative porcelain tiles ensure a vintage-chic look while also guaranteeing resistance, hygiene and cleaning practicality.

5) Wood effect in the kitchen: natural elegance and resistance

When it comes to choosing “comfort effect” surfaces and wall tiling for the kitchen, wood effect ceramic tiles are definitely the most popular trend.

So why do architects and interior designers prefer wood effect ceramics over natural wood flooring or parquet in the kitchen? There are various reasons.

While on the one hand it is impossible to resist the appeal of authentic antique wood cladding, its ceramic counterpart boasts clear advantages that are hard to ignore, particularly in a challenging space like the kitchen.

Porcelain tile is able to faithfully reproduce the veining and aesthetic characteristics of various types of wood without compromising on the technical and functional advantages of ceramic. Ceramic is much more resistant and durable than a parquet flooring for example, which deteriorates much more easily and requires greater care, attention and maintenance.

Surfaces and wall tiling in wood effect stoneware retain their colour and beauty over time, are stain-resistant, easy to maintain and are not damaged by the light, the main cause of discolouration with natural wood flooring.

Unlike natural wood slats, ceramic tiles are scratch resistant, as well as standing up to dents, the rubbing of dust and detritus on the floor or the occasional dropping of kitchen utensils. And if a single ceramic tile were to sustain any obvious damage, it could be easily replaced, whereas substituting a wooden slat is more complicated, considering that the new plank would differ in shade and state of wear to those previously installed.

Which wood effect style is best for kitchen surfaces and wall tiling? The Elisir ceramic collection by Marca Corona reinterprets oak in an extremely elegant and versatile way, focusing on ivory, beige, dark brown and golden shades so as to evoke the warmest, natural tones of wood, in a practical 20 x 120 cm size.

The wood effect floor and wall tiles of the Lagom collection are perfect in a kitchen that has a more contemporary, Nordic style, the creative combinations comprising appealing oak wood veining, geometric decorations and graphic motifs inspired by the natural world, also offered in a brand-new cool version.

In our kitchen and dining room we want a warm, welcoming atmosphere that is pleasant and reassuring for guests. A wood effect ceramic can turn the kitchen into the real heart of the home. Whether the space is small or large, a designer kitchen should always encourage you to get cooking!

Wood effect ceramic tiles are able to offer any contemporary kitchen the appeal of an informal, hospitable space while also ensuring a space that is hygienic, safe, durable and able to stand up to the stresses of even the worst cooks.

A ceramic tile guarantees resistance and reliability for any style

However you envisage designing your kitchen, the versatility of ceramic tiles will help you achieve a high-impact result that offers significant performance in terms of its resistance, safety, hygiene and ease of cleaning, as explained in the article on the advantages of ceramic tiles.

The kitchen is considered the social heart of the home, so choosing the right style and colour for your floor and wall tiles is imperative. The Marca Corona porcelain kitchen tiles are available in various sizes, styles and colours to inspire and guide you in developing a project that reflects your personal style, whether classic, glamorous, modern, industrial or retro.

Find the kitchen tile collection that best suits your decorative needs.